Update 3/7/2017 – It has been announced that after traveling to Mexico to see the car in person, Kevin Marti has authenticated it as being the actual Mustang driven by McQueen in Bullitt! Photos of it as discovered in Mexico have also surfaced, showing what sad state it was in. I’m sure there will continue to be doubts and concerns about this car’s authenticity, but this could be big news for Bullitt and Mustang fans a like! Special thanks to Fred W for letting us know about the update.
From 3/2/2017 – Reader Edward W tipped us off to what could be one of the biggest stories of the year in the Ford world! We all know about Steve McQueen’s iconic movie, Bullitt, and the Mustang that was the real star of the show. But what ever happened to the cars used in filming? Well, apparently one was destroyed during filming and the other ended up in a collection in Kentucky. According to a Member of the Vintage Mustang Forum, the wrecked Bullitt Mustang actually ended up in Mexico between 20 and 30 years ago, instead of being destroyed. It’s quite the incredible story, but can it be true? Did the missing car really hide out in Mexico for all these years?
It seems questionable, but Fede G claims to have seen the car and provided the VIN. The car has some unique and interesting features, like reinforced suspension mounts and an exhaust port for a lighting generator. These features don’t prove much, but the VIN should be able to connect the car back to McQueen or at the very least his production company Solar Productions.
The story goes that the car spent a few years in the Baja area, near Los Cabos, which really isn’t that far from California. It sat there for years, rusting away, until Fede’s friend found it and a coupe. He planned on building the Fastback into an Elanor clone, until he got the Marti report and realized what exactly he had. The car is now on its way back to the States to be fully restored, but it’s going to make a quick stop at a Ford dealership in Mexico to be displayed before it heads back across the border!
This really is one of those incredible stories, that if proves to be true will go down in automotive history. There is of course a good chance that it’s all made up and the car isn’t really the Bullitt stunt car, but it’s too early to know for sure. I’m sure we will be hearing more about this one in the near future! For the mean time, what do you think? Is this legit or a fake?
Let’a all hope the story is true.
I find it hard to believe seeing that in 78 i seen the car as it was after it went in the ditch in the movie.It was at the Peterson’s Museum in Las Vegas with alot of his other toys
I guess all the money ya spent on yer awesome 55 left you without the means to buy a new pair of jeans!
TO, Checked out the price of jeans lately???
The car you saw at the museum was a fake. Neither of the cars was ever in a museum. The one was sold,the other was junked. Someone maybe bought it from the junkyard but I doubt it.
kind of ironic the car wound up in mexico where steve mcqueen spent his final days. kind of fitting i guess
I hope it’s the original car – the world has too many fakey-doo “Eleanor”s already.
It wouldn’t be unheard of – all sorts of significant and exotic cars have made their way south of the border!
Yeah, one of Big Daddy Roth’s creations, Orbitron, was found in a Baja Alley, being used as a kind of dumpster. They dragged it up here and spent a ton restoring it. An original one of two Bullitt is certainly worth whatever it costs to restore; I can’t even imagine what it would go for at a big auction.
So keep a sharp eye out when you’re down there. Lotta cool stuff lurking in garages. But keep your hands where we can see ’em.
Stay out of Mexico, nothing to see down there.
I hope they found it keep us posted,
I am leaning towards real right now since the vin is consecutive with the other one.
So let’s see the Vin on the car ? I know the Vin of the surviving car.
This story is a fraud, the marti report would not have provided info that linked this to a car in a movie.
Years ago Kevin Marti was able to search his Ford database and of the 316 Highland Green 390 GT 4spd cars only 2 were sold to Warner Bros Studios. They are 8R02S125558 and 8R02S125559. 125559 has been confirmed to be the “show” car and kept in good shape during filming. It is a well known fact that a guy in Kentucky owns this car but does not want to bring it out of hiding. According to people involved with the movie cars during filming the stunt car used in the chase scenes (125558) was sold to a wrecking yard as scrap and they “assumed” it had been crushed. Kevin Marti reviews and signs all of his Marti Reports so he would for sure recognize this one as the missing stunt car.
Before making a comment I will wait for the final results of substantial proof. There has been way too many questions of both Mustangs of the Bullit movie over the years. Was there only one Charger used, if no then where are the other ones ??? You never hear much about the Charger just the Mustang.
Loved McQueen, love the movie, loved the car…but…why does no one ever mention that the Charger was stock and the Mustang had to be worked up beyond stock to keep up with the Dodge? Beyond all of that, McQueen was a true car guy. I bet he had a great collection. He left us too young.
McQueen was more than just a car guy – don’t forget motorcycles. When I was 13, my first ever motorcycle ride was on the back of his Triumph 650 Bonneville.
JW…….
You are right! We never hear anything about the Charger (s) used in the film.
Where are THEY now?
Didn’t you hear the story? That Charger in Bullitt got bought and junked up for the Dukes of Hazard series. I know. I saw it being prepped for the show.
As a kid, I remember seeing what was advertised as The Bullit Charger at the Wheels and Spokes Mopar museum in Hayes Kansas. Don’t know if it was real or not, cool either way!
Would be nice to see some pictures of when it was found. Maybe some more evidence like how it looked after it was wrecked that could be compared to the as found condition of the car.
Here is pic of the way the current owner found the car recently. It was in someone’s back yard near Cabo and it reportedly had been sitting there rusting away for 30 years. If this is indeed the stunt car my best guess is that it was repaired and painted white in the late sixties and that is probably why no one suspected it to be anything special.
As best as I can tell from the photos the vin is
8R02S125558.
I have a photos of the rivited plate and a vin from another location that a guy posted on line
That’s interesting because the survivor is #125559.
Saw a Bullitt Mustang on the 405 in Irvine yesterday. Looked like a great replica. Everything looked correct, but I’m no expert.
Sorry to hear, that you had to be on the 405,……… anywhere
Yes…please provide updates on this find!
Maybe this will work
The numerical digits on the Ford line were held by a stamp clamp and would not have been out of line like this. I own more than 10 Mustangs (’67 & ’68) and not one has the consecutive vin digits out of line like this. It’s not uncommon to see the engine code out of line.
like this JD
It is common for San Jose cars built in the late 60’s to have the last 3 digits offset slightly as shown above. Not sure why but I have seen a few others just like this one and I doubt that they all were faked cars :-). Apparently Kevin Marti was not scared off by the pic of this VIN he still made the long drive to Mexicali last Friday to inspect the car in person. It was posted yesterday that he did authentic this car as the real deal after his inspection. I am still somewhat skeptical but I am anxiously awaiting Kevin’s official determination.
The damage shown in the Mustang Forum photos is consistent with what would have probably happened when he slid into the ditch after the Charger crashed and blew up, folding the right front wheel under and into the wheel well.
I agree with JW… lets wait and see what else comes out to prove or disprove the story before tossing our damning comments into the ring.
maybe this too
I hope it is the real deal, and if it really is the “grail” then some serious money is gonna change hands if it appears at Mecum!
And following JWs comment above – what did happen to the Charger/s?
Don’t you remember? It(Charger) crashed & burned. No survivors!
I tend to think this is as fake as finding Hank Williams Srs. death car. I mean why now?
JD is right. A Marti will only give info on options and the dealer where it was ordered. NOT who ordered it. The DMV was computerized in the 80’s. Impossible to track old titles unless someone has an old registration. Then I would question it. I mean if someone can forge a Corvette tank build sheet how easy would it be to make a registration?
The popularity of the movie would surely have brought them out by now. I thought someone offered a reward for the whereabouts of the car(s)
When the movie wrapped little thought (if any) went to the cars. If one car was destroyed (define how destroyed?) How would it end up in Mexico and not surface until now? The truth is it ended up in the scrap yard somewhere in California close to where the shooting wrapped. The burned remains of the Charger included along with anything else that was wrecked. The Mustang hero car was sold to a secretary and disappeared . Likely sold to a teen age kid and wrecked in the 70’s.
I hope the story is real like everyone but don’t hold much faith. My thought is someone has made it up to hit the lottery……:(
Completely agree.
Just like the Vanishing Point Challengers.
AMCFAN,
The Hank Sr. death car’s whereabouts have never been in question. Inherited by Hank Jr, and on display for many years in the museum in Montgomery, Alabama.
” I hope the story is real like everyone but don’t hold much faith. My thought is someone has made it up to hit the lottery……”
Yep, You never know,,, I ran across this picture on a motorcycle forum in the UK which made me laugh quite a bit. Cheeky limeys. I sent it to the Barnfinds staff but no comment from the peanut gallery,. Perhaps they didnt like the Barnfinds name being besmirched, But I dont think its anything personal or directed to this site but instead is a commentary about the whole “Found it in a barn movement”
But damn,,,I thought it was funny as heck. Am I the only one???
That is funny and true! Buyer beware!
Story is total B.S.. I happened to be a personal friend to the fellow commissioned to build the cars for that movie. He built 7 in total and told me that all but one were destroyed.. He also became a personal friend to Steve McQueen so much so that he spent time with him at his home in the dessert which he admired to the extent that McQueen gave him the plans and he built the identical house in the north end of our city. When there is value in a collectible car you can be sure that some bottom feeder is going to try what ever they can to capitalize.
Doug, I don’t ever remember seeing this in our inbox. I’ll have to look back and see what the heck happened!
Thats okay Josh,, You guys got your hands full with this site so its understandable some things slip thru the cracks. But I assumed you guys were not amused. My humor is not always appreciated universally either.
But on the Haynes manual topic.. They have gotten clever as at my favorite bookstore (Largest independant Book store in the US, Powells Books in Portland Oregon) They have a selection of Haynes manuals for the space shuttle, the Death star, and even a guide to Wallace & Gromits “cracking contraptions”
This story has the 2nd Bullitt Mustang in Mexico for the last 20 to 30 years.
BUT….this other story
[http://www.mustangandfords.com/featured-vehicles/mump-0707-1968-ford-mustang-bullitt/]
has the 2nd Bullitt Mustang in the Eastern US for decades in the hands of two owners who refused to divulge information about the car or sell it despite requests from some famous Mustang fans including Steve McQueen himself. No success.
The author of the mustangandfords.com article said that the last time he spoke to the last owner of the Bullitt Mustang was in 2000. That owner said he was going to keep it for his son to drive. The documentation for the 2nd Bullitt Mustang seems strong, including the VIN.
My guess is that the Mexico Mustang probably isn’t one of the Mustangs that were used in the “Bullitt” movie.
IIRC the book “McQueen’s Machines” talks about the 2nd Bullitt Mustang, but I can’t find my copy right now. Can anyone find their copy, and does it say anything about the 2nd Mustang?
I find it hard to believe that anyone would keep a famous movie star car “for his son to drive”, rather than sell or donate it to a museum.
I read that article too, but it was in reference to the “show” car, not the stunt car.
Marshall, I agree, but lots of people keep things that they might not even need or use, often for many years. It’s the owning of things (sometimes called the ‘endowment effect’) that can make people hang onto them for years or decades even tho they may have no real use for them.
The owner of the surviving Bullitt Mustang saying that he wants to keep it for his son to drive might not be accurate, but it’s a ‘reason’ (some would say excuse) for hanging onto the car and refusing to even let anyone see it. But who really knows? Only the owner I guess.
With the way things have been for decades with the surviving Mustang, there’s no way to predict what will happen to the car. What I’m hoping is that it will come up for auction, which was suggested in one of the articles about the car referenced on here. But that hasn’t happened yet, even tho any auction house on the planet would jump at the chance to sell it.
They used the other one in a True Bloods episode last year (or the year before). First time it was seen in years.
Not the original Bullitt non-stunt car (see link below). The owner of that car has chosen to remain anonymous and keep the car hidden away. I am curious to see if he brings it out of hiding for the 50th anniversary.
http://screenertv.com/television/was-that-the-bullitt-mustang-on-blue-bloods/
What happened to the cars after the filming?
The Charger, with only 600 miles showing on the odometer, was destroyed in the crash and fire. The Mustang, the Charger’s nemesis, survived the filming, although an A-arm in the suspension did let go the final day of filming. The car was repaired, cleaned up, and later sold for $2500. Not a bad price for a movie star. Click the link below for the full story.
link http://www.ponysite.de/carlife.htm
Actually, the Charger was NOT destroyed in the crash or fire. In the movie, the car was launched driver-less into the gas station rigged with explosives….. but it missed. In the movie you can just see the car pass behind the gas station when the gas station charges are set off. There was some talk of that car being found. It was originally a medium blue color, but painted black for the movie to look more menacing.
i always wondered, why, after doing all of that great driving all through the streets of SF, Frank bit the bullet and lost control AFTER he won the car chase. In this shot above, he is clearly in control, going straight and no longer being chased. So why lose control the smash into the median curb then after all that?
I believe that Steve is sort of taken by the explosion . looking over his shoulder..I could be remembering it incorrectly.. And that causes him to lose control through the large left hand sweeper… I too have read about the missed timed explosion of the unmanned Charger…
Didn’t you hear the story? That Charger in Bullitt got bought and junked up for the Dukes of Hazard series. I know. I saw it being prepped for the show.
Anyone could have welded up those shock towers, I have several cars that has been done to. Additionally, the inside of this car has been repainted, along with the exterior as if it has had severe work, possibly a coupe/FB conversion. Even the engine compartment is painted green and that would not have been original. The driver inner quarter shot proves it’s been replaced, no more sound deadening goo. The VIN stamp is not authentic and the data tag could have easily been purchased from marti auto works and weathered to look like it was original. I still call this a fraud, especially coming from mexico. I’ll bet good money that these guys turn coupes into FB’s and re-stamp the aprons all the time and were probably trying to come up with a VIN from a FB that was lost and thought it would be funny to stamp it with the bullitt cars vin.
There is no way that someone purchased a replacement warranty plate from Kevin Marti since he had known the VINs of the 2 Bullitt movie cars long before he started selling the replacement plates. Kevin would have surely asked questions about the car before making this plate.
So you’re saying that Kevin Marti is part of an elaborate fraud by a) selling fraudsters a data tag and then b) authenticating the car his own data tag was installed on in collusion with the fraudsters?
You are aware these are libelous allegations that you have actually put into writing? For your sake, I hope Kevin Marti’s lawyer is not reading this. No matter, you seem to have “good money” .
After all they did find the “Mysterian” in down south in Mexico…..
I thought that’s the orbitron
I would rather have a Bullitt than an Elenor.
It’s a McFake.
I found my copy of “McQueen’s Machines” and it says the VIN of the surviving Bullitt Mustang is 8R02S125559, same as the VIN that JD says above.
It also says the car was sold to a Warner Bros employee after filming ended, and that he sold it with an ad in a 1974 issue of Road & Track magazine.
The car then went to an anonymous buyer who refused to sell it. When last seen it had 66,000 miles, some minor front end damage and faded paint, and it was “hidden in Kentucky” for many years but now “sits locked in a building in the South”.
The 2010 book “McQueen’s Machines” was written by Matt Stone, who knows what he’s talking about, and had input from Steve McQueen’s son Chad.
The story of the surviving Bullitt Mustang being in Baja Mexico for decades sounds like “a story”.
Ummm, there were two (2) cars used in the movie. That’s already historical fact.
And , yes, the 559 car still resides in Kentucky. This is the 558 stunt car.
Unsolicited advice: Use google, do research, then type.
The Mysterian was never lost. It was parked right outside a porn shop in Mexico for years…..I was never there…ahem,,,,
As a kid I lived in a rough part of town and had to walk six blocks to school. Lucky me I had to pass a junk yard. The kid across the street got a 68 Mustang FB when he was 16 his family were Ford people. His Mom sometimes on the way to work would stop and pick me up in her 1969 Mach 1 and take me to school. One day I seen Jr’s 68 Mustang in the junkyard. Had a large PEACE sign in the back window. It was on top of two other cars along the fence near where I walked. Still shining minus the Cregar wheels.Turns out Jr. blew the motor. Thats it. The car was sold for junk and was parted out. Saw the progress.There were 68/69 GTO’s and Chevelles….Don’t remember too many AMC’s though. (Mom gave Jr. the 69 Mach then bought a new 71 Torino GT) Jr took care of the 69 after that
So a bent up wrecked Bullet Movie Mustang avoided the scrap yard and surfaces in Mexico after 30 years? Please! These were throw away cars not the glorified pieces they are now. FB or not.They were everywhere. Cars with little or no body damage were junked. People bought cars every other year. The Bullet stunt car was a major wreck. What was the incentive to save it when the hero car was sold for only $2500. after the movie?
To me welds on the shock towers look pretty damn good. The transportation crew in charge of getting the cars ready would have done the welds with the motor in place.The puddle pattern looks too nice and done with the engine out. They would not have painted the area afterward. So the weld should have had pitting for the many years of slumber even if you would wire wheel and paint it would show age.
Movie cars are a different animal. Multiples are used for specific shots. The hero car would be the one that has to look good. I have had a few movie cars (I won’t name which ones) but the crew on the set does what ever to make them perform a task or make them look good. After the movie were throw away too. Only with the invention of ebay have they been worth anything to the movie car rental business.
You can in fact get stamped replacement door tags from Kevin Marti.
I still say Mumbo Jumbo.
Excellent observations about the welds and how this car would have been thrown away long ago. Given the Vin is incorrect as well, I call this one a complete fraud. Considering mexico is only second to china in producing fake, knock off crap, this doesn’t surprise me.
“To me welds on the shock towers look pretty damn good. The transportation crew in charge of getting the cars ready would have done the welds with the motor in place.”
So how would you go about welding the shock towers with the engine in place? I am 100% sure that would be impossible given how close the FE engine is to the shock towers on a Mustang? Since you can barely reach in to change the plugs I am pretty sure that you could not stick weld in that gap;-).
The movie studio DID throw away the car it was sent to the wrecking yard. The people who worked with the car in the movie have confirmed that it was sold as scrap to a wrecking yard and they “assumed” that it was crushed.
As I mentioned above I am still a little bit skeptical that it’s real but unlike some of you guys I am keeping an open mind until the experts provide their conclusions. So far I have not seen anything that is proof positive that it’s a fake.
BTW if the current owner did fake the car why would he invite Kevin Marti to come and inspect it in person before going public with this find? If he really was being deceptive he would keep Kevin away from it for as long as possible.
Now this guy knows his stuff! Can’t say I disagree with his observations, assessment or opinions. Sounds perfectly credible in fact….
exactly.
Say it isn’t the car, what was it used for with those specific modifications. Must of been some kind of stunt car for something
It’s Mehico, how many do you want ?
Lets just believe ,have faith and dream. Some of us believe in a higher entity without much tangible proof. I’ll be in church on Sunday praying that this is this the car!
Amen, Brother!
http://www.mustangandfords.com/featured-vehicles/mump-0707-1968-ford-mustang-bullitt/
https://jimsgarage.wordpress.com/2010/02/14/the-missing-bullitt-charger/
Just read an article the other day saying the charger used in the gas station explosion may not have blown up. Supposedly the charges went off early, pre car hit. I don’t have the movie but claimed that in the film at one point the yellow one was towing the automatic one for the explosion and could be seen in the background passing behind the station. Can’t find the article now, so can’t point you to it. It was a link off MSN or Yahoo site IIRC.
supposedly the 2 chargers were consecutive vins while the 2 mustangs weren’t. IDK
*border
JD I will second that!!
There are only a few places I can go w/o political BS… Barn Finds is(was ?) one of them…please let’s keep it that way. Thank you.
I second that !!!
Third….ad finitum
Found that article I mentioned earlier: http://phscollectorcarworld.blogspot.com/2012/07/lost-star-cars-bullitt-mustangs-bullitt.html#!/2012/07/lost-star-cars-bullitt-mustangs-bullitt.html
Don’t know if it’s true or not, but it’s still interesting reading.
If those are Steve McQueens vice grips I want them! I cant afford this car or any of his motorcycles but If I could own his vice grips (Mole grips in Australia, NZ and UK) Then I could finally be cool.
The mustang that was wrecked was stripped and destroyed, the other Mustang is sitting somewhere in NY with dust all over it and the owner says he does not want to sell it, instead he is thinking about giving it to his son.
If this guy has nothing to solid to connect this car to the movie then its worth little more that a regular mustang. A close match in serial numbers do not prove anything. It may be the real thing but you can’t get big dollars for it if you can’t prove it. You can have the revolver that billy the kid owned but if you can’t prove it, it’s not worth much.
My good friend Eric Burdin was pals with McQueen. They rode together in the Palm Springs dessert.
Eric Burdin of The Animals I presume?
Palm Springs Dessert, mmmmm I have a recipe for that I have been dying to try :)
last story w pics that i found.. http://www.ponysite.de/barn5.htm
I think I’d rather have his girl friend’s 356 Porsche Convert.
That would be the lovely and gracious Jacqueline Bissett. She still looks good.
Marty the comment on the Hank Williams death car is also one of those urban legends. Many locals believe it is in Eastern West Virginia.
Not sure what politics some are stating. My thought is we are adults talking about cars. Surely when someone smells shit we can say what it is. Everyone wants to believe. I am no different. Finding the actual wrecked Bullet Mustang today would make as many headlines as finding the remains of Jimmy Hoffa.
The sad reality is someone has had 49 years to unearth the said missing car. Do you think it is possible to find a wrecked Mustang and cut and weld on it and call it a real Bullet? Where are the camera brackets?
Does it throw a red flag that it is stated that two identical Mustangs were ordered from the same DSO with consecutive vin numbers? Ordered by the production company? How far fetched can that story be? You plan to make a movie and order up cars and wait until they are built to start production for a movie?
Even with a thread of truth would be a fluke. Dale Earnhart was only able to do it once in 1991 ordering 24 Black with Red interior Chevrolet Lumina’s for his dealership to be made into DE Limited Editions. He demanded they be consecutive serial numbers. Actually 25 were made only one came in and was mistakenly painted White. After that GM put the kibosh on that. The next time he ordered he would get what they sent.
Not how it works. The movie transportation company for an example Sony is responsible to procure what is needed to make a film. There is only so much time. They will make the call to a movie car rental agency and say I need. Then hang up the phone. He isn’t going to call Galpin Ford and say um….yeah I need two identical 1968 Mustangs Fastbacks in Green. Better make them 4 spds. yeah and Oh, add a nice Shelby steering wheel for Steve! Mods are done by the rental company or movie crew on the set.
Also who is to say both Mustangs had 390’s? Everyone knows that a small block will handle better and if you were going to destroy one what makes a difference what motor is in it. It just has to crash and burn. There would be a paper trail to document the purchase and sale. Titles and registrations. No tangible proof. Only a Green bent body with questionable mods. Not enough for me to have faith.
The perfect crime here is to wait until everyone involved with the movie that would have knowledge ends up in a resting home or no longer with us.
JD, I think we are the only ones who get it.
Nope. I get it too. It’s not real until proven otherwise. With old cars in general, there is rarely ever a shortage in stories about it, and more often than not, those stories are easily provable as false, wrong, or inaccurate. It would take copious amounts of documentation and photographs to convince me this extremely high profile car is “real”.
“Does it throw a red flag that it is stated that two identical Mustangs were ordered from the same DSO with consecutive vin numbers? Ordered by the production company? How far fetched can that story be? You plan to make a movie and order up cars and wait until they are built to start production for a movie?”
I think you should do a little more research on who you’re dealing with in the context of the times this movie was made. Steve McQueen was one of the most – if not THE most – powerful male screen actor plying his trade in Hollywood at the time. It wasn’t just Warner Bros. making this movie, it was Steve McQueen and Solar Productions. Steve McQueen wanted 390 4-speed Mustangs, and as such Warner Bros. said, “Yes sir, right away sir” to Steve McQueen. Why? Because nobody said no to Steve McQueen when he asked for something to be mechanically specific. He got what he wanted on his movie sets. Period. That’s why your “red flag” is only a red flag if you are looking at this through the lens of 2017.
I`m waiting for Kevin Marti to respond.
Blue Bloods 2015 I noticed the Charger had historic/period correct license plates from New York?? Who in their right mind would let Danny “the nut” Reagan drive either of those cars?? It was a real good episode!
All 390 equipped Mustangs in 1968 cam standard with dual exhaust. If so equipped they had floor-pan reinforcements below the rear seat along with a bracket with dual hanger bolts that was held in place with a Phillips screw. These were used to support the weight of the mufflers and pipes under the center of the car. If this car had originally been a 390 the reinforcements would be present and spot welded in place, The picture presented show no reinforcements or holes where the brackets would have been. Also on dual exhaust cars the rear frame rails have reinforcements at the rear you can check by sticking you finger in a body jig hole near the rear of the rail. Those cannot be seen but can be verified. I have my doubts about this car being authentic based on the pictures presented.
The owner of the #5559 car has recently passed and supposedly after the estate is settled, the son of the owner is selling the car. It is near Hendersonville Tennessee. The car is titled in that state because I wrote the dmv requesting title history which in most states it is available under certain conditions and I received back a response stating that no information would be released without the owners permission. Obviously that vin has raised a red flag to the department. I’m waiting to see if any prior ownership of this #5558 car is posted online since it had a valid California title. I would think it’s possible to trace the history if the previous titled owner could be contacted. This could provide valuable information and possible photos and perhaps where the original engine was lost. They say the car was painted red then white, so someone was cruising the streets of Cali back in the 70’s in a red ’68 fastback with no clue of it’s movie provenance and now said to be valued in a seven digit figure. Astonishing.
The bottom line is, a faker will go through great lengths & expense for a 7 digit pay day!!
I forgot to add this! Ford of Mexico filmed the reveal of the car at one of their dealerships and shared it on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FordMexicali/videos/1449462748418445/
I wonder what their cut is?
Please explain your question?
Josh,
this newly discovered car is the *first* Bullitt Mustang (5558) that was thought to have been junked and long gone…..not the second Mustang (5559) that’s thought to be in the hands of a reclusive owner (recently deceased, per Scode68, above) in the Eastern US who won’t sell it or show it to anyone, right?
My thought was that most of us were commenting about the second car (5559).
Yeah there seems to be a lot of confusion as to which car we are talking about. This one is supposedly car 5558, the one that was used for stunts and was suppose to have been destroyed. 5559’s location is somewhat known, we will find out for sure if Scode68 is correct about the owner passing away and the son’s plans to sell it (that will make serious headlines). Sorry if I didn’t make that clear in the post!
I am glad to see that Kevin Marti has examined the car and found it to be authentic. He is the foremost court recognized authority on the authenticity of Ford automobiles of this time frame.
Contrasting his knowledge with all the authorities trying their best to claim his title above, is amusing.
Well, Kevin Marti aside, What do you think is the best oil for a car of this vintage?
And what about gear oil? Original specs or go with some of the new Multi grades with additives.
(Ducking and putting flame suit on)
VERY Amusing.
La Bala
I don’t much care for the way the car was “revealed”. The Tijuana paint job on it was unnecessary. It makes it look like they’ve covered something up. It should have first been shown in all it’s battered, rusted, over-painted glory. Right now, there is no reason to pretend the last 49 years didn’t happen to it. It will get the nut and bolt restoration it deserves and that almost everyone wants for it, but the guy who found it should have first shown it the way it was when he found it.
Totally Agree.
I was driving around the dessert in Arizona and came across a huge body of water. I couldn’t see the other side of it. I was so thirsty I took a drink. It was salty and that got me thinking. Looking into it there is a cave from it to the ocean. Well I picked up the land and now have some ocean front property for sale in Arizona. Any takers?
What happend to the VW Beetle from the Bullit movie?? :-)
lol!
LOL… I see a lot of jealous people proclaiming that the car is a fake without any basis other than they didn’t find it. :) I’ve owned at least 60 Mustangs of all types and been around them for decades. (yes I’m old) The VIN is sequential, the numbers look original. The data plate looks original. The shock towers don’t raise any red flags for me as the Big Block reinforcements were a mid year addition. The shock tower welding is a common mod and I’ve dont it to several of my restomod cars. The “as found” photos show a basket case that the owner was simply going to “fix up” until he was alerted about the VIN. I’ve even had a green one just like it I dug out of a carport here in Tampa for $4,000. Smile boys and just let the owner have his day. We should all be so lucky.
James, Very-Well-Said….
Since it happened like 4 times in this posting … Please remember “desert” has 1 s and “dessert” has 2 because you always want more dessert !! ;)
Here, here, Brad.(just, kidding, on the spelling, of “hear“!)
It’s not much of stretch to imagine how this car could have gone unnoticed for the past 50 years. It has been widely reported that the film crew said that the stunt car was sold as scrap to a wrecking yard and “assumed” to have been crushed because fastback mustangs were a dime a dozen back then and this one was heavily damaged. If the wrecking yard manager thought that it was too good to crush and thought it still had some value he/she would have sold it. Whoever purchased it probably replaced the damaged suspension and body parts and repainted it. I have heard that the paint layers on the original body panels are highland green then red then white. This bodywork and re-paint most likely would have happened before the movie even came out in theaters. I am pretty sure that the 2 Bullitt car VIN numbers were not advertised to the world until the late ’90s and by that time this car had already been rusting away in someone’s backyard in Baja for 10 years. JMHO
Thumbs up to James, oh, wait, we don’t have the thumbs back yet… And, if the second Mustang brings out this much interest, I cant begin to imagine the effort that an auction company will go through to bring the first one to Scottsdale or wherever. The gavel price will be off the chart.
OK I don’t want to rain on anybody’s parade but I hate to see people excited over something where there exists serious doubts as being authentic. I know from a data perspective Kevin Marti is the authority but from a Mustang perspective there are things that concern me about this car and it’s claimed status. Just from the few pictures presented I can tell you this doesn’t appear to be a 390 car as stated. It would have had dual exhaust and the associated floor reinforcements that are missing in the pictures. Also I’ve owned over 100 mustangs including several 390 equipped cars and all the big block cars had the exhaust reinforcements and none had shock towers welded as shown. Yes they were welded but it was stitch welding, not a solid bead, they did this to minimize heat stress of the metal. Yes I know that the additional welding could be done to the shock towers after it was built and I suspect that to be so in this case. Another thing that would help verify is the third member snubber reinforcement spot welded underneath the car. These were different if equipped with a 9 inch differential versus a 8 inch. This car would require reinforcement for a 9 inch if it were a factory 390. Serial numbers can be re-stamped and a car ‘could’ be faked where it would be nearly impossible to detect if they started with a car that had correct date coded sheet metal, HOWEVER this car does not have all that it should, so without discrediting Kevin Marti I would be skeptical of it’s authenticity based on the pictures presented.
The welds were done like that to reinforce the towers when the car was set up for stunt work. Have you even seen Bullitt? Or read anything about the mods done to the car? And Kevin Marti has forgotten more about Mustangs than most know so I’m gonna go with his knowledge of 390 Mustangs.
Is it just me or when you read the following statement in a post does is make you want to stop reading it? “Also I’ve owned over 100 mustangs including several 390 equipped cars”. Especially when the poster is disparaging Kevin Marti saying that he does not have the ability to recognize a car that is a fake Bullitt mustang movie car. Keep watching the news Ty your questions will be answered soon.
I have no real opinion on this car. However, I find it interesting that we suddenly have activity on the 2 supposed Bullitt cars just as we approach the 50th anniversary of the movie.
Coincidence?
I just don’t know…
Funny after reading all the comments I get this today in one of my Ford newsletters.
http://www.fordmuscle.com/news/confirmed-the-alleged-bullitt-mustang-is-the-real-deal/