Reader Richard R recently shared a barn that he’s known about for most of his life, as a matter of fact, it was his uncle’s car! Sadly, his uncle recently passed away and his family decided to sell his cars. Richard did his best to buy his Uncle’s 1968 Shelby GT500KR, but just couldn’t afford it. Thankfully, the car went to a good home, the proceeds went to charity and Richard ended up with his Uncle’s other car. I’ll let him tell you the rest of the story below.
From Richard – This 1968 Shelby GT500KR My uncle had it stored in his barn for 34 years. He brought it out last year and got it road worthy before he passed last December. Unfortunately, it left the family because I couldn’t afford the price tag. He bought it in 76 and drove it a few years before it was parked for good.
To get it going again, he just pulled it out, replaced tires, fluids, and brakes and off it went. He bought it from the original owner, I believe, in Pa. He drove it until he got bumped in the rear at a stop sign and never drove it after that. I was 9 years old last I saw it. He bought a 10 second 1968 Mustang Fastback with a 427 to drive and parked the Shelby. My uncle liked to race and ran a few cops in his day with both cars, so he replaced the Shelby trans with a stronger top loader 4 speed. No idea what happened to the original. The car has 51,000 miles on it and the estate sold it for charity to a guy out in Ohio. I backed out at $61k. I think it went for $75k.
I am purchasing the 1968 Fastback 427 car, however, to try and keep it as part of the family. It’s a cool car and pretty much original outside of a repaint on the trunk lid and the trans. We are going to miss the car because they don’t come along that often.
My uncle and father were both farmers in N.J. and both Ford guys. I have my dads Model A from when he passed 9 years ago and hopefully will have the fastback. Uncle Art was more concerned about speed then shiny paint so both cars were bought to go fast and they were both good choices. Ironically I am all about Pontiacs and own 9 of my own including a few others. Just love any car built like these.
It’s too bad that this Shelby didn’t stay in the family, but I’m sure the new owner is happy to have it! I want to thank Richard for sharing his Uncle’s car with us and can’t wait to see the ’68 Fastback. If you know about a cool barn find like this, please share it so we can share it and its story! You can send the story and photos to mail@barnfinds.com.
Great story Josh, I am glad Richard saved the 1968 Fastback 427 car. He really must like Ponchos, myself, I would have sold some of those to keep the Shelby in the family and thrash on when the mood hits.
Well I’ll be dipped! I just recieved my first new comment email in over a year! It’s from a story from 2016 but it’s a start. I hope I am above ground long enough to get caught up on what I have been missing.
Before I became annoyed with the change in direction of a certain other car oriented now sales oriented website and lost interest, I had the same problem with comments
BarnFinds has developed such a great cadre of knowledgeable commenters that I never fail to learn something and as good as Josh et all are, knowledgeable people sure add a lot. Including you Dude.
Thanks Mountainwoodie, I enjoy your comments as well, not to mention your humor! Take care, Mike.
Glad it’s working for you again!
I haven’t even been getting email from BF for almost a week. I went to an old one to get to the site today. Having withdrawls here.
Thanks Josh, It is a great option. Say, I have a question on my membership. What is the best direction to get some info? Thanks again, Mike.
leiniedude you can email us any questions you have at mail@barnfinds.com!
Hey Mike, mine started to work again last night. How bad is the flooding by you?
LOL! My pier is 3 or 4 inches under water. Cottage is still dry. How is your lake? Going to look at a Z3 Saturday. You find and old vert yet? I will call you next week if you are in State. Getting thirsty. Really nice to have the new comment feature back, nice to see how things turn out. I hope it came back for the rest of the Gang also. Bizzare that it is working again. I like it.Take care Greg, Mike.
Hey leiniedude: I emailed the great guys here about this issue, and they were able to figure it out – one of their emails to me was marked as spam, and that stopped their server from emailing me. They cleared the block, and now I’m receiving comment emails too!
I mentioned that I recalled you having the same issue.
Hey buddy, great news! I really missed that feature. I would keep the story in my email for 3 days and then delete them. It is nice to see comments pop up after a year or two, Take care, Mike.
Me too! It was driving me nuts that I couldn’t see the replies.
They really add to the enjoyment I get from this site.
They rejected a $61,000 bid from a family member and then donated the proceeds to charity? Nice family. All my cars and motorcycles are going to my nephew when I’m gone.
Yeah that’s kind of misplaced imho but maybe the charity needed the money…who knows. I’d like to leave my Woodie to my nephew but hes shown not only no interest but I ‘m wondering if he’s a few bricks shy of a load. I wish he was more like me. Hell I wish the world was more like me :)
Don’t worry @Mountainwoodie, you can leave it to me… :-)
Not that it’s any of our business, but there’s surely more to that story than Richard told us. Must have been one super-important (or super-trendy) charity.
Donating to charity. It’s probably a big tax write-off for them.
While on the surface “nice family” does come to mind, however too much is unknown to be able to draw that conclusion. It is very possible the estate was following direction of the uncle’s will. The important thing is from the write up Richard seems OK with it which is really all that matters.
If the owners will or trust simply said, sell at auction to the highest bidder and donate the proceeds to charity, what was supposed to happen. It’s conceivable that’s how things went down, their hands would have been tied at that point and there would have been nobody to blame for the oversight.
Steve R
IMHO….if he really wanted it that bad but couldn’t quite swing it he could have sold a Pontiac or two.
Yeah, that’s kind of my thought about it too.
I am not impressed that the family didn’t work to keep it with them. It was not like so many that insult the family with an unrealistic offer.
That is what I was thinking.
Really, I doubt the charity “needs” the money.
Keeping the car, in the family, especially if you already a proven “car guy” and collector makes way more sense than making a charity happy. However, you never know who in the family knows someone in the charity..
Now THAT’s a barn find!! Nice.
Really interesting story, thank you!
Glad you got to keep one of the cars in the family.
For non “car folk” it’s hard to grasp what car can mean to someone especially if it’s from a family member.
You are correct; for some people, cars are simply a mode of transportation, nothing more, and cannot grasp what a car means to someone.
The last car my dad ever had was a 2004 Chevy Impala. Not an especially desirable car .. high miles, a few bumps, & scrapes, a/c needing a recharge, and dusty interior from leaving windows slightly open. I’ve been asked numerous times ‘why do you keep that old clunker?” Pops passed in 2013, and just to be able to see, & touch his car means so much to me. THAT’S why I still have it.
I know how that is. My Gramma had a 66 Chevelle ragtop, that i wanted to buy, when I was getting out of the Army. I talked to her, 5 days before I got out, she said $1500 would be fine. I had that, in cash. When I got home, I found that my uncle had basically stole the car from her, and made payments, for the next six months, on the car. He sold it not long after that, for a few dollars more, than he paid for it. I never found out what happened to it, since I gave up ever talking to him again. Sometimes,….Family sucks.
Appreciate your words Dovi65, my thoughts too.
Family, more interested in few more dollars than to keep the uncles car with someone who wanted to keep it in the family
Great story and I’m sorry he didn’t get the Shelby. My sons will get our cars no matter how much someone offers, family first.
A “farmer” who collects rare expensive cars? Not Old McDonald, thats for sure. Many people are farmers in name only, with large staff that does all the work and they collect all the profits, kind of like the kind of farmer my taxes go to for farm subsidies.. I went to high school with a guy, dumb as a box of rocks, but he won the genetic lottery when he was born into a family that had thousands of acres under plow. Good ol Grandpa did the nice thing by buying up all his neighbors farms for back taxes because his particular bank didn’t close during the depression. Anyhow, Mr genius never went to school, and today collects Corvettes and other high performance cars, he has dozens, all neat and sparkly. He married the prettiest girl I ever saw, and lives in a house that would make Michael Jordon jealous. Oh yes, what is his occupation? Thats right, he is a “farmer”. Not saying this is the case here, but obviously he had cash to spare somewhere. With that said, may he rest in peace, and over looking all of that, we all do love a good car guy.
I’m sure Uncle Art knew you tried on the KR and though that wasn’t successful I’m sure he’s happy the 68 stayed in the family.
Your right about it being too bad that it couldn’t stay in the family. Especially if the money was honestly given to charity. Sounds like a real close knit, tight family! I’m sure glad my family isn’t that tight.
YEESH!
I can empathize with this guy’s dilemma, while it was only a 56 Pontiac Chieftain, it had belonged to my Dad, after he passed [1982] I had told my mom that I would give her $300 for it (non running) when I got my income tax return,it was in the mail box, yet my sister and brother in law sold it in a yard sale for less than I had offered never told me how much less I did get his 1961 Falcon though for free Unfortunately rust killed it 3 years later body started to break at rear door sill (frame)
Wow, dude offered serious money for the car, it’s kinda lame his family iced him out of an heirloom for just a bit more green.
Richard
Sorry you didn’t get the KR, but a ’68 Fastback with a 427 isn’t too bad, especially if it’s painted Highland Green.
No such thing as a factory 427 in a Mustang. Aftermarket engine.
So?
Nothing wrong with it, I’m just pointing it out so the misperception you could get a mustang with a 427 isn’t propagated. Only pony car you could get a 427 in was the cougar and it was a dutuned version.
You are mistaken. The 427 was available in a Mustang in 1968, the last year the 427 was produced. Very few were ordered as the 428 had become the more popular choice. I suggest you do some research.
The 427 was absolutely never available in the Mustang. Supposedly Carrol Shelby dropped one in a 67 Shelby and called it a Super Snake. But that was not a Ford or Shelby factory offering.
Could you provide a link showing that you could buy a 427 in the Mustang?
If you still don’t believe it, “Google it”. You’ll find I’m right.
Could you provide a link to that piece of paper? I’ll stand by what I’m saying. Here is my link (there are a lot more than just this one)
http://performance.ford.com/enthusiasts/fan-spotlight/2017/02/w-code-427-mustang-myth.html
Let’s see the 68
Richard Rawlings?!! Lol
Nice find!
Sorry it didn’t stay in the family. I have a 68 KR convertible, Acapulco blue, and would love to have a sister fastback. This one would have been perfect!
You guys have all the COOL relatives with REALLY COOL cars!
When my Dad quit driving,he offered to give me his ’87 Cadillac Fleetwood.
I passed,& let my Brother have it – not the kind of car I want to drive.
However,he did own some really cool cars in his earlier days –
’49 Mercury 2 door (bought new),’53 Buick 2 door (bought new),’60 Catalina
Safari wagon,& then a ’64 Coupe deVille.
I like those cars,but have no desire to ever own any of them.
That 67 wasn’t a ten second car
Considering the Shelby had a big block, that has to be the stupidest placement of a license plate I have ever seen.
No offense to the family.
What?? Who care about that with the words in bold script “Shelby” above it??
The whole story sounds too unbelievable to me.
@KKW per your request I “Googled” your search and the first 5 entries said the 427 “W” code mustang is a myth. This is backed by Kevin Martin who has done an extensive search to find 1 serial numbered W code 427 mustang . None have turned up in his data base.
It is also backed by the fact that not one owner can provide ANY proof they have a DOCUMENTED 427 mustang. Or that one ever existed. Your photo shows nothing. Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Here is an excerpt. Educate yourself
http://performance.ford.com/enthusiasts/newsroom/2016/01/the-_factory-427-mustang-myth.html