1969 Chevrolet L88 Corvette - Vette Rod - Show Car. The hottest trend in classic collector cars is the Vette Rod. It is truly the best of all worlds. Gorgeous classic lines, with enhanced drivability and performance. About this Beauty: It is Monaco Orange, with Black Leather interior. Only 6000 miles since completion of money no object restoration, Side mounted exhaust system, Louver ornamentation, Power steering, Tilt telescopic steering wheel, Head rests, Tinted Glass, Specially prepared 1969 L88 makes 584 hp. Specially prepared rear end with 3.08 gears, larger u-joints and half shafts, 6 spd OD transmission, Heavy duty suspension, Kenwood Stereo and CD changer. This beautiful Corvette has accumulated only 6000 miles since its money no object, body off frame restoration was completed. Everything is new or rebuilt making ownership of this car like owning a better than new 1969 Corvette. During the restoration the L88 engine has been upgraded to 584 hp. It uses unleaded premium fuel, and is as easy to drive around town as a stock 427. The 6-speed overdrive transmission makes it highway friendly. The brilliant Monaco Orange paint, glistening chrome, L88 engine and a thunderous exhaust note pounding out of the side pipes literally demand you take notice of this gorgeous Corvette. Rarity and Collectability: This Corvette is documented as 1 of only 2722 Corvettes originally powered by the special high performance L71 435 hp 427 engine, and 1 of only 4355 to have been originally equipped with factory side mounted exhaust. These are among the lowest production numbers for any special high performance Chevrolet! 1969 is the pinnacle year for performance in classic Corvettes, and the only year the L88 hood and Side pipes were available together from the factory. Documentation: I am the 4th owner of this Corvette and have owned it for the past 16 years. It was purchased new just a few miles from my house, and spent its entire life (39 years) titled in Williams County. I have accumulated the following documentation: Original Owners manual, Original order form, obtained from the original owner. Warranty Card, POP, Copies of all titles/registration obtained from the courthouse. Cataloged copies of restoration receipts. Chart of engine horsepower and torque on engine dyno. Pictures of the car in its un-restored state. Pictures of the car during the restoration process. A nice collection of reproduction paperwork like, Dealer Brochures, Dealer Poster, Tank Sticker Build Sheet, Window Sticker, etc. Corroboration: I have spoken with several people who can verify the background of the car including: First owner, (has since passed away), First owner's brother, Mechanic at original dealership who also was the son of the original salesman, A long time local Corvette Club member, The Second owner, The Third owner, and The Owner of D+B Corvettes who restored the Corvette. Condition: Absolutely everything is new or restored to like new. Literally no compromises to quality have been made. Only NOS, OEM, and Correct Reproduction parts were used. Made in USA. Absolutely None, I repeat Zero cheap low quality imported parts were used. Interior: Excellent Combination of mint original components including dashboard, gauges, door panels, and various trim. Brand new carpet, under carpet insulation, seat covers, seat foam, console, parking brake hump, window cranks, door handles, and various trim. Instrumentation: Gauges all work properly, including the clock, which has been upgraded to quartz movement. Upgraded to a Kenwood stereo with a CD changer hidden in the rear compartment. Window Glass: Excellent - no scratches or chips. Chrome and bright trim: Excellent - All brand new, including bumpers, emblems, trim rings, center caps, louver trim, door handles, and more. Body, Paint: Excellent Show quality. Never been in an accident, fit and alignment of all panels is terrific. Undercarriage, Frame, Engine Compartment: Excellent Everything is new, or refinished to like new condition. Vacuum, Electrical: Excellent Everything is new or restored to like new condition, new vacuum hoses, vacuum actuators, wiring harnesses, lights, switches, lenses, etc. Mechanical: Excellent Everything was purchased new, or rebuilt during the restoration process including the engine, transmission, clutch, differential, springs, shocks, brake system (with stainless sleeves and brake lines), water pump, hoses, belts, breakerless Unilite electronic ignition kit, etc. Restoration Overview: When I purchased this Corvette 16 years ago the original engine was no longer in the car, replaced with another 1969 427 engine, and the car was in need of a restoration. It is an original L71 427-435hp, side pipe car, was purchased new at the dealer 3 miles from my house, and has spent its entire 39-year, 4-owner life in Williams County Ohio. From the original owner I have obtained the actual form used to order the car in December of 1968. (He traded in a 1964 Chevy). From the local courthouse I have obtained copies of the registration history showing that I am the 4th owner. I have since talked to all of the previous owners, as well as local Corvette club members, and dealership personnel who have confirmed the history of the car. I have pictures of the car before the restoration which confirm the original status of the car as an L71-435-427, 4spd, side pipes, F41 suspension, tilt wheel, etc. I also have pictures of the car during the restoration showing the extent to which it was disassembled, and restored. The restoration took several years, and I spared no expense during the restoration, as my goal for this Corvette was to make it better than new in quality and performance. In fact I sold my low mileage original 72 LT1 Corvette just to help finance it. Many new parts were used, and Dale Lause of D+B Corvettes (with many Top Flight and Bloomington Gold restorations to his credit) applied his expert knowledge to refinish the original parts to like new condition. Since the original engine was removed while owned by the first owner, I went about building the replacement engine to my own taste. Residing beneath the OEM L88 hood is a Corvette L-88 512 engine block (dated May 23 1969) with correct 2nd design L88 074 Aluminum Open chamber heads. Internally many new parts were used including a stroked crankshaft, hydraulic roller cam, etc. The last bit of specialized service was done at Lingenfelter Performance Engineering where the engine was dyno tuned and made 584 hp. (with open headers on 94 octane premium unleaded fuel). I have owned several classic high performance Chevrolets (1970 L78 SS Chevelle, LT1 Corvettes, and Z28's). I would say this car drives just as easily as those "stock" high performance Chevrolets, but is much more powerful, and highway friendly. The differential and rear suspension components were built by one of the few people in the world who specialize in competition quality rear end components for Corvettes. The differential has been beefed up, the half shafts and drive shaft were custom built with thicker and stronger material and utilize larger-stronger u-joints. The Richmond 6 speed overdrive transmission works in combination with the 3.08 highway gears in the differential to make this powerful Corvette highway friendly (16-17 mpg). The black interior is mostly restored to stock condition. I did upgrade to leather seats, and have added a Kenwood AM-FM Cassette stereo, and 10 disk CD changer. It is important to note that although I have made some deviations from pure stock while restoring this Corvette, it still appears stock because the changes are unnoticeable to all but the most discerning eye. For instance, I did convert to 4 red taillights (like 1968) which I think looks better. ORIGINAL ORDER FORM: Thursday Dec. 5 1968. Car was ordered by: Lee W. Bauer, Route 2, Montpelier Ohio. At Dealer: Lindsey Motor Sales Inc., 112 N Lynn St., Bryan Ohio 4350. (In the 70's dealer changed to: Stan Pepple Motors). Salesman: Howard Armstrong. This 1969 Corvette optioned as follows: A82 Head restraints, L71 427 cid 435 hp engine, M21 Close ratio 4spd transmission, J50 Power brakes, N40 Power steering, C50 Rear window defroster, N14 Side mounted exhaust system, A01 Tinted Glass, TJ2 Louver ornamentation, U69 Am / Fm radio, N37 Tilt telescopic steering wheel, F41 Heavy duty suspension, PT7 White Stripe Tires, GS5 3.55 to 1 Positraction differential, K66 Transistor ignition. Dealer prep: $ 0.95, Daytona Yellow, Black Vinyl. Selling price: $ 6281.60, 4% Sales Tax: $ 251.27, Certificate of Title Charge: $ 5.00, Extras: Gas $ 7.00, Total price: $ 6544.87. DEALER OPTIONS: Locking gas cap, Floor mats (black). 6,000 miles. Colors from the owner. August 5, 2008. |