From this unusually angled photo, this Corvette looks like any other C3 Corvette, but if you give it a closer inspection you’ll discover it is actually something special. The hood scoop gives it away slightly, but the 427 V8 and VIN mean that this is a rare L89 Vettes. If you don’t know your Corvette designations, it means that this is a very special Corvette. Only 390 of these were built in ’69 and it was basically a factory-built race car. There aren’t many of these left and this could very well be the only one in Australia! If you live down under or have been on the hunt for a real L89 take a look at this one here on eBay in Wahroonga, Australia. Thanks goes to Jim S for the tip!

In 1967 GM released two very special packages for the Vette, the L88 and the L89. The L88 was as close to a race spec Corvette you could get and the L89 was just one step down. GM executives had issued a company wide ban on the production of big block and factory race cars, so Zora Arkus-Duntov (the man behind the L88 and L89) had to get creative to get these cars produced. Both were special equipment option packages that made these cars incredibly potent. If you were going to drive your Corvette on the street, the L89 was the car to buy, unless you were crazy enough to try to tame the mighty L88!

The the one thing that made both these cars so amazing was the 427 cui big block V8 under the hood. Since the L89 was one step down on the performance ladder, the engine wasn’t quite as over the top, but was still impressive. The L89 427 was based on the standard 427 steel block, but with aluminum heads, a three carburetor configuration and an 11 to 1 compression ratio. While it was rated at just 435 hp, it was putting out considerably more power. The only engines offering more power were the L88 and its aluminum brother the ZL1, which were both good for well over 500 hp on high octane fuel. Speaking of octane, the L89 was the only one of the three capable of running on regular pump gas.

The special hood found on this Corvette might be covering one of the most impressive engines to come out of GM, but these cars wouldn’t be nearly as impressive if it wasn’t for the other options fitted to them. All the power in the world can’t guarantee a win, but after some lightening and a suspension upgrades, these cars were monsters at the track. Besides the engine, the major differences between the L88 and L89 were the standard features. The L88 came without a radio, no A/C, the heavy duty suspension and brakes. These options were also available on the L89 and thankfully this one has the J56 suspension and heavy duty brakes.

Now if you are wondering why I’m talking so much about the L88, when this car is clearly an L89, the answer is quite simple. The seller has a completely rebuilt L88 that they are including in the sale. The original L89 is long gone, but they have a 396 with L89 heads they are also throwing in, so with the J56 suspension and the L88 engine you could build your own L88 Vette at a fraction of the cost. It wouldn’t be worth as much, but it would be just as much fun and should lap the track just as fast!

These cars really are capable of dominating at the track, there are even stories of an L88 that did so well at tracks across Europe that Porsche actually bought the car simply to keep it from competing. This one could make for an amazing race car, but it’s going to need a ton of work. Getting it back to the States could be another major issue, but I’m sure we have a few readers in Australia that would love to keep it there! I would be sure to do your homework though, as there seem to be far more L88 engines out there than were actually built by GM. For the right price, it could be a great buy with the final product being an incredible street or track beast.