1968 Chevy 2 expert needed

Trying to figure out what my car is supposed to have as far as interior. Im a Mopar guy I know very little about Chevys. I do know this car is as rair as hens teeth. I bought it off a friend's estate. It's the real deal. 1968 Chevy 2 SS. It's 375 HP 4-speed 396. Bla bla bla. I'm trying to buy interior stuff and know very little about what's factory. It's a bench seat, I don't want to p!$$ of the Mopar faithful but I know someone here has a clue .

If u want me to keep it off the board that's fine PM me. I'm just trying to bring back a buddy's pride and joy. It's not for sale. It's all numbers matching. I'm just lost on Chevy stuff. Thanks gents

Sorry I'm zero help but that's a cool ride!! Good luck finding what you need!

Day it was new supposedly

It's Ash Gold. My buddy bought it off Greg. He was the 2nd owner. He died in 2020. I got all his parts he had collected for 30 years. He bracket raced it in Indy I think in the 80's-90's. He was in National Dragster for getting down to 4 cars one year. His Name was Steve Whalen. . He was as good a friend as you could ask for. I will get this car right. Just need help from y'all. Thanks gents


What I started with

Where it's at today. He had real deal GM quarters. Had many one year only parts. But at the end of the day I'm kind of lost on it. Need some help

Gents if you know a guy send him this link.

I'd think a Nova website would have more expertise than here.

Yenko.net has all the answers you are looking for.

Tryd Yenco.net. Still looking. Thanks for the link

https://www.stevesnovasite.com/

IIRC, there were 2 different interiors: the base and the Custom Interior.
Base was bench only and pretty plain, could be cloth inserts or all-vinyl.
(Buckets on a Nova were typically only available with the upgraded interior. All-vinyl.)
I'm not familiar with those door cards, but I'm pretty sure they indicate the upscale interior.
Novas were "X bodies", though the cowl area and most of the chassis is the same as a 1st-gen Camaro.
'67 Camaros differ in rear springs & shocks from '68 - staggered shocks & multi-leafs debuted for the '68s.
A 396 in one of those is a tire-fryer, and formidable if you can hook.
Get a dealer brochure (Ebay, Irv Bishko, etc), if you can't find a Nova site.

Thanks gents. I know y'all can get me closer then I am. I just want the car right I appreciate all the help.

Try the GM muscle car parts places, they probably sell an entire 68 SS interior kit for it as long as you know what the original colors were

No help, but that's going to be an awesome car when you're done. I had a buddy who bought one new. It was a rocket!

1968 was the first year Chevy stop calling them Chevy 2 and started calling them Novas
I can remember when that motor(375HP) came out in mid 1966 in the Chevelle SS, they made a lot of power and drove well, the only issue I can remember them having was them dang, weak, Muncie 4 speeds
Have fun and try to not break it regularly

1969 is when they dropped the Chevy II nomenclature.

I found a local guy that seems to know these cars pretty well. I'm running the stuff I'm trying to buy through him and the guy at Chevy 2 only . Was there today as well but checking on back order stuff. Joe was out. My hood has Chevy 2 in the chrome. So does the trunk. Here's the tag.

https://rpui.com/pui-interiors/seat-upholstery/

These guys seem to be on point.

The only thing I can offer is don't screw up those door cards (panels?) I know a guy restoring a 69 Camaro and the door panels are on national back order (have been for 2 years already). No availability date in sight.

I think 68 used both names, chevy II nova, like a 70 valiant duster. Then the next year chevy ii was dropped (same for 71 duster)

try the Chevy forums like chevytalk, nova sites etc. Awesome score. RIP to your friend

When I have done a GM product here at the shop I have used this site.
https://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/index.php
A lot like moparts so might e of help for you. Cool car. Good luck on it. Something about those 68-72 Novas that just are cool looking

corey
https://www.chevytalk.org/fusionbb/showforum.php?fid/67/keyword/1968-1979_Chevy_Nova/

I joined a nova site. Got a couple locals who knew the car and are ready to help. Thanks gents for all the help. It will look funny in my shop next to two 68 Road runners, a 68 Valiant and Ka-Blue-E. But I need something to get beers in lmfao.

I spent the first nine months of 1968 in Germany in the U.S. Army, I couldn't afford to buy any magazines on E3 salary back then. My best payday was $52.00 net for the months in Germany

The site I joined is pretty low on traffic. I can't be the only guy with MoPars and Chevys. I got more MoPars then Chevys I promise.

No heat from me on owning multiple makes: I have 3 Mopars, 1 Chevy, 1 GMC, 1 Mustang, and a Pathfinder.
Each one is a good tool for its job.
Need to sell off 1 Mopar (my Breeze) and the Chevy K10, and probably add another Mopar to keep the balance .

If you haven't driven one, the M22 makes a nice gear whine from its straight-cut gears, and IIRC M22s have a 2.20 1st gear.
I think I mentioned it before that '68-'72 Novas are essentially 1st-gen Camaros with stealthier bodies...
Not to but they're finished more nicely than same-year Mopar A-bodies, but a little less roomy inside.
I haven't seen a GM or Ford or Nissan site yet that comes close to Moparts, but the info has to be out there somewhere.

from the posted tag pic:

06D: 06 = June 1968 body production & D = 4th week
68 = 1968 model year
11427 STYLE: 1 = Chevrolet, 14 = Chevy II Nova V8, 27 = 2-door sedan
WRN = Willow Run, MI Fisher Body plant
93763 BODY = body unit number
734 TRIM = "CUSTOM" black cloth bench seat interior
G-2 PAINT: G = "Ash Gold metallic" exterior paint & 2 = "BLACK" vinyl top

Just throwing this out there for the OP. I'm not sure where you live, but next week is the Carlisle GM Nationals in Carlisle, PA. That's not my show, but I do know that one of the bigger groups there is the Nationals Nostalgic Nova club and Wayne Bushey. They put on some great seminars and I know Wayne and several of the others are very knowledgeable. It might be worth checking into it if you aren't too far away.

Good luck and it's really cool that you are honoring your friend this way!!

Ed B

Asking questions about Cheby's on Mopar site is like asking how the KKK feels about BLM.

I suggested earlier that you visit yenko dot net. There is a thread there about a complete re-do of a 1968 Chevy 2. You will need to ask them questions to get the answers you are looking for. They aren't opposed to Mopars, it's just not their main interest. Here's a link to the 68 Chevy II re-do.

-> LINKY thing <-

What a concept!

exactly

Update for the haters. Body work moving along pretty good.

I been looking around the yenco site.

Not about being a "hater". That's silly. Just common sense that a lot of people on a Mopar site figure to see and read about Mopars only. It'd be different if there wasn't a ridiculous number of resources and websites for Chevy people. 10x more than Mopars.

I been here since before 03. I think after 20 years I know the place pretty well.

Don't feel too bad, I got flamed regularly on here for saying Toyotas suck.

Got some paint on the duster want a be. Seat cover are as hard to find as cuda parts.

Nice color. I like the outside of the those cars, especially the grille design. The dash I find to be kind of a let down - too taxi cab looking especially the bench seat cars.

Years ago not long after I started driving my dad and I looked as a 68 Nova driving project that had a built 402, a Muncie 4 speed, and 4:10 gears. I had not been driving for very long at that point + this thing had significantly more power than what I was used to + it was going to be expensive to keep gas in it so I ended up getting talked out of it. Can't own everything you want at that age anyways...

Thinking out loud here. In the 80s and 90s the Duster and Nova were affordable but looked down upon because the Cuda Charger and Challenger were the sexy Mopars and the Chevelle and Camaro were the sexy Chevys. The Duster and the Nova when outfitted with larger rear tires- like a 275 60 15 look amazing. (Nova in this thread needs factory size due to value.) The Duster accepts a big block but not as easily as the Nova does. The Maverick- Fords entry in this class can look awesome too but man- I was a kid in the late 70s and the Mavericks in my MI town were rusted away BEYOND recognition and they were not even 8 years old!

Based on your pic and info,
Black interior

if you have the cowl tag should be fairly easy to determine, if not and no other documents there is no way of knowing.
Hopefully the following links will help.

LINKY1 Scroll down for cowl tag interior code

page 10 in the pic's towards the top is hard to read for me but you may find it elsewhere on the net.

Below is a pic of the Seat trim options chart. My guess would be the standard cloth/vinyl or upgraded all vinyl

True, most GM guys with money wanted a Chevelle or Camaro SS and the Novas were not on the desirable model radar for many years. Here most of the 6 cyl or small block ones were turned into drag cars or street racer cars and lived a rough life - Inner fender wells removed, trans tunnels hacked up, heater/AC boxes, wiper motors all missing to save weight, etc.

Ford Maverick, the Chevy Monza, and Vegas make nice looking drag race cars when done up right with huge tires and little ground clearance. On the street they need big tires out back at a minimum, or they get no respect.

Dude, you might be onto something. Thanks.
Looks like little turd emoji lmfao

If it's a Cheby it gets no respect regardless!

That's a super cool Chevy and it's awesome you're restoring it in honor of your buddy. Can't offer help on the interior bits but would love to see pics when it's done!

Getting assembled slowly but surely

Can't help on details

But I've driven a couple big block powered GM a bodies.

Fast is an understatement