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Romping through the woods should result in tripping over old cars fender-deep in detritus. Lots of wooded areas around the U.S., especially the farther you get from metropolitan areas, are filled with old cars that were long abandoned. Others were parked there, and the owner never got around a complete restoration. 

That is precisely the case with this 1968 Chevrolet Corvette. There are many worse examples out there of American classics rusting away in dense forests than this Corvette. For some, elbow grease and time are all that’s needed to get it back on the road.

Chevrolet released the third-generation Corvette in 1968

1968 Chevrolet Corvette at Le Mans
1968 Chevrolet Corvette at Le Mans | GPLibrary/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The Corvette underwent a complete overhaul for 1968. Gone was the second generation, with its straight, sharp edges and accented contours. The ‘68 design, by comparison, had a massive influence on what we see today. Big curved front fenders swept up to the windshield, divided from the quarter panels, which continued down straight across to the taillights. The 1968 models could come with a convertible top, as a coupe, or with t-tops, this particular ‘Vette having the latter.

The 1968 Chevrolet Corvette got Two engines with five outputs

1967 Corvette L-88 Preproduction 427 V8 Engine
1967 Corvette L-88 Preproduction 427 V8 Engine | Chevrolet

Customers could choose between five different trims from only two V8s. The base had 300 horsepower from its 327 cubic inch block, and the next level up had 350. Chevrolet’s Corvette lineup continued with three power levels for the 427, starting with 390 horsepower and 560 for the mighty L88. Each engine used an iron block and high-performance camshafts. This Corvette has a 327 mated to a 4-speed manual transmission, a power rear window, and a new gas tank. 

What needs to happen with this 1968 Chevrolet Corvette?

It’s a complete car, but the dashboard is disassembled, and what looks like surface rust has crept in on the transmission tunnel. The engine turns freely by hand, which means it’s not seized and has a chance of running again. The car is in decent shape for how old it is, with what looks like just one tear on the passenger seat. The body exterior looks straight, with minor visible damage on the driver’s side door.

There may be more than meets the eye

Although it’s a complete car, including the glass, the pictures don’t show to what extent there is rust underneath the vehicle. Since the motor turns, it has every chance of running again, though it will require some dedication. If the restorer follows a checklist of restoration procedures, the car will run and drive again without too much fuss. 

If the car rolls, all it needs is new fluids, a brake inspection, and a good wash before it’s road-worthy. The most significant expense between buying this Corvette and getting it running may be the price of the car itself, and that’s not bad for a classic American car from the 1960s, which has been sitting for years. eBay has the vehicle listed from user beynum62.

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