Every old car has a story. It might go something like this: the special pony car serves its proud original owner until a new toy replaces it. The used car gains wheels and loud mufflers, delighting a young driver who could have never afforded it new. Something breaks and it’s sidelined near the edge of the woods. Life marches on, and the once-special Mustang looks more like an eyesore every year, its story forgotten. We don’t know the story of this 1968 Ford Mustang GT in Mount Airy, Maryland, but abandoning an original R-Code 428 Cobra Jet Mustang seems like blasphemy today. You can decide if it’s special enough to restore, but one of at least 14 bidders here on eBay has pledged more than $25,000 to find out. What appears to be an original block, transmission, and rear end add some promise, but the rusty Mustang needs plenty of metal repair.
The car’s seller is clearly not the person who let this special Mustang grow old and rot away in a field. It’s refreshing to see a listing that helps potential buyers understand what they’re bidding on. Check out 428CobraJet for details on how to identify a 428 CJ. One interesting feature, present on this block, is the “C” scratch in reinforced blocks used by 428s destined for use as Police Interceptors, Cobra Jets, or Super Cobra Jets.
Other than a batch of early production factory drag race Mustangs called “the 135 cars” for their serial numbers beginning with 135, the Cobra Jet 428 saw mainstream production late in the model year, thus the reference to 1968.5 or 1968 1/2 Mustangs. While a 428 cid V8 had been available earlier, Ford engineers used some creativity in mating a 427-style head and other changes to make the 428 CJ one of the most potent engines of its day, especially effective in the lightweight Mustang. On paper they made 335 HP, but bolt one to a dynamometer and they have been known to make 400 HP or more.
Holes in the floor won’t scare too many buyers, and the blue paint suggests rust mainly from contact with the ground or wet vegetation. I welded trunk and floor panels into a 1972 Mustang left in a field, and the rest of the metal remained nearly perfect.
Even interior parts like the floor and overhead console pieces look salvageable. A Marti Report validates the ride as an original R-Code 428 CJ car with a C6 automatic and tire-shredding 4.30 gears. Autoweek reports a similarly equipped Mustang with slicks will run “consistent 11.5s” in the quarter-mile, faster than a 2021 Mustang GT and Camaro SS. Imagine that, all without traction control or a lane departure warning system! Would you prefer this classic ‘Stang or today’s 1000 lb heavier version?
It is refreshing to see a seller that actually spent time to clean the vehicle up…nice find!!!
Well, there are plenty of points of drainage so it probably was no sweat!
Good gosh . All parts seem to be there so it’s going to attract some real attention. that set up was made for the 1/4 mile and every intersection on the way to and from the drag strip would be awash with tire marks. You have to look at what the potential value of this car is when showroom again, because the cost to get it there is going to be staggering. Sadly it will be a trailer queen and no longer the road warrior it once was. A different time. I hope there are more out there like this one to be found
Couldn’t find a video this cool for the ’68 but check out this vintage video. Enjoy the sound of the Ford Drag Team wringing out a ’69 Mustang, and man those are some lightning-quick gear changes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-IPz_TWEgk
Those cats have so much grease in their hair they probably glide when they walk, ha ha. I remember that video from several years ago, stumbled on it really. The last shot with the camera down in the back…the CJ sounds just as good when Platt lifts off the throttle at the finish line!
We did a couple of these 5yrs. ago, an R car and a Q car. The car here is a vin tag and parts. Lucky for our customers they both sold while that market was hot.
You don’t think the market is still hot? You think it will cool down even more?
Mount Airy,Md was some of my old stomping grounds. This is not far from the now shut down 75-80 Dragway and Mason Dixon Dragway in Boonsboro,Md where this car probably made a few passes.
My restoration shop was in Mt. Airy, MD until I retired in 2000. I knew this car and tried to buy it several times, only to be told it was not for sale. I remember checking the car’s VIN and build tag. I’m sure this is an original R code 428 Cobra-Jet.
These are limited production and unique, credit to Tasca Ford. This is more than a vin and parts. Put humpty dumpty together again and it should still be in the $100k range. This to me is one of the only cars where an automatic probably wont affect the price much as with other cars.
The rarist of the 428 Cobra Jet Mustangs were the late ’68’s, probably the strongest too in terms of shear acceleration. This really was a Bob Tasca idea, Ford used his built up 428 to create the Cobra Jet in the first place. Even cosidered calling it the 428 Tasca, I still dont get the reasoning of a cobra snake and a jet aircraft. Cobra was a Ford tag, but Jet was a Chevrolet thing…the turbo jet which makes sense. Ford was jabbing at Chevrolet, possibly.
Sold with a high bid of $35,600.
Steve R