1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible L89

[mrmike]

Since I am on a sports car fling, my new project is one that I had started on about 3-4 years ago.  The '68 Corvette ragtop roadster!  I don't remember how I ended up with the kit, but I really wasn't a fan of the large hood bulge.  Years ago, I was talking to the late Barry Fadden about this kit and how I didn't like the hood and he offered me a regular performance hood from an AMT '71 454 Corvette and I tried it on the body when I got home and it did fit, but it was a little short.  I have been working on this hood for a while and I may have it were I want it to be.  I was originally going to paint this '68 Vette with Model Master Nassau Blue Metallic Lacquer, but I kept imagining a dark green and I settled on Model Master British Racing Green Enamel. 

Now, my luck with old Testors/Model Master enamel spray paint is not very good, so I will try my best with what I have and if this doesn't work, I will have to find an alternative.  This Vette will be built kind of stock.  The tires I might use are from the Monogram '55 Chevy Street Machine or the AMT Pad Printed Goodyear tires.  

More Corvette to come...

[TransAmMike]

I'll sure be watching this one Michael.   I'm assuming 427 power huh!!  I love all Vettes but the C3's are my fave's especially the bumper cars.

[mrmike]

Thanks Mike!  Yes, this Vette will have 427 power!  A friend of mine once had a brand new '74 Corvette.  He drove it for a couple of years until he had some hard times and traded it for a Toyota Corolla.  I lost touch with him many years ago.

[slusher]

Hey Mike, as always I wil be following along..

[PHolden74]

C3, one of my favorites. Definitely will be following...

Edited March 21, 2022 by PHolden74

[Dragonhawk1066]

That's a really nice kit, you'll really enjoy building that one. That color is going to look great on it, too!

[mrmike]

Thanks Carl, Peter and Craig!

I assembled the basic engine and went to paint it.  The Model Master Acrylic Enamel paint I had picked up was old and needed to be thinned.  I thinned the paint with Acryl Thinner and now I will strip the paint from the engine and repaint it.  When I wire an engine, I usually drill out the distributor and add my wires.  This distributor has a mounting pin just under the distributor capand I drilled it out, added a short piece of 1/8th inch styrene tube and then I glued in the pin.  Now I can add my wires.

More Corvette to come...

[Snake45]

On 3/20/2022 at 12:29 PM, TransAmMike said:

I'm assuming 427 power huh!! 

Hmmmmmm...L89 is actually a 375-hp 396 with aluminum heads.....

[mrmike]

2 hours ago, Snake45 said:

Hmmmmmm...L89 is actually a 375-hp 396 with aluminum heads.....

An L89 is a 427 big block engine with aluminum heads and produces about 440 horsepower.  Check this out...https://fastestlaps.com/models/chevrolet-corvette-stingray-l89  Also check into this...https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/c3-general/2069236-what-s-the-diff-between-l88-and-l89.html

Edited March 22, 2022 by mrmike

[deuces wild]

The L-88 made 562 horsepower with Hookers and a "good tune up".....

[mrmike]

I found this on Google while I was researching this Corvette.    

What is a Chevy L89 engine?
The L89 aluminum head big-block V-8 was one of the many powertrain option choices for the 1969 Camaro, but it was by far the rarest application. The L89 is endowed with 11.0:1 compression, as well as forged internals, a solid lifter cam, and an aluminum intake topped with a Holley 4-barrel.  

[mrmike]

I left the engine covered in Easy-Off Oven Cleaner for a couple of days since I had to do other things.  In other words, life got in the way.  I washed the engine this morning and I got 99% of the paint off and I have been scraping any other loose particules off.  Now to repaint the engine after I drill for plug wires.

More Corvette to come...

[mrmike]

The 427 CI engine is wired and assembled.  I ran some wires through the ignition shield and then ran them to the cylinder heads.  All that work done on the distributor and I didn't use it, but I did add a piece of 1/16 inch styrene rod to under the distributor shield to the back of the intake manifold.  That sparked the question, is the shield a part of the 1:1 air cleaner or is it a separate item?  The air cleaner I found was on the part sprue, but not listed in the instructions.  This air cleaner is for a "lesser" 427 engine which I have created.  

More Corvette to come...

[TransAmMike]

The 427 looks very nice Michael.  Others can chime in but I'm pretty sure the ignition shield is seperate from the air cleaner.

[mrmike]

Thanks Mike!  From what I have been told and what I have seen, the shield is a separate piece.  Why is it attached in plastic?  Probably to make assembly a little easier.

[Ian McLaren]

Definitely a seperate assembly and not part of the air cleaner, and it's primary purpose was radio noise interference reduction

[mrmike]

Thanks Ian!  Yes, this is a separate item for sure.  I am questioning why it is attached to the air cleaner. in the kit.

[mrmike]

I have never liked the alternator/generator hanging in the air and I tried to make a bracket for that.  It's not bad and probably a bit larger than it should be, but I did make a bracket for the alternator.  Now to clean it up, finalize the shape and paint it!

More Corvette to come...

[mrmike]

Earlier this week I took a chance and painted the hardtop roof and it didn't come out too badly.  I painted the body this afternoon and I am not too happy as the body door lines and vent lines showed through the paint.  Maybe another coat or two after this coat has had a chance to dry.  I painted the underside of the hood and when this has had chance to dry, I'll paint the top of the hood. 

More Corvette to come...

[carl63_99]

You didn't primer. To get rid of the lines, i.e. paint pulling away from the panel lines and edges, you need to wash, prime and sand the body down.  I do like the color.

[mrmike]

Believe it or not, I did primer the body!  I think it might be the age of this enamel paint and the fact that it was enamel and not lacquer.  The body, hood and roof are sitting in a tub of Easy-off Oven Cleaner to remove this awful paint job!

[espo]

Some colors with a very high metallic content can react much like a candy clear type of paint. Another thought might have to do with the body prep before even priming. Was the body sanded smooth including the door and panel lines? This can also sometimes contribute to something like you're seeing here.  

[1972coronet]

Your 'Vette Roadster is coming along quite nicely, Mike. That engine looks great! @Snake45sent me a spare Mark IV tri-power setup -- eventually it'll end up atop the 427 in the Revell '69 COPO (maybe the modified-reissue SS-396 that's due out soon).

But, I digress...

Too bad about the colour coats. Such an awesome colour, too. 

Keep up the great work!

[mrmike]

Thanks David and John!  The enamel paint just didn't cover like it should and if I remember correctly, it may have been at least 10 years old.  I did my usual method of body prep including sanding my primer and this was the result.  At any rate, the body, hood and roof are in a bath of Easy-Off Oven Cleaner to remove the paint.  I used that paint on my Spenser For Hire '66 Mustang and it came out perfectly.  But, that was a long time ago.  I bought some Tamiya Gold and Tamiya British Green and will try it out on a plastic spoon with a coating of Clear Green to see what I get for the combination. 

[NYRich72]

MrMike, I really appreciated your tip about wiring a distributor. I also drill out the cap but have never drilled deeper than that. Drilling through the mounting pin and adding a tubular extension makes so much sense that I'm scratching my head for not thinking of it. Many thanks!