Big Block-Powered 1968 Corvette Restomod Is a True Family Affair

It took the owner of this gorgeous 1968 Corvette restomod 11 years to persuade his father to sell it to him.

Many of us have stories about growing up around a particular car, which one day becomes ours through inheritance or via a cash transaction. But few of those cars wind up looking like this 1968 Corvette restomod, owned by a fellow named Jeff and featured in this new video from YouTuber AutotopiaLA. Regardless, the story of how it wound up in Jeff’s possession will undoubtedly sound familiar to many.

“She always wanted a Corvette,” Jeff said of his mother, so one day, his dad traded in a Ford Model A for this very car. “She drove it a little bit and decided she didn’t like it,” Jeff said. “So my dad put it in one of his buddy’s shops to have it restored. They tore it down and it sat there for about five years. He finally pulled it out completely torn apart. It went back in his garage and sat there for another six years before I finally convinced him to sell me the car.”

Jeff proceeded to work some serious magic on the car, doing even the paint and bodywork inside his own garage. You’d never be able to tell because this thing turned out amazing. It’s also quite a hoot to drive, thanks to a not-original-to-the-car ’68 L71 427/435 horsepower big block underhood. After a little bit of breathing, that engine laid down an impressive 520 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque on the dyno, which is enough to move the 3,200-pound C3 around quite nicely.

That engine is backed up by the original M22 four-speed transmission and 3.70 gears, making for a fun combination for the street. Jeff also rebuilt the suspension with some stiffer springs and added a nice set of chrome 18-inch wheels before redoing the interior in red leather. The cabin is otherwise pretty original, save for some work to the seat bolsters, Alpine stereo, and a set of Autometer gauges. Red interiors and blue exteriors rarely look good together, but in this case, it just works.

Overall, Jeff’s 1968 Corvette restomod is a nice blend of old and new, modern and retro. He could have gone wild and replaced all the suspension bits or installed a modern motor under the hood, but he admits that he loves “the experience of driving an old car.” And that’s a feeling we can certainly relate to, as much as we also appreciate modern performance cars.

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