If you are in the market for a pony car project, then this convertible may be the one to get. There is some rust that needs repaired, but it’s not everyday that you find a 289-powered, manual-shifting, drop-top Mustang. Heck, ’68 was even a good year! It’s located in East Peoria, Illinois and is listed here on eBay with no reserve.
The seller claims that this car has been in storage for about 10 years and that it was running when parked. The engine will probably still need to be rebuilt, but that’s the least of your worries here. The rust is a bigger concern. The floors will need to replaced along with the battery box, so you had better know what you are doing.
The thought of some summer cruising in this thing might just be enough to keep you going though. The green and black color scheme is handsome and the 289/3-speed combo is a refreshing. A k-code engine and a 4-speed would be nice, but the entry fee would also skyrocket.
Be sure to ask for some shots of the underside before bidding though because this could be a total rust bucket under that solid looking exterior. This isn’t going to be a cheap or easy project, but we still hope that this poor pony doesn’t get shipped off to the glue factory.
I lost faith in the “ran when parked” statements in the 70’s.
Good bones matters most of all.
I have two 289’s built ready to drop. One HiPo one not. And I would keep the color with Magnums and Redlines.
Look at the rust thru on metal near shock towers. Mileage looks to more like 226K than 26K miles.
This is a normal rust area on all Mustangs/Cougars. I have seen a whole lot worse, there are times when there is no metal left at all, just a great big hole.
@CATHOUSE;
You are right, about the rust on ’67-’73 Mustangs. Generally ’65&’66 Stangs don’t rust there.
And the visible “hole” was a torch out, done to access the upper control arm zerks for greasing.
I would guess at least 126K on the miles. It could be more. Fortunately, most everything you would need is available through the aftermarket. From the looks of it, you’re going to need a lot of stuff.
This would be a fun car after all the work was done. I like it.
Torque boxes are probably smoked…
No K-code (289 hi-po) in ’68; ’67 was the last year for that. The 230-horsepower J-code 302 was the top small-block in ’68.
Slime Green, ugh. I think Ford got a great deal on this color and sunlit gold and painted a ton of these with it. This would make a great KR conv clone f it’s not that rusted, however the tops of those aprons tell me it’s pretty bad underneath.
Remember that during this time….Harvest Gold and Avocado Green were all the rage. 50 % of American household’s appliances were either one or the other.
Now that brings back memories or frig was green and our counter tops were yellow and my dads Pontiac Safari station with the 455 , turbo 400 & 12 bolt rear end all power windows was green and would smoke both tires for half a block , also when I meet my wife she had a black 68 with shag carpet on the dash !
Those aprons rusted there even on relatively clean cars due to it being a lap welded unprotected joint. Very easy fix. The batteries of the day played hell with the area around it, so that’s not a big deal. What I notice is that the door gaps to the quarters aren’t pinched at the top. That happens when the inner rockers and torque boxes go rotten. Might be a good candidate for a resto since the top drops. I’m no fan of the color. Fortunately it’s not something like a GT or CJ that would keep me from picking a 68 color that I’d rather have on it.
I currently own 16 ’67/’68 Mustangs, none have rust on the top of the aprons but have other rust issues. I’ve also owned about 50 or so over the last 30 years and only 2 had rust on the upper aprons like what is depicted on this car, it is not common as some would suggest and indicative of a car that has deeper rust issues. You’d have to look at it in person or acquire some detailed photos. The battery tray is another deal, most of them are dust.
It all depends upon where you are located. Here in rusty PA having the top of the shock tower to fender apron overlaps showing rust is very common.
And so it is here in the midwest on dozens I’ve owned and hundreds I’ve seen.
In 68 it should be a 302
The seller has included a photo of the door data plate. It is clearly a C code car, 289 2V.
That was the first year for a 302 and the last for a 289. I think Ford put all the 289’s left in first and then started with the 302’s. I do know that ’68 had both. I took the heads off a ’68 Stang in ’70, for a valve job, that showed 302 emblems on fenders and decal on air cleaner. In the lifter valley, was cast 289. I think what ever was available on the assembly line, was used up.
Rocco – Absolutely correct. They used whatever was on the shelves then. I bought a ’68 Cougar XR7 (same color as this ‘Stang by the way), and it came with a 289 block with 302 heads from the factory. Listed as a 289 4V motor. This ‘Stang would be a nice cruiser if underside isn’t too far gone.
Example of what happens when cars are stored on gravel or dirt. Metal termites build a city in the under carriage.And Peoria is in the salt belt.IMO unless you are an expert at restoration it’s be way cheaper to buy a car in one piece.
1968 was THE last year for the 289 and first for the 302. For some reason they ran both along side of each other. Probably leftover 67 289s?
The plant making the 302 engines went on strike for a time during the 1968 model year which put them in short supply. Lower model cars were given C code 289 2V engines to save the F code 302s for higher option cars.
Yes; for example the ’68 Fairlane/Torino brochure has an early printing showing the 302 as the base.V-8; a mid-year second printing lists the 289.
you are right it would cost 50-75% more to restore this than what it is worth. this was a bare bones entry level vehicle with a 2barrel v8 and a floor shifter instead of the column shifter. Go buy a nice well optioned driver for $15000-$20000
I have never seen any Mustang with a column shifter.
ALL Mustangs had floor shifters, auto or stick.
In 1968 the Mustang 289 was a 2-barrel C-code and the 302s were all 4-barrel G-code. You could get either option through the model year. The 289 was dropped after the end of the 1968 model year and the 302 went to a 2-barrel from then to 1982 except the Boss, which was a different engine.
In ’68 it was F-code for the 302 2-barrel, J-code for the 302 4-barrel. G-code was the Boss 302 for ’69 and ’70, a completely different engine than the other 302s. The J-code 302 from ’68 basically replaced the ’65-’67 A-code 289. Yes it was 4-barrel, premium fuel with higher compression, but it was not a true high performance engine like the K-code 289 or the Boss 302. Of course the F-code 2-barrel 302 went on throughout the ’70s.
Karo,
You are completely correct.
This car is in my home town. I left, but the rust stayed.
Buyer beware re anything this old and ignored, from central Illinois.
Wow a rusted Mustang convertible with a high bid that is more than what the car sold new and will take your 401K & IRA to get it road worthy. Just above parts car IMHO.
I have no love for any Mustang convertible, only the fastbacks up through 1970. just me. :)
It costs between $25,000 to $35,000 to do one of these half way decent. Then it is worth about $25,000 if it came out real nice with a lot of attention to detail. But not a bad start for a Shelby style resto-mod.
The easy part is the reproduction parts to fix this available every where and not terribly expensive. Finished people will pay big money for convertibles but to make any money you will need to do all the work yourself.
I doubt you will make money restoring this and selling. Restore it for the fun of it….and drive it. Or better yet buy one finished that the last guy took a beating on and enjoy it.
They are more fun to drive and do a little hands on maintenance now and then as to discover you purchased a pile of rust that is almost broke in half.
Prospective buyer will need to look at every square inch of the underside. IIRC they didn’t dip the 67’s and assume there is rust where you cant see it.Like one of the guys said make sure the inner rockers are solid, if the the doors open and close ok Theres a chance they may be decent.Bear to fix these.Also look at the fresh air plenum in front of the windshield. All can be fixed but you better know what youre getting into. Takes an ambitious guy to fix a rustang or a unibody Ford!! Again, the rust spots on the aprons not a good sign,
All of above (including my last) said, believe it is a true indicator of car’s condition when a restoration shop lists “a unique opportunity to buy a rare car” and they themselves do not have the motivation to restore it. Definitely not a flippers car – a true hobbyist, Mustang nut would have to buy this one…