If you are going to wander down the path of creating a clone of a legendary American performance car, there are a couple of ways that you could choose to go. You can either scout around to source some good reproduction parts, or you can opt to grab some genuine parts when they become available. A previous owner of this 1967 Mustang GT Fastback chose the latter option, and all of the add-ons that this car wears are the real deal. He decided to part with the car, and now its current owner has made the same decision. That is why you will find the Mustang listed for sale here on eBay. It is located in Rancho Cucamonga, California, and with the bidding at $43,000, the reserve has been met.
The first thing to note about the Mustang is that it has spent its life in California. That makes it no surprise to learn that it is completely rust-free. The owner supplies a good selection of all of the usually trouble-prone spots, and they all look clean. He states that all of the distinctive body additions are genuine Shelby parts and that they started their life attached to a ’68 model. Just how they became liberated from the original car is not clear, but you have to wonder whether there might be a sad story behind it. However, this is where the choices with this car become a bit more complicated. The owner supplies a Marti Report, and it makes interesting reading. It seems that the vehicle has received a color change at some point, and I don’t think that this has been for the better. The Report indicates that the car originally wore Silver Frost paint and featured White stripes. That is quite a distinctive combination and would have made the Fastback a real eye-catcher. Call me old-fashioned if you want to, but returning it to its original shade would be at the top of my list if I were to buy this car. To my way of thinking, a clone is nothing more than a clone, and I believe that this is a classic that has the potential to be worth more money if it looked like it did when it rolled off the showroom floor.
Under the hood of the Mustang is a 302ci V8. This is backed by a 3-speed automatic transmission, while the car also comes equipped with power steering. The bad news is that this is not the original motor, but that might not be the end of the world. The car runs and drives, and as you will hear in the video at the bottom of this article, the 302 sounds sweet. The buyer might choose to leave well enough alone, but there is an alternative.
Here is the alternative. The Mustang rolled off the production line equipped with an S-Code 390ci V8. This would have pumped out 320hp, making this a car capable of blitzing the ¼ mile in 14.5 seconds. The current owner believes that this is the original engine, and the original transmission is also present. If this is the case, then you have to wonder why they were pulled in the first place. The good news is that both of these components are included in the sale, which does open the possibility of the Mustang once again becoming a numbers-matching classic.
The interior of the Mustang isn’t original, but it is presentable. The carpet is faded, and there is wear on the armrests, but the rest of the trim looks quite good. There are plenty of genuine Shelby components there, so whether these stay or go will depend on the buyer’s goal with the car. It does appear that the original AM/FM radio is still present, and ice-cold air conditioning would make life comfortable on the road.
So, what would you do with this Mustang GT Fastback? The Marti report indicates that it started life wearing an interesting color combination. If the additional engine and transmission do prove to be the original items, restoring it to showroom condition is a definite possibility. Some people will like the idea of owning a Shelby clone and will leave it untouched. Me? I’d remove the genuine Shelby pieces and sell them. I would then apply a fresh coat of Silver Frost and return the car to its former glory. What about you?
Would it have been to hard to at least put the Shelby writing on the trunk lid straight ?
What’s wrong with drooping front end?
Maybe its 60 year old coil springs?? I am 67 and I
will tell you MY front end droops,too !
Something is off with the panel gaps both front and rear on this thing It might just be an old Ford or the photo but it just does not look right.
its sitting at 43 large- I dont get it, not a true shelby and wrong engine, then as the story goes you dont know why they pulled the 390 out. And like you guys said, Gaps off, rear valence creamed, and it sits low. It would make sense if the car sits high with the 302, since removing the 390, wrong springs maybe. Look this one over good especially with the huge price tag. Good luck and stay safe.
even if it was just a shell it would be worth 20 thousand USD and the original motor can be rebuilt if there is something major wrong with it, and maybe it was switched because gas mileage. i know a guy who has a 1968 Dodge Charger R/T and ,he has had it for years and had it painted like the General Lee, anyway he took the matching 440 out of it and put a 318 in it because he was tired of the 440 drinking gas, he still has the car and the 440 and it either has a 318 or a 340 he put a 340 in it at one point, but i think he said he put the 318 back in, not sure.
Really ? … when you have such a car who cares about gas … I had a ’61 Corvette with a 283/270 – 2 4bbl 4-speed … it was so much fun to drive who cared about gas … if you have to worry about gas you don’t need the car …
I just I can just put some GT 350 stickers/stripes on my 69 fastback &sell it 4 double. What a idea
I do not mind the add ons, pretty much what hot rodding is. Making it how you like it. Hard to beat the Shelby look. As long as you are not trying to pass it off as an original, fine with me.
yeah i 100% agree
Selling off the Shelby parts just “might” begi to pay for the body work and repaint but at this price there’s another better car just down the road. Some things are better walked on by. seems to me.
Real is Real and Fake is Fake and Never the Twain shall meet.
With availability of original Shelby parts being so rare, I wonder if you removed all the Shelby parts and them sold them, would that help alot to restore it back to original ?
I like it ; like someone said, its a hotrod thing that was probably done years ago. As for the color change ? well , I’m usually a stickler for the original color on any car, except for silver. That’s one color I have always hated !
43k+ seems crazy for what used to be a 67 GTA, maybe the original engine/tranny on the side and some “Shelby” parts. But that’s just me.
Would the owner be interested in a trade? I have a rare 1939 Dodge Panel truck. The body is all original ( it only had 12,895 miles on it) , it is now V8, automatic, ps, pb, AC, and 4wd. All on the original 1ton frame.
Keep ur dodge panel, it’s worth more then this fake Shelby & u can haul stuff 2 swap meets/camping/hunting
It was just a car for 2 decades. Something to go to work in, to go to the store in. They were in every parking lot everywhere in the USA. Yes Shelbys were rare and stood out even in 1978. But Mustang GT’s did not. Then they became seen less often as there value started to tick up. This one met a teenager, in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s, with money or a job that wanted a Shelby and he got lucky or was smart enough to put an ad in the wanted section of the newspaper for Shelby parts. Being in Southern California the odds of finding Shelby parts was higher than elsewhere in the country. The car is a double gold mine, even if the cars shell is crap. The Shelby parts are gold if they are original and the title for a S-code 390 GT is golden as well.
Mark… It’s a California car and that’s the “California rake” that anyone out there did to almost every type of “sporty”car. Had a few of them myself.
I dont get it.
Now, i do like me some old iron and i grasp the concepts of want, desirability, etc…
That said this one just doesn’t math out.
Run away from this one with a quickness.
If it’s still in Rancho Cucamonga, the boys will keep an eye out for it from their roof.
Not a lot of originality for a lot of money. This car just doesn’t add up.