My boss in the USAF (a colonel) owned a 1968 L88. I got to drive it at the strip a few times. It routinely ran the quarter in the high 10's (with a better driver!). I told him that if he ever wanted to sell it, give me a call. Of course he didn't. He sold it for $20,000. I was and am sick...
I lived near a Hockey rink that wasn't used in the summer, so each August GM stored cars there prior to the big debut Down Town at a huge Theatre where the cars drove onto the stage as a narrator read their script . This was around 1966 to 1970 and I saw a new 68 Corvette because the Trucks delivering the cars were very obvious and none had covers on the cars. These were cars that were Loaded for show , every one had tinted glass from the AC, they had Leather if it was an option , they were the best colours to show the body lines on stage . There was a smell that this truck load of cars had for the Tires, paint , plastic parts, wax , and rubber trim items. I was too young to drive which made it more exciting to see them all in one area being driven off the truck to hear the sports cars rumble . The last year I saw them in 1970 was for the 71 model year and I remember a Red GTO Judge with tinted window and Black inside , a steering wheel that looked like a smaller padded type with disk in the centre about 7 inches across . Big bumpers and large motors to get the HP were the norm when the Pollution laws came in , the Corvette still looked nice and that year I think it was a caramel gold metallic with a 454.
I love the cars that were produced before the smog restrictions. The next generation of cars and drivers don't know what tbey missed. A tuner car owner was bragging about what all he had done to get his little car to produce 400 hp. A friend of mine asked me what was done to my car to get 400 hp. and my answer was" turn on the key".
Except ur car made 400 gross hp{assuming its a pre 72 car} and his car made 400 net hp, or possibly even 400whp as many tuner cars are ran on a chassis dyno. Not practical to remove eng to have it built and/or tuned. People always forget this. Hotrod put an unrestored original production copo 427 camaro on a chassis dyno years back and got 287 wheel hp! Mind u it made plenty more torque but the lesson is that 450 gross hp turns into 360-70 net hp which turns into 300 actual wheel hp if that. These old big block had huge potential but! IN STOCK FORM, were not all that impressive by todays standards. I love. Muscle cars more than most people i have a vette and a mustang but its just the truth. This car is also an example of the absolute best cream of the crop gm had to offer, the numbers are even more sad when talking about ur average big block youd see on the street back then
The 68 L88 Aluminum Heads were Closed Chamber #3919842 . This head was identical in Port Configuration to the Previous #3904392 head used on 67 L88/L89 Engines with the exception of using a larger 1,840" exhaust valve vs 1.720" on the 392 head.All the Aluminum heads used a 2.190" intake valve. The 842 head was also on early production 69 L88 Engines. The revised head for later 69 L88's was#3946074 which was an Open Chamber design (118cc vs 108cc) and had recontoured Rectangular Intake runners and 2-1/8" Round Exhaust Ports. The 2 previous 392 & 842 heads used a square exhaust port like their HP Cast Iron Counterpart. As I mentioned in another Video on the 69 L88; all these production Aluminum Heads were cast at Winters Foundry (snowflake tm) in Canton,Ohio. They were shipped to the Tonawanda Facility for finish machining and final engine assembly...
steve matz I had a 67 Dark Green with Green interior, 4spd. 390hp 427. One with a more highway suited rear gear. Scary car. Demanded your attention and respect. I can't imagine what the open chamber head engine must be like.
Life is full of choices. As the second owner of an L-71 1969 Corvette for 51 years, I am extremely happy with the choice I made back in 1970. I looked at an original 427 Cobra while I was searching for my "next" car. The Cobra would have been a good choice financially but in all honesty, I was looking for a daily driver that was suited for the public roads. L-88's were rare but available but again, as a daily driver not the best choice. Financially....as it turns out a better choice but here's the problem...can you really enjoy a car made primarily for racing as a daily driver? Some people are now laughing and wondering but if you really think about it, I have had the enjoyment of driving my car for 51 years and it's still going strong. I'm not a race car driver although the car is faster now then it was back then due to some modern modifications. My car runs nicely on the crap 91 octane because it has the lower 11:1 compression ratio cylinders instead of the 12.5:1. Having added Borgeson Power Steering and a few other niceties my car is a joy to drive after all these years. People who drool over the idea of owning a "legend" should really think it through carefully. If the goal is to buy the car, store the car, sell the car to make some money that's one thing. If the goal is to buy a car you can enjoy, maybe the L-88 isn't a good choice? With the HEI ignition, proper tuning and Hooker Side Exhaust and the right lifters, my old L-71 is plenty fast for me and it's a great car to drive every single day. So, drool if you must over cars that you won't be able to enjoy or think things through and since you live in the real world, why not get a real world car?
I had a '68 silver coupe 427/390hp from 1971 to 1978. It rode like a truck but the girls loved it! I had the bright idea in 1976 to replace the 427 with a 1974 Corvette 350 smogger. But with a pair turbos added. Turbos never came to pass. : ( In fact, because the 350 weighed less than the 427 the front rode much higher and headlights were an issue. And as a death nelle, I had a lady along to go to a concert one night . It was dark, and I saw a parking attendant with a flash lite maybe directing . I enter what looked like an entrance and before I know here is chain across my windshield. Did you see that? She says I thought you wanted go under it! I got out and a headlight was laying on the ground. The chain tore it off. We still went to the Earth, Wind and Fire concert. The concert was great but I never saw this babe again. Some guys give up Corvettes to get married?
Even this channel doesnt spill the truth. A lot of muscle cars back then were underrated for emmisions and what not, and when they say "435hp at lets just say 4500rpms" it makes that much power at that rpm. but when you take it to 6 or 7k rpms its a lot more power. a lot of people dont realize that.
My boss in the USAF (a colonel) owned a 1968 L88. I got to drive it at the strip a few times. It routinely ran the quarter in the high 10's (with a better driver!). I told him that if he ever wanted to sell it, give me a call. Of course he didn't. He sold it for $20,000. I was and am sick...
todays cars will rock his clock
Great video, as usual. After watching this, I searched for 'L88 dyno'. There is a video of an L88 built to stock specs that makes 557hp.
This is a very nice and rare car u were lucky to even see one in person
I lived near a Hockey rink that wasn't used in the summer, so each August GM stored cars there prior to the big debut Down Town at a huge Theatre where the cars drove onto the stage as a narrator read their script .
This was around 1966 to 1970 and I saw a new 68 Corvette because the Trucks delivering the cars were very obvious and none had covers on the cars.
These were cars that were Loaded for show , every one had tinted glass from the AC, they had Leather if it was an option , they were the best colours to show the body lines on stage .
There was a smell that this truck load of cars had for the Tires, paint , plastic parts, wax , and rubber trim items. I was too young to drive which made it more exciting to see them all in one area being driven off the truck to hear the sports cars rumble .
The last year I saw them in 1970 was for the 71 model year and I remember a Red GTO Judge with tinted window and Black inside , a steering wheel that looked like a smaller padded type with disk in the centre about 7 inches across .
Big bumpers and large motors to get the HP were the norm when the Pollution laws came in , the Corvette still looked nice and that year I think it was a caramel gold metallic with a 454.
Cool story. Do you remember seeing any Oldsmobile 442?
I love the cars that were produced before the smog restrictions. The next generation of cars and drivers don't know what tbey missed. A tuner car owner was bragging about what all he had done to get his little car to produce 400 hp. A friend of mine asked me what was done to my car to get 400 hp. and my answer was" turn on the key".
Except ur car made 400 gross hp{assuming its a pre 72 car} and his car made 400 net hp, or possibly even 400whp as many tuner cars are ran on a chassis dyno. Not practical to remove eng to have it built and/or tuned. People always forget this. Hotrod put an unrestored original production copo 427 camaro on a chassis dyno years back and got 287 wheel hp! Mind u it made plenty more torque but the lesson is that 450 gross hp turns into 360-70 net hp which turns into 300 actual wheel hp if that. These old big block had huge potential but! IN STOCK FORM, were not all that impressive by todays standards. I love. Muscle cars more than most people i have a vette and a mustang but its just the truth. This car is also an example of the absolute best cream of the crop gm had to offer, the numbers are even more sad when talking about ur average big block youd see on the street back then
Always enjoy your videos. I own a numbers matching, Brands Hatch green, 1971 vet with the 454. A great car to drive on a 70 degree day.
Not only great but the best looking automobile on 4 wheels ever.
The 68 L88 Aluminum Heads were Closed Chamber #3919842 . This head was identical in Port Configuration to the Previous #3904392 head used on 67 L88/L89 Engines with the exception of using a larger 1,840" exhaust valve vs 1.720" on the 392 head.All the Aluminum heads used a 2.190" intake valve. The 842 head was also on early production 69 L88 Engines. The revised head for later 69 L88's was#3946074 which was an Open Chamber design (118cc vs 108cc) and had recontoured Rectangular Intake runners and 2-1/8" Round Exhaust Ports. The 2 previous 392 & 842 heads used a square exhaust port like their HP Cast Iron Counterpart. As I mentioned in another Video on the 69 L88; all these production Aluminum Heads were cast at Winters Foundry (snowflake tm) in Canton,Ohio. They were shipped to the Tonawanda Facility for finish machining and final engine assembly...
steve matz I had a 67 Dark Green with Green interior, 4spd. 390hp 427. One with a more highway suited rear gear. Scary car. Demanded your attention and respect. I can't imagine what the open chamber head engine must be like.
Great review 👌🏼
Love the car 👍🏼
Life is full of choices. As the second owner of an L-71 1969 Corvette for 51 years, I am extremely happy with the choice I made back in 1970. I looked at an original 427 Cobra while I was searching for my "next" car. The Cobra would have been a good choice financially but in all honesty, I was looking for a daily driver that was suited for the public roads. L-88's were rare but available but again, as a daily driver not the best choice. Financially....as it turns out a better choice but here's the problem...can you really enjoy a car made primarily for racing as a daily driver? Some people are now laughing and wondering but if you really think about it, I have had the enjoyment of driving my car for 51 years and it's still going strong. I'm not a race car driver although the car is faster now then it was back then due to some modern modifications. My car runs nicely on the crap 91 octane because it has the lower 11:1 compression ratio cylinders instead of the 12.5:1. Having added Borgeson Power Steering and a few other niceties my car is a joy to drive after all these years. People who drool over the idea of owning a "legend" should really think it through carefully. If the goal is to buy the car, store the car, sell the car to make some money that's one thing. If the goal is to buy a car you can enjoy, maybe the L-88 isn't a good choice? With the HEI ignition, proper tuning and Hooker Side Exhaust and the right lifters, my old L-71 is plenty fast for me and it's a great car to drive every single day. So, drool if you must over cars that you won't be able to enjoy or think things through and since you live in the real world, why not get a real world car?
Because wisdom belongs to the wise.
I had a '68 silver coupe 427/390hp from 1971 to 1978. It rode like a truck but the girls loved it! I had the bright idea in 1976 to replace the 427 with a 1974 Corvette 350 smogger. But with a pair turbos added. Turbos never came to pass. : ( In fact, because the 350 weighed less than the 427 the front rode much higher and headlights were an issue. And as a death nelle, I had a lady along to go to a concert one night . It was dark, and I saw a parking attendant with a flash lite maybe directing . I enter what looked like an entrance and before I know here is chain across my windshield. Did you see that? She says I thought you wanted go under it! I got out and a headlight was laying on the ground. The chain tore it off. We still went to the Earth, Wind and Fire concert. The concert was great but I never saw this babe again. Some guys give up Corvettes to get married?
enjoyed the video
Great video once again. I've been watching for well over a year and look forward to it each week. Thanks you!
I would love to c more of the Pantera cars that he mention a few episodes ago
Correction 20 were built in 1967 instead of 30. 80 in 68, 116 in 69 making a total of 216 L-88 vettes produced.
Many say the 454 LS-6 was stronger... I'll put my money on the L-88 any day.
Great car . I hope to own one like this.
Less than 80, some race car teams bought multiple cars, James Garner alone bought three. 😀
L88 is the baddest Vette ever built, not counting the modern Z06 etc.
My uncle told me that's the only car he would trade his 1969 copo rs for. God bless him he past away and left me his Camaro...
Ok I think I will be subscribing after this video.
Cool and bad ass
Maybe my favorite Vette ever built....besides a 69 ZL1 Corvette. But I think they only built 3 ZL1 Vettes in 69
Even this channel doesnt spill the truth. A lot of muscle cars back then were underrated for emmisions and what not, and when they say "435hp at lets just say 4500rpms" it makes that much power at that rpm. but when you take it to 6 or 7k rpms its a lot more power. a lot of people dont realize that.
Even with the bugs, I'll TAKE IT.
BIG BLOCKS RULE💥
A 79 Corvette Radiator, Fan Shroud and FACTORY Clutch fan would help cool it better if you drove it.
I wonder how many were lost as total wrecks. The cylinder heads were probably saved off of them, I would hope
There's a dark red on in my home town,hazelhurst, Mississippi that hasn't moved out of its same spot for 35 year's, a real shame.
Damn that's crazy with the money these cars can bring.
Don't tell me, the L88 only had 450-500HP.
the past is cool but here and now rocks ZR1 hellcat GT500 etc too many to mention