For Sale - 1968 Chevy Biscayne L-72 427/425HP 1 of 1 Ordered | FerrariChat

For Sale 1968 Chevy Biscayne L-72 427/425HP 1 of 1 Ordered

Discussion in 'Other Cars' started by 19633500GT, Aug 1, 2019.

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  1. 19633500GT

    19633500GT F1 World Champ
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    I am selling this for a gentleman and his Dad (they're clearing house on 5-6 cars they own)

    It is located in Oklahoma, and the family has the ability for people to stop by and inspect/view etc. with some coordination through me.

    It is a car that has some very well documented history and known ownership. Funny enough too, you will see if you look up the VIN, that it passed through Barrett Jackson within the past few years. The current owner had consigned with them, and was very unhappy with their on stage presentation, so he actually bought it "back" at the auction, winning the bid himself (that's how pissed he was lol).

    Ask is $89,000

    Here are the notes on the L-72

    1968 Chevy BISCAYNE Factory 427/425hp

    Big-block Chevy Biscaynes of the late 1960s were the ultimate "sleeper" cars of their era. These stripper cars, devoid of any real options, sporting dog dish hubcaps, and looking exactly as an entry level car should, would roll up to their prey on skinny tires and bench seats.


    Introduced in 1966 as an RPO option, the L-72 engine option sported solid lifters and camshaft, 11:1 compression, 4-bolt main caps, massive, high-flowing rectangular port heads and an advertised 425 hp. (The first 1966 ads for this engine touted 450 hp, but this proved problematical for the insurance companies, so hp claims were muted.) According to owners who dynoed their cars, actual hp exceeded even the 450 claim.


    Of the more than 1.2 million full-sized Chevrolet cars produced in 1968 only 568 were equipped with the L-72 motor, making it one of the rarest options fitted in any Chevrolet production year. It is estimated that 124 Biscaynes were built with the L-72 motor, but since Chevrolet did not keep these records, this is at best an educated guess. Looking down the line at other available options for these cars, only twelve 1968 Biscaynes are said to have had the 4:88 performance axle fitted. A special interest 1968 full-size Chevy group (chevytalk.org) claims to have identified six2 door Biscaynes originally equipped with the L72 option, but only three currently have an L72 installed. Of those three cars:

    VIN 154118U197486 - Sold by Barrett Jackson, 2006, for $248,400. Restored by "Biscayne" Bill McCall over a three year period after it had been crashed. Has dealer installed aluminum heads after car went back to dealer with blown engine.


    VIN ???????????? - Sold by Mecum, 2013, for $165,000. Very low mileage original car but with early undocumented "mystery" ownership. A "museum" piece with only 720 miles.


    This car: VIN 154118S228417. REPRODUCTION DEALER INVOICE

    Butternut Yellow, performance options include:

    M21 4-sp CL ratio trans

    G80 Positraction 4:88

    F41 Spec Pur suspension

    L72 425 HP Turbo-jet V-8

    N40 power steering


    These options make this car a Genuine One-of-One produced!


    Many original buyers of drag cars set about to modify their cars for even better performance as soon as their cars were delivered; Ennis Lund was one of these. Although factory red-line was 6000 rpm, Ennis regularly shifted at 7200 rpm. The 4:88 positraction was a poor choice, as even with the uprated shifting the car was slightly "short" for the 1/4 mile. Most, if not all of the drag cars, blew their original engines and were fitted with the upgraded "512" block as has been done on this car. Retrofitted internally with a 4.56 posi, the axle retains its original "DP" code. Mileage shown approaching 14,000, in fact it is about 40% less, likely fewer than 10,000. The sending unit wasn't changed when the axle altered, so odometer & speedometer read high. All original paintwork except for repairs on doors when "Ennis's Menace" was removed by second owner in early 1970s. With the exceptions noted everything on this car is as delivered from Chevrolet.

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  2. 19633500GT

    19633500GT F1 World Champ
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    Price lowered: $80,000.00 USD
     
  3. 285ferrari

    285ferrari Two Time F1 World Champ
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    4.88 gears from the factory!! That is insane, it was so cool what you could order back in the day. GLWS
     
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  4. DesertDawg

    DesertDawg Eight Time F1 World Champ
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    I pulled up at a stop light a couple days ago next to a guy in a Caprice 396 - well-restored. I couldn't tell you what exact year it was, but I'm guessing maybe a '69 model or thereabouts? Had to give him a thumbs-up.
     
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  5. 1guy

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    May 25, 2014
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    Few questions: if it has the " vinyll" upgrade, what was below vinyl on the wish list? What does the chrome package consist of?
     
  6. Meister

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    Below vinyl was probably cloth.
     
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  7. sixcarbs

    sixcarbs F1 Veteran
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    Cool car.

    Is that the original motor in there, or a replacement?
     
  8. 19633500GT

    19633500GT F1 World Champ
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    My understanding is the original motor was replaced by the factory within the first few hundred miles, but I'll clarify that with the owner.
     
  9. Meister

    Meister F1 Veteran
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    GM warranty replacement engines were stamped with a CE on the front code pad. At least they were starting in the mid 1960's into the 70's
     
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  10. 19633500GT

    19633500GT F1 World Champ
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    Sent an email to the owner and asked for clarification, and quoted your above remark in re: to GM replacements (thank you for that btw, I did not know this).
     
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  11. Meister

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  12. 19633500GT

    19633500GT F1 World Champ
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    Direct quote from convo:

    me: It was bought, original engine blew up racing, then had a factory replaced block sometime in it’s early life. Is that accurate?
    Does it have any additional stamping? I read factory GM warranty replacement blocks would have a “CE” on the front code pad.



    Him
    “Hi Ken. Thanks for reaching out.

    That is correct on the Biscayne. I am unsure about the engine stamp, but that’s what happened, as verified by Ennis Lund, the original owner. “
     
  13. rev-it

    rev-it Rookie

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    Engine blocks bought over the counter also were stamped CE.
     
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  14. Face76

    Face76 F1 World Champ
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    CE equals counter exchange.
     
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  15. 1guy

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    There were only 3 interior options; 1- vinyl, 2-cloth,3-leather on all GM cars. Also still waiting for the upgraded chrome option answer. I don't see much chrome on this car. Lots of questions on this car.
     
  16. 19633500GT

    19633500GT F1 World Champ
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    bill. Owner sent me a copy of the build sheet and a snap of the casting. Thinking the moulding is the extra? I don’t know these well

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  17. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Interesting to me that the orange Chevy paint has patina'd to reflect what I recall as Pontiac blue?

    I do think some other GM brands used shades of blue.
    Chevy was orange of course...

    GLWS!

    We had a family driven 409 Impala fall into our hands once, the engine lasted three weeks past that...oil sludge. We should have flushed it with kerosene, but we jus didn't know!!
     
  18. Meister

    Meister F1 Veteran
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    The "blue color" is the aluminum bell housing of the transmission. The chevy orange over spray has flaked off revealing oxidized (raw) aluminum which appears in teh digital pic a shade of blue
     
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  19. Meister

    Meister F1 Veteran
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    The casting number 3963512 is correct for BB engines used in various applications from 68-71

    The key to numbers matching is

    1. does the date code precede the build of the car. Its a 4 character code right near that stamping with month day and year. A-L are months Jan-Dec, second digit would be the day of the month and the last the year. Code :"A 10 8" would be Jan, 10th 1968

    2. On the passenger front of the engine would be another pad which has engine assembly plant info and the last 6 numbers of that stamping (per build sheet 228447) would match the last 6 #'s of the cars VIN tag which is on the cowl or firewall in teh engine compartment.

    https://www.chevellestuff.net/qd/engine_stamp_numbers.htm
     
  20. 19633500GT

    19633500GT F1 World Champ
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    So I should try to get him to snap a photo of that, right?
     
  21. Meister

    Meister F1 Veteran
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    yes. To verify the "matching numbers" aspect of the car, a picture of the engine stamping pad on the passenger front side of the engine would give all the info thats needed. Its' below the head, to the left of the water pump if you are looking at the engine from the front.
     
  22. Meister

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  23. 1guy

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    May 25, 2014
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    The only reason the owner " bought it back" from BJ is because they realized it would not reach their reserve. Or if not on reserve, they didn't want to give it away. So as to not loose money, they bid on their own car. They had more into it then it was worth, to somebody. This car might not be what it was born as.
     
  24. 19633500GT

    19633500GT F1 World Champ
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    Hi bill. You are incorrect. The owner in fact bought this for much less than you’d expect. He bought it back because he was pissed off at BJ’s representation during the auction.
    Thanks
     
  25. Timmy5997

    Timmy5997 Rookie

    Nov 12, 2019
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    Is car still for sale? Would love more info!
    Thanks
     
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