Rebodied or Not

OK, I know I have been kicking this color thing around too much and I hate to bore you with something that I am only troubled with. In my attempts to interpret what went on at the factory and the color of this car, I had a discussion with a Gold Card Judge. This is his response...

"If the inner front fenders have been replaced and do not have an original VIN matching the doorplate, then there is your answer... the car was rebodied. "

I am not sure how it is where the rest of you live, but here in Utah, the roads get REALLY salty in the winter and the inner aprons rust where the lap joints of the aprons and shock tower meet. Since the previous owner replaced the aprons and did not re-weld the vin number back in, does that make a car rebodied? This really confused me. I guess all my stangs will be rebodied then....

Thanks

Bryce

Bryce,
as has been stated in this forum before, you can not see the VIN # on San Jose plant cars so how can a "Gold Card Judge" say you have to match the VIN's when you cannot see them. I have had the passenger front inner fender on my coupe (not CS) replaced professionally along with the radiator support. It looks just like it came from the factory and I would not call it "rebodied but restored. If that was the case, I would imagine that over half the cars that are in the "concourse" division at car shows would have to be classed as "rebodied" because of replaced sheet metal" Just my opinion.
Doug

I'm confident that replacing a body panel does not constitute a "re-body". Really, how many totally rust-free or accident-free Mustangs have you seen lately???? They do not exist!!! If you take another car and change the serial number (totally illegal in Arizona) or take a front or rear "clip" from another car then, I believe, this would be considered this a re-body. Just my opinion.

The stamped vin on the left and right inner fenders verify if you have a correct car, but my '66 Shelby (6S009) was in a front end accident years ago and the inner fender panel on the driver's side was replaced with a FOMOCO part without a stamping. The original Shelby plate that covers this vin remains, and the three other original vin stampings verify it is a "correct car". No points have ever been deducted, or has 6S009's originality been questioned.

With a '68 Mustang, the aluminum vin plate on the right side of the dash can be removed easily and can lead to potential probems, as can the warranty plate. We just have to be very careful as we purchase these cars. If we check all stampings and verifiy with a Marti report, we should be safe. Russ

Russ & Doug,

Thanks for the replies. I feel the same way you do and I think that the whole factory paint color question threw him for a loop. It seems that many people have a hard time relating the fact that Ford made production errors. He was going to proove to me at any cost that the car could not have been painted the wrong color and was using the fact that the front aprons had been replaced as irrefutable evidence. Very unreasonable. Even after I sent photos (by emai) he still thought the white was diamond blue (perhaps his screen). He said that I would need to send photos after the front window and weatherstrip are removed to proove it to him. I think I will get a pint of diamond blue and spray next to the white and take a photo. Of course I would probably just be accused of not using correct diamond blue - even if I used the time machine to go back in time to get it directly from Ford.

Anyway, I think that I am going to paint it the correct Diamond Blue since the Marti Report confirms it is what Ford intended - use a heat gun and scrape off as large a strip as possible of the white and frame it for shows and reference as part of the car's history.

Bryce,
This entire discussion goes back to another post on concours restorations. If you plan to show the car, I would paint it the color that Ford "intended" to paint it. ("Wrong color" equates to an automatic 25 point deduction) If you plan to use the car for cruise nights, local shows and as a daily driver, paint it whatever you like. It's your car and YOU need to enjoy it!

Owning a white car myself, (even a Shelby!!) white cars don't get much attention at the car shows, and the blue is a beautiful color. Good luck on yur choice.
Russ

Thanx for the info that some of you have given me! (I am going to go look at a 68 gt/cs that is far away from where I live)... reading this forum made me think of something......Where are the locations that various stamps are located on a cs so that I know its condition? (ie:tranny, engine, front &/or rear panels, etc.) Any other things? (I will be getting a Marti report!! ) michel