UPDATE 11/23/2021: It seems that the owner of this 1967 Mustang GTA didn’t have a lot of luck the last time he listed the car for sale. While the bidding was strong and reached $16,850, it still fell short of the reserve. However, he has decided to take another swing at it, so he has listed it for sale here on eBay. Once again, the action has been intense. It has pushed to $10,303 off the back of fifty-eight bids, but it still remains below the reserve.
Finding a rust-free First Generation Mustang project car can be a battle, although they are out there if a buyer looks hard enough. However, finding one that is also a numbers-matching genuine GTA poses more of a challenge. If you have been searching but keep drawing a blank, salvation may be at hand. This GTA has spent its life in California but has found its way to its current location in Mesquite, Texas.
There’s a bit to think about with this Mustang, and it is loaded with positive vibes. Its original Springtime Yellow paint looks tired, so a cosmetic refresh will probably be on the buyer’s agenda. The same is true of the Black vinyl top, although it may still be salvageable if the next owner treated it with some high-quality conditioning products. The panels have nothing beyond the occasional minor bruise, but the best piece of news concerns the whole sticky question of rust. In short, there is none. The panels are spotlessly clean, while the floors and frame look even better. This reinforces how beneficial drier climates can be for preserving classic steel. I would rate items like the bumpers as okay, but I would probably treat them to a trip to the platers if I performed the restoration. The remaining trim looks quite respectable, with the car retaining its correct grille and foglights, badges, and factory wheels with the GT center caps. The tinted glass seems spotless, further reinforcing how straightforward this restoration should be.
This GTA is a numbers-matching classic that features a 289ci A-Code V8 that produced 225hp in its prime. The rest of the drivetrain includes a three-speed C4 automatic transmission, a 3.00 rear end, power steering, and power brakes. This combination delivered very respectable performance for the time, with the car capable of covering the ¼ mile in 15.9 seconds. That was a while ago because it appears that it may have been some years since this GTA fired a shot in anger. The drivetrain is complete and unmolested, and the engine turns freely. The seller hasn’t attempted to coax the car back to life but provided there are no underlying issues with the engine or transmission, it might not be hard to have that 289 purring like a kitten once again.
If potential buyers consider this Mustang purely as a survivor, the Deluxe interior appears to be pretty serviceable. I can spot a seam split on the driver’s seat, but that seems to be one of the few upholstery flaws. The passenger seat and door trim are impressive, while the back seat looks like it has never been used. The carpet has some wear and fading, which might prompt a meticulous owner to fork out $200 for a new carpet set. The driver’s seat leaves me in a quandary. It would be worth the effort to consult an upholsterer to see if repairing the split would be viable. However, the covers may still need to come off because there’s evidence that the foam is beginning to collapse. The dash is in good order, and the original AM radio remains intact. It seems that the original owner liked a few luxury touches because he ordered this GTA with factory air conditioning and a roof console.
We’ve seen plenty of First Generation Mustang project cars over the years here at Barn Finds, and since 472,121 examples rolled off the line in 1967 alone, that is hardly surprising. Regular readers will know that many of those cars have significant rust issues, making restoring them a major and expensive undertaking. This GTA blows in like a breath of fresh air. It has no immediate needs, and the buyer could elect to return it to a mechanically roadworthy state and use the car as an original and unrestored survivor. That is a tempting proposition, but is it the path that you would choose?
Prior to 1968, Ford only stamped VIN numbers on high-performance engines, so “numbers-matching” doesn’t mean much here. Among Ford circles, engines with casting dates within a couple months of a car’s build date are considered to be original, but there is no definitive way to identify this engine as the one installed at the factory.
It has 68 GT rims. Interesting to see a roof console without the lower one. Not sure I’ve ever seen that.
I guess I learn something new every day. I always thought the GTA in either Mustang or Fairlane form came with a 390 and automatic.
Me too. Are we absolutely sure about this?
Me too. Are we absolutely sure about this?
well, my edit function crapped out right as I was about to put:
After research, it seems the “A” signifies high performance option on either motor.
There’s another letter in the VIN that distinguishes displacement.
Not exactly… The GTA package, designated the GT package with AUTOMATIC trans.
I have sold those hard back “deluxe” seats for over a grand a pair several times.
If that is a GTA the air cleaner cover should have a 4bbl sticker on it.
See? Now this doesn’t make a lick of sense. The XR7, with a stick, and a GTA with an automatic. If you read my babbling on the Cougar, THIS, was the car most Cougar buyers wanted to rise above. Not to take anything away from the GTA, with a 390, it was a heck of a car, but trashed accordingly. Where as a similarly equipped Cougar, would have had some restraint from the driver. Everybody I knew that had a Mustang, me included, beat the crap out of them, it’s what they were made for. Few survived, especially GTA’s, that attracted a rougher bunch, and every GTA I saw’r, had a 4 speed, go figure.
What made it a GTA?
If the old guy at Oldman Classics had given us the VIN # instead of this 7R01A$$$$$$, we could be much better detectives!
I was Always under the impression that GTA meant GTAutomatic. The 66/67 fairlane had the GT and GTA with the GT being the standard version.
I had a 68 GTA, 302 4bbl, FB, automatic. I also had a 67 GTA convertible, 289 4bbl, automatic. Both had the red 4bbl sticker on the air cleaner. My 67 GT, FB has a 289 4bbl with the red sticker and is a 4 speed stick.
It must be a rule, on Barnfinds, that every York A/C compressor has no belt??
Butch
GTA in 1967 means a GT that is equipped with an automatic transmission. In 1967 the GT or GTA could be had with any V-8 engine. In 1968 a GT was either transmission again.
I’m the current owner of the car. According to California, it only had one owner and has about 73,000 ish on the clock. Ive elected to keep it as unrestored survivor and only update the safety items to make it roadworthy.
Hello everyone.
I picked up a c-code gta in same color, both consoles and vinyl top according to marti report. I am restoring it completely from ground up. Does anyone have an update on if this car sold?
Yes Brian. But I am putting it for sale soon.
I was going to convert mine into a fastback since was rusted bad on trunk and package tray area when I bought it. I was digging through boxes and check drivetrain and all original. I am at first layer or primer and skim coat stage. All metal work, mechanical is all new or rebuild. Interior minus original seats.
I purchased the car from Mike. Very solid car. I am continuing the nice work Mike did and keeping it as a solid survivor with every system in working order.
The car is in Georgia now as of November of 2023.
If any one has any history on this car i would love to hear about it
Thanks