All you need to know about this 1968 Mustang GT is contained in one sentence: “Put away because of extensive underside rust.” That should scare you and wake you up. But if you’re like the nearly twenty bidders who have thrown down on this car, you must have a plan. Donor chassis? Hope that the whole thing doesn’t crumble into dust at the hands of your media blasting company? Whatever the case, the car is past $25K with four days to go in the auction and 17 hot pursuers. Of course you can go here on ebay right now and end everyone’s suspense with a buy-it-now of $39,500. If you win, then get yourself to Jacksonville, Florida with a flatbed.
But before you get carried away, pay attention to the language here, which seems to work the opposite of how it should. “Stock original piece.” Did the Ford people build rust into their floorpans? “Unmolested time capsule.” “Real 64,000 mile survivor time capsule.” Now, Mr. or Ms. Seller, there are no actual rules for using these terms, but what most people mean by them is that a car has actually survived more or less intact and reasonably representing its as-delivered condition. None of that is true of this car until you knock all that rust you graciously admit is winning the battle of time (and salt air?) off this car. Then put new floor pans, rockers, various structural bits like the unibody frame rails etc. back and you’ll have the semblance of stock. But stock is long gone in reality.
That’s not to say that the right buyer (read: either someone with metalworking skills or someone with a lot of money to spend on a restoration) can’t resurrect the car—we all know nowadays that anything can be saved if you spend enough money on it. Whoever does that will have a well-optioned and stylish ponycar. The engine is a 390, and it’s not seized (that’s all the hope you’ll get from him, engine-wise). The car has various power accessories, and factory AC. Put it all back functional, and you’ll look great cruising this car. Maybe it will even approach the six-figure valuation that the seller suggests will be realizable at that point. On the other hand, if you have that kind of money to spend on a hobby car, why would you enter an uncertain and lengthy project like this one?
The seller says he’s culling his herd, but read that backwards: of nearly innumerable cars that he will never get around to restoring (over 200 actually), this one was plucked as one of the first to get rid of. With that in mind, please answer this question quietly to yourself before you go further in pursuing this deal: Wouldn’t you be better off finding out what else he’s got rather than taking the first reject?
Thanks Brian. I am not familiar with the sellers ‘Mustang Masters’ but I suspect one of you Barn Finders is. I poked around their web site. It looks like a long-established business selling 64-73 Mustang and Ford parts and project cars. I opened their ebay store, they have tens of thousands of rare and high-dollar parts for sale there.
I think I’d characterize this desirable, well-equipped fastback Mustang (key word: fastback) on ebay as simply part of their business of selling cars they have hoarded away. From that perspective it is indeed sort-of stock and unmolested.
Disregarding the typical Brian K negativity, this is a complete, nicely equipped Mustang GT 390 fastback, and someone will restore it. A “donor chassis” is unnecessary, nor is a particularly fat wallet, since every part needed is available as a high-quality reproduction at a reasonable price, and repair procedures are extensively documented. I replaced front, side, and rear frame rails, torque boxes, trunk panels, and floors on my 1968 Mustang convertible in a one-car garage – when I was 19, and the quality and fit of reproduction parts has only improved since then.
I’m glad someone else commented on the negativity. I thought maybe it was just me🤪
$39,500, for a rust bucket, you say? Wow. Bought mine, rust free, 28 years ago, for a tiny bit less. LOL
Indeed, times have changed.
This a parts car.
Good luck!
Maybe back in 1984. 1968 fastback, GT, big block with a/c?, and factory red? It dosen’t get much better than this.
“Rusty” parts car
When I saw the picture of the engine compartment the first thing I thought was – has this car been underwater? -. Someone will pay a tidy sum for the car I just wish it wasn’t an automatic transmission. I live in Arizona and the money people pay for cars that are rusted out just blows my mind. Good luck and best wishes.
I had a Cougar 390 with the C6 trans. From the factory it had a little higher stall speed converter and beefed up shifts. Anything over 1/2 throttle would get a nice healthy chirp on the 1-2 shift. You had to be good with a stick to beat those shifts of that C6.
I’ll take a bang-screech C6 any day of the week.
Some people are lucky to own just ONE classic car. Then you have the people who saw what the future holds and bought them up when they were cheap. The first paragraph states that it is so rusty underneath that they put it away, yet he still thinks it’s worth almost $40,000! Yes the 390 GT is up there in desirability, but it isn’t a 428.
Judging from the vast amount of rust under the hood and on top of the bumpers, and the cars location (Florida), I guessing this car was flooded with salt water at some point. Hope someone saves it.
Not an expert, but I thought all 1968 Mustang GT’s were equipped with a tachometer in the right bezel. At least mine did.
4 speed cars came with 8k tach. A/T cars the tach was optional.
4 speed cars came with 8k tach. A/T cars the tach was optional.
That’s definitely a new one; stating a car isn’t “stock” because it has rust. At first I thought it was some sort of joke and am still not sure. If serious; stock refers to not being modified or customized, not condition.
Also, I’m relatively impressed there’s only two negative comments thus far in a rusty vintage mustang feature. I’m sure they’re coming.
My bad, more than two. I missed a couple.
Doubtful it was under water , salt or fresh , but the salt air plays certainly havoc with cars, and of course , the salt poured on roads during the winter. This car probably salt on the ground for some time which also contributed to the underside rust . I’ve seen worse looking Mustangs here in CT. back in the 1980s due to salted roads and generally crappy weather. I’m not a Mustang fan, but I guarantee this car will definitely be restored – if this was a big block Camaro you guys would be drooling all over this !
Johnny Rotten would love this. Crappy pictures aside, there’s enough rust- through to make this nowhere near worth it. It is obvious, despite inside storage, that this vehicle has been in a very wet environment. There’s rust, mold and mildew in the interior. Take what might be salvageable and let the ground reclaim it.
The “bidders” just want to see how high it really is. Once they find the reserve, the high bid will be retracted.
Wonderful cars but,by the time you’re done with this one to make it right it may as well be flooded because your certainly going to be underwater.
Hey Brian I’m with you buddy. 40k to start with. I’ll be upside down quickly. There’s nothing wrong with brutal honest negativity.
Despite Mustang Melvin’s correct description, this car is in dire need of $$$.
And the seller knows it too. Ante up if u dare.
Anybody that thinks rust is no big deal, has obviously not cut out and replaced floors, patch panels etc. To do it right requires a table jig to line it up and hold it in place while doing the job, I’ve done a few, it’s difficult and time consuming, cheaper to find a good car to start with. Of course if you are going to make an Eleanor knockoff, then dump six figures into it and turn it for 4 to 5 hundred thousand 🤔
I am tooooo Old to start another restoration,,,I have a Maserati Q-porte,,,that I will
never finish,,I used IT for 3 yrs,
Took it to the New Hope auto
show,,from NY,,!!
IT PULLED like a freight train
on the Turnpike,,!!
It is now in pieces and I am to
Old,,and feeble to do any work
on IT,,!! I am 78 yrs old now,,,
and i had many good autos
over my years: New Jag,4.2 E-type,,1971 Mercedes panda 280SL,,Dodge 1966 Charger,fast back,,1962 Thunder bird,,!! and others,,!!
I would like to sell the Maserati
as a project car,,!!
The Maserati is a year 1983.
Send it in and we will feature it on the site.
For a 1960s car, the under bonnet is as crowded as 2000s car.
Big blocks and Ford’s Squeak-a-matic front suspension don’t play well together.
I’m surprised how ‘good’ the exterior is compared to the under side pics.
Sounds like someone is looking for a title and tags for a clone plus extra parts to build it, lol
No bids in 5 days. Says a lot.
Price seems high for what work would be required. Like others have said, it can be fixed, and it would be a well optioned big block car which is expensive, but seems like the investment would be too high with that kind of initial purchase price.
When I came home from Vietnam in late 1970, I went to a used car lot looking for a muscle car. The owner directed me to a 67 that looked a lot like this one but in much better condition. I asked if I could take it for a test drive. He said, “Yep, as soon as you buy it!” I went a couple of miles down the road to the local Ford dealer where I bought a nice 70 Fastback with a Cleveland motor. His loss, my gain. I’ve mentioned it in this forum before. Kept it until the family got too big. Sold it and got a sensible Fairlane Sedan. Oh well….