This! Yes, this is for sale. It’s supposed to be a 1968 Ford Mustang S-Code fastback (think Steve McQueen in Bullit) but it’s hard to discern much from what looks like a lump destined for a Nucor steel mill. It was supposedly rear-ended, went up in flame, and has been sitting for 40 plus years. It does include an engine! OK, we’ll take a look but it’s a borderline decision just to say, “OK, nothing here to see, just move along”. This Mustang VIN is located in Manahawkin, New Jersey and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $10,000, with one bid tendered.
When I refer to this tangle as a “VIN”, I’m not being facetious, and neither is the seller as he suggests, “YES I WOULD BUY A NEW SHELL AND GO FROM THERE“. Right, but there’s a whole long way to go from there. There is nothing here so what does one’s bid actually get them? A genuine Mustang VIN, and that’s about it.
Yes, there’s a 325 gross HP “Thunderbird Special V8”, 390 CI engine included that’s supposedly the original component, but it doesn’t look much better than the car itself. Just look at what is supposed to be the carburetor – evidence of the big whack that caused this pony’s career-ending fire? Probably. The engine has been stripped of almost everything and it’s hard to imagine that it’s capable of being turned over by hand. OK, OK, there is a C6 automatic transmission and a nine-inch diff. that’s pretty well buried under, but neither is probably in any better a state than the Thunderbird Special prime mover.
There is a Marti report included attesting to what this car was but it’s probably irrelevant at this point. Interesting? I wouldn’t define it that way, but it’s an eyeball attention-getter because of its deleterious condition and the fact that it’s attempting to be sold. Speaking of Bullit, this is a bit like the one movie car that was used for all of the leaping scenes (not the hero car sold by Mecum in 2020 for $3.7 M). It was thought to be lost but then found in a Baja California wrecking yard in 2017. The acquirer of that car, Hugo Sanchez, said that he was essentially buying the authentic VIN, and that was about it.
OK, a ’68 Mustang fastback Dynacorn body will cost $17,500 and that’s just the body, nothing more. Assume another $10K for this VIN (and it’s probably a straw bid) and then many, many thousands more for powertrain refurbishment (if possible), suspension, brakes, tires/wheels, wiring, trim, interior, finishing and on and on…well, you can see where this will go. I say fuggedaboutit, what says you?
Manahawkin is on the Joisey shore. Just reattach the anchor chain to this wreck and add it back to the beach restoration project.
Indeed.
I realize this is New Jersey, but isn’t what this guy is proposing illegal?
I’m pretty sure the single 10K shill bid is his brother-in-law, or some other family member.
“Family”…lol.
I have to go to the hospital. I broke a bone laughing when I read this diamond in the rough sold for 15.4k.
so report it to ebay
S-code…….”scrap”?
S-Code = $
At least this is better than the Samba 23 window bus that BF featured a few months ago. That thing was in boxes, in rusty pieces.
This one? https://barnfinds.com/original-1958-german-23-window-samba-vw-bus/
Must be a New Jersey thing.
That bus is cherry if we use the Mustang as a baseline!
No, the one I was referring to wasn’t even assembled. Just a bunch of boxes with rusty parts.
That’s a joke!!!
And to think they picked on the Pinto and C10 all those years . I’d start with a different car all together and go from there . This guy can put this out to the curb and pray it disappears .
“Leave the shell…..take the VIN tag”.
~The Godfather.
Pure fraud. A brand new body with this rusty VIN does not make an original car, it is the memory of an original car. That is why this hobby is pretty much dead. When not only having the hobby monetized is deadly, but add ridiculousness on top of it…that is when it croaks. Anyone willing to buy this should be ashamed, but they won’t be. In this country today, having money and making it in large quantities is sensationalized, no matter how you do it. I fear the world future generations will live in. What has happened to common sense and decency?
Totally agree. How did we ever get to this point in our hobby? What demographic is buying these wrecks?
Hmmm.. enough said
You have got to be kidding??? But it is NJ.
I’d say that being melted down and recycled into a Mitsubishi Mirage would be an improvement, but there’s not even enough metal left here to make one of those.
What’s the vin # ? Kevin Marti may be able to decode it.
Look at the Marti Report, it’s displayed right on there.
JO
In Ohio if you remove a vin tag you committed a felony. Knew two guys that spent a week or so in jail on two different instances. One bought a car not knowing it was built from five different stolen cars and the other had a 70’s Ford pick up that needed new doors (Ohio rust) and he replaced them. The vin plate is on the driver’s door.
I didn’t know anything was illegal in Ohio!
One mile per hour over the limit is illegal in ohio.
Wrong. The VIN is stamped into the frame. The door tag is for identification purposes only.
Ohio jails are NOT fun lol. Heard that from a friend
I’m not from Ohio but I spent a weekend in Columbus for an auto race and while there got into a little tassel with a guy in a bar. It took my wife in Pennsylvania 4 days to get me home. And they put me and the guy together which really made it interesting lol
Oh Jerry, that’s not true at all. Please don’t be so naive and believe everything you hear.
Hey this car is ideal for rising gas prices. I can’t think of a more economical car to run in this condition.
Air conditioning is free, there is no glass.
A lawn ornament this is not.
I wonder if it was running when parked.
Al did ask….”I wonder if it was running when parked.” I believe you meant *rusting* when parked.” :-) :-)
was that Edelbrock intake available 40 years ago???
In 1982? I would surely think so. Why wouldn’t it be?
It’s illegal to swap vin’s in ny and nj
Another entry in the “Burn Finds” series.
A scrap yard wouldn’t take this, even if it was free. Who is this Jasper dude think he’s kidding?
All I can do is shake my head. The owner says he has a backhoe, dig a hole and put this poor thing in there and lay it to rest. There are much better condition projects out there that a person could buy for 10k. Just my opinion.
This “car” should have been posted on April fools day.
joke!
Marti report lists what it was. What it was and what it is are 2 very different things now…
I wonder if the feds ever follow some of these “sales”…
Do you think they really care? Are you serious? There are much biger fish to fry than spending months or years monitoring the whereabouts and happenings surrounding one piece of scrap metal and a title. Seriously???
Bad take. Wrong car went through the gas station. Realized the mistake and did a retake. Ah well, at that time, the ’67 fastback was a dime a dozen. Give or take a nickel.
Well, at least shipping for this would would just be the cost of a stamp. No one is going to pay to ship the pile of rust. Another guy just selling a VIN.
Where’s Earl Scheib when we need him?
It’s gets even better. This will only be able to be titled with a Salvage title. Doing a quick search on nicb.org shows it was not stolen but was a total loss (hard to believe, right?) due to collision.
“VIN: 8T02S115441 has been identified as a vehicle listed in the VINCheck® Salvage Records.
Date of loss: 2013-04-28 Cause of loss: Collision”
That’s about as redicous as the guy 25 miles away from me selling a firewall, 1 fender, and a k member for $5000 for the fender tag which was supposed to be from a 440 6 pack super bee
If this scrap metal with papers is worth $10k then the 1954 Montgomery ward utility trailer I have sitting out back in need of restoration should be worth $2000+/- may have to look up what evil bay charges for listing
Doze it
Whatever crook buys this will slap the VIN on a stolen car and have it in a shipping container going overseas before the owner even knows the car is missing.
I’m probably going to get in trouble for this but should BF even list something of this poor quality?
A replacement body is licensed by Ford as a “replacement body” (That is a big question mark). Unless you want most who know stuff about replacement bodies to point it out in 2 minutes that your car is a fake car? I don’t. Do ya”ll know how many times this has been done??
Disclaimer: I am just a dumb ass, just spewing crap, I do not know what I am talking about, therefore check with all the other dummies in your state, like the DMV. I would not do this or reccomend to swap a whole body.
$10,000 is a lot of money for a vin tag.
Don’t laff, Harrah ‘s museum in Sparks, NV would find a derelict in the desert and restore it to new condition. Sometimes, all that was left of the vehicle was an idea.
“My dad is a television repairman, and has an awesome set of tools. I can fix it!”
Okay Jeff Spikoli! We take your word for it lol
OK, I have a question. If buying a wreck for the titled VIN is such a terrible, awful, pearl-clutching thing to do, then why are perfectly legal, OEM-licensed replacement bodies available for sale? It’s not like everybody doesn’t know what’s really going on.
And that brings us to the more fundamental question: just how much of a car can be replaced before it isn’t the same car, and who gets to draw that line? I’d argue that there are an awful lot of “resto-mods” running around that bear little-to-no relationship to the car they purport to be.
I would like a test drive first.
10,000 what is this person on drugs. One man’s junk another’s treasures
IF there was just a wee bit more there, and IF it was a “one-of-one” car or similar, I could see a replica built around it. Otherwise, I’m reminded of the classic comment from tennis legend John McEnroe…. ;)
Other than the name does anyone know if the “Phantom Cuda” on Graveyard Carz considered a Phantom? i.e. Used VIN.
Don’t lowball me dude, I know what I got
1. New replacement bodies are not allowed to attach old original vin tags in Kentucky. They must get a newly assigned number from the DMV. 2. ”Old car” people can spot a new replacement shell car from 10 miles away. Many differences from an original body. You can go to jail (and should for trying to pass off as original car) under the right circumstances.
I guess the “S” code is the S**T he’s smoking…..
A bit late for April Fool’s Day.
Come on, guys, you’re missing the point-its got a steering whee!
NJ state Gem Built less than 50 miles away in Metuchen (Edison), NJ. The Marti report lists options but almost none it can be saved!
April Fools!
Better scrap it really soon. Before long what is left won’t have any metal to melt!
I have some SWAMP LAND in Florida I WILLING to SELL REAL CHEAP !!!!!!!!! & CASH Only !!!!!!
Ok according to the link, listing sold for $15,600 I definitely going to post my 1954 Montgomery ward utility trailer and see what happens
This is just obnoxious
I found a boat anchor that costs a little bit more than this one, but without the rust.
https://www.velasailingsupply.com/lewmar-cqr-anchor-galvanised-182kg-500lbs/?sku=LEW0056550
I’m guessing this will go overseas – big market for them over there and labor is cheap. No branded title issues either. I sold a C-code 68 fastback (terribly rusty but complete) and a burnt out ’67 convertible to eastern Europe last year, and they both brought strong money.
About 20 years ago, an old salvage yard near Cincinnati was auctioned off and they had about a dozen 67-68 fastback shells. Several were S-codes, and there was a solid, near complete R code Torino also (less motor). The shells were fixable by todays standards…they all sold for $90 each for scrap. At least the torino brought $500 lol…
I remember thinking “somebody really oughta save these” but I didn’t have the space at the time. Aaargh!!
Swapping VIN’s or swapping sheet metal?
Had 14 thumbs up commenting on thr fraud that is VIN swapping, yet now it is gone. What is this, Twitter?
It’s hardly Twitter and don’t suggest that it is.
Your comment has been restored but I cannot explain why it got trashed. Same with spam, many comments are caught in there that really shouldn’t so I have to fish those out too.
JO
If this guy can sell a vin for more than 10 k , its time for me to list my 69 camaro and gto papers !
I would be a lot cheaper and you wouldn’t have to bother with the shell !
It would be better to give the money. That way it can be took off your taxes for charity and leave the rust behind lol.
Ebay now shows the car as sold for $15,650…have fun
That’s a lot of coin for a VIN and ownership.
I see the heat works. How about the A/C?
Everyone calm down! Thus is a well-conceived, delayed April Fools joke.
Jack Quantrill…You may be right but I doubt Ebay would appreciate it or be in on the joke. It’s listed as sold for $ 15, 650