1968 Corvette L88

by Rogers Corvette Center, Maitland, FLbr strong1968 Corvette L88strongbr Although the wheelbase and most of the chassis carried over from 1967, the 1968 Corvette was an all-new design, and marked the start of C3 Both the exterior and interior of the new car were completely restyled. The coupes now featured removable T-tops as well as a removable rear window. Production for 68 was 28,566 units, made up of 9,936 Coupes and 18,630 Convertibles. Only 80 of the coupes were L88-equipped. img class"alignnone size-full wp-image-2886" src"mediawp-contentecklerscorvetteuploads2016031968-L88-Corvette.jpg" alt"1968 L88 Corvette" "600" height"384" Chevrolet never identified the 68 Corvette as a Sting Ray that label would return for the 1969 model year as one word Stingray. img class"alignnone size-full wp-image-2888" src"mediawp-contentecklerscorvetteuploads2016031968-L88-Corvette-rear.jpg" alt"1968 L88 Corvette rear" "600" height"362" strongJust the Factsstrongbr Base 4,663.00 (Coupe), 4,320 (Convertible) Power: The 327 was standard equipment. This engine was rated at either 300 or 350 horsepower (depending on transmission choice, air conditioning and steering). The 427 was rated at 390, 400, 430 and 435 horsepower versions again, depending on options. Carburetors for 1968 were Rochester Quadrajet or Holley units. strongThe L88strongbr The L88 Corvette is a car that, for the most hid in the shadows. But it actually cast a big shadow on the American muscle car scene as well. If you were keeping a close ear to the ground, you knew about it. But if you didnt attention, it came and went in a flash. The reason for its existence was that Zora Arkus-Duntov, the chief Corvette engineer, was chagrined that Ford got all this for winning the 24 Hours of LeMans. Yet he knew that Chevrolet had a durable engine in the 427 and wanted to make it available for racing. But he had one - Chevrolet, officially, was not in racing. They had their heavy duty lists you could at a dealership, and buy stronger than normal over-the-counter, but didnt have a ready-to-race model like Ford had with the Cobra 427 SC, or even GT40s (of which they only sold a handful). So Duntov and shoved and developed the known as L88. Introduced in the 67 Corvette (only 20 L88s were built that year), that small handful of cars was only the start of Duntovs war against the Cobras. The em(see our story on this enginepackage as it began in 1967 starting on 26)em was carried over in 68 in the new Mako Shark inspired body and was out during the following year (calendar year 1969). There was no chance it would be offered in in the future as all kinds of emissions laws were coming into being in the early 70s. In the new-for-68 body, the L88 accounted for 80 units. One way of checking on the number made is by the use of the heavy duty options. The records show that in 68 only 80 M-22 "Rock Crusher" gearboxes were ordered, so they all went on L88 Corvettes. A bit odder is the fact that 81 1968 Corvettes were built with the heavy duty J56 special brakes - which means 80 L88s got them and one non-L88 car did as well. The last year of its offering, 1969, shows a change in sales. Word must have spread because that year, its final year of it recorded sales of 116 units. While Chevrolet acquitted themselves well on the sports car racetrack with the L88, they also did well in drag racing, where they could regularly run in the low 11 second range at over 120 mph. If you ran in a modified class where you could choose gears (a stump 4.56 was available), stickier slicks, headers and open sidepipes, you could rule the track. strong1968 Colorsstrongbr Tuxedo Black, Polar White, Rally Red, LeMans Blue, International Blue, British Green, Safari Yellow, Silverstone Silver, Cordovan Maroon and Corvette Bronze. strongAbout this carstrongbr This L88 Corvette has been owned by Roger Judski of Rogers Corvette Center in Maitland, FL since 1976. The odometer reads 17,330 original miles. This car is fully documented its the one that started it all as the cornerstone of Rogers Dream Team collection of big-block Corvettes! strongShop for Corvette at a href"http:www.EcklersCorvette.com"www.EcklersCorvette.comastrongbr strongFollow us on our Corvette Facebook a href"https:www.facebook.comEcklersCorvette?frefts"Click here and Like us!astrongbr