1968 435HP Corvette with Air Conditioning - Available? - NCRS Discussion Boards

1968 435HP Corvette with Air Conditioning - Available?

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  • Kevin M.
    Infrequent User
    • July 31, 1991
    • 2

    1968 435HP Corvette with Air Conditioning - Available?

    Last week I purchased a 1968 Big Block Corvette Coupe (body build Feb 16 1968) that was listed for sale by a farmer in Iowa who owned it since 1982. The price was right whether a big block or small block so I purchased it. The farmer stated that all he did was drive it very rarely and do a little maintenance on it since 1982. However, he decided to sell it when the tires started falling apart because they were completely dry rotted from sitting. I was able to verify that he indeed was the owner of the car since 1982 with an original registration receipt. Its looks to be a very original corvette showing 43,261 miles (could be 143,000 but the interior seems to be in to good of condition). It does need total restoration from sitting on concrete floor and being banged and scratched. It is a Red on Red with the Original Interior but was repainted once at some point.

    The farmer purchased the car from a small local car dealership who had installed a small block after it was traded in by another local guy who blew up the BB. Several things intrigued me about the car, It had its original Red interior, showed a 6500RPM tach (dash appears to be untouched), the transmission matches the VIN and has been untouched, the transmission ID tag was still attached #3915031, transistorized Ignition is intact #111296 and is working well, sway bars both measure out to a Big Block, single fuel line, and it has the heavy duty rear U-joint caps. The farmer replaced the gas tank back in the late 90's so the tank sticker is not available. It does not have power brakes but it does have power steering.

    My question to the group is - was factory Air Conditioning an option for the 435HP BB? This Corvette has factory A/C. Could you buy a 1968 435HP with Air conditioning? Currently the compressor and brackets are missing but everything else is there so I wanted to get the groups opinion.
  • Rich G.
    Extremely Frequent Poster
    • August 31, 2002
    • 1397

    #2
    1966 L79 Convertible. Milano Maroon
    1968 L71 Coupe. Rally Red (Sold 6/21)
    1963 Corvair Monza Convertible

    Comment

    • James G.
      Very Frequent User
      • August 22, 2018
      • 800

      #3
      Re: 1968 435HP Corvette with Air Conditioning - Available?

      As far as I know the only solid lifter engines ever offered with A/C were both Small blocks - the L76 and the LT1 in 1972.
      Also 68's have single fuel lines for all engines.
      James A Groome
      1971 LT1 11130 - https://photos.app.goo.gl/zSoFz24JMPXw5Ffi9 - the black LT1
      1971 LT1 21783 - 3 STAR Preservation.- https://photos.app.goo.gl/wMRDJgmyDyAwc9Nh8 - Brandshatch Green LT1
      My first gen Camaro research http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.p...owposts;u=4337
      Posts on Yenko boards... https://www.yenko.net/forum/search.php?searchid=826453

      Comment

      • Chris H.
        Very Frequent User
        • April 1, 2000
        • 837

        #4
        Re: 1968 435HP Corvette with Air Conditioning - Available?

        AC not available with L71.
        1969 Riverside Gold Coupe, L71, 14,000 miles. Top Flight, 2 Star Bowtie.

        Comment

        • Brad Hillhouse (37766)

          #5
          Re: 1968 435HP Corvette with Air Conditioning - Available?

          Kevin - I am doing a survey of 1968 Corvettes equipped with C60 factory air conditioning. There were several running changes that I am trying to document. If you would be interested in sharing your car with me, I would appreciate pictures of engine compartment, interior center gauge stack, trim and vin tag data.

          thank you

          Brad Hillhouse

          bradhillhouse@yahoo.com

          Comment

          • Joe L.
            Beyond Control Poster
            • February 1, 1988
            • 43221

            #6
            Re: 1968 435HP Corvette with Air Conditioning - Available?

            Originally posted by James Groome (65120)
            As far as I know the only solid lifter engines ever offered with A/C were both Small blocks - the L76 and the LT1 in 1972.
            Also 68's have single fuel lines for all engines.

            James------


            1968 Corvettes have dual fuel lines for all Q-Jet equipped engines. Only Holley carbed engines have single fuel lines.
            In Appreciation of John Hinckley

            Comment

            • E S.
              Very Frequent User
              • December 29, 2008
              • 451

              #7
              Re: 1968 435HP Corvette with Air Conditioning - Available?

              Hi Joe- In1969, I owned an L71 with M40, (had one hell of a passing gear, by the way); but never heard of any year L71 with C60.

              Comment

              • William H.
                Expired
                • January 11, 2010
                • 65

                #8
                Re: 1968 435HP Corvette with Air Conditioning - Available?

                No the highest HP 427 with AC was 400HP

                Comment

                • Kevin M.
                  Infrequent User
                  • July 31, 1991
                  • 2

                  #9

                  Comment

                  • James G.
                    Very Frequent User
                    • August 22, 2018
                    • 800

                    #10
                    Re: 1968 435HP Corvette with Air Conditioning - Available?

                    I stand corrected, thanks
                    James A Groome
                    1971 LT1 11130 - https://photos.app.goo.gl/zSoFz24JMPXw5Ffi9 - the black LT1
                    1971 LT1 21783 - 3 STAR Preservation.- https://photos.app.goo.gl/wMRDJgmyDyAwc9Nh8 - Brandshatch Green LT1
                    My first gen Camaro research http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.p...owposts;u=4337
                    Posts on Yenko boards... https://www.yenko.net/forum/search.php?searchid=826453

                    Comment

                    • David B.
                      Very Frequent User
                      • March 1, 1980
                      • 689

                      #11
                      Re: 1968 435HP Corvette with Air Conditioning - Available?

                      1968 Corvette C60 option breakdown:
                      The exception letters noted:
                      Coupe --- Convert.
                      AG 269--- AB 412
                      AH 1188-- AC 1,056
                      AM 940--- AL 1,140
                      BB 323---- BA 146
                      BD 3------ BC 2
                      BH 130---- BG 55
                      Last edited by David B.; October 6, 2020, 05:38 AM. Reason: clear between columns lsted

                      Comment

                      • James G.
                        Very Frequent User
                        • August 22, 2018
                        • 800

                        #12
                        Re: 1968 435HP Corvette with Air Conditioning - Available?

                        Someone could have added all the factory AC components however I would have thought a dealership would just use one of those add on units. The amount of controls and equipment to install AC is just ridiculous, swapping a L71 into an AC car would have been a much less entailed undertaking.

                        Is the distributor date prior to the build date of the car?
                        Was the trans number different for L68's vs L71's?
                        IF trans number is not doff, then a L71 complete engine dist to pan could have been swapped at one time, the engine expiring and the dist pulled to install in the SB so the tach worked.
                        As an aside I owned a 69 L46 in the early 90's, the car was no radio from the factory, built in November of 69 and it had a 6500 redline tach which appeared to have been there forever...not saying it was original just saying it was there in 1991 when I paid 4k for the car.
                        James A Groome
                        1971 LT1 11130 - https://photos.app.goo.gl/zSoFz24JMPXw5Ffi9 - the black LT1
                        1971 LT1 21783 - 3 STAR Preservation.- https://photos.app.goo.gl/wMRDJgmyDyAwc9Nh8 - Brandshatch Green LT1
                        My first gen Camaro research http://www.camaros.org/forum/index.p...owposts;u=4337
                        Posts on Yenko boards... https://www.yenko.net/forum/search.php?searchid=826453

                        Comment

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