1968 California "Script" and the first 14 cars

[robert campbell]

All,
I have posted before on the higher mounting of the “California Special” script on our car before I repainted it. Our right quarter is original and our left was replaced, but both scripts were noticeably higher when I purchased the car in 1988. If you have Paul’s original book there are a bunch of pictures on the back cover. If you spend some time studying them you will see that the cars in the original debut all have the script in a higher position than the cars on the back cover that are pics of cars later. The all white car in the middle with the banner “Mustang GT/CS” on the wall is the most noticeable. I would love to see Paul’s full size pics! If you look in our gallery you will see pics of the holes still noticeable in our trunk and how they would look on the outside of our right quarter panel if drilled back out. I moved our scripts down to the more “traditional” or more excepted location not knowing what I was doing.

At this time I also put on new scripts on our car as the olds ones were in sad shape. I did this in 1989 and thought that I saved the old scripts. I tried to find them a year ago put could not. Recently due to the death of my last remaining parent, my Dad, I had to make more room at our house for stuff. I found the old script.

Below are pics comparing a today “California” script with our old one. Easy to tell which is which. At first glance they look very much the same. But after studying them you will see a noticeable “crowning” or “roundness” to the outer face of the new one. The old one is totally “flat” on the outer face. This is most noticable in the pic of both scripts on the letter "O". The two very close ups are of the top of the letter “C” in California. It is very apparent that the old one is flat and the new one is crowned on the outer face.

I do not know what this means. I would like any and all to look very closely at their scripts and state whether theirs is flat like our old one or rounded. Maybe it is a change over the years and all the cars with original scripts are flat. This has nothing to do with the chrome plating. The metal before plating on the new one I have is crowned.

Or is this one of the early “hand made” scripts discussed in Paul’s first book? Our script was high up. Our car has the recessed reflector and is a January 2, 1968 build car. I am not saying it was at the debut, but was it one of the earliest cars, already down the line and completed, and maybe retrofitted as ALL of the first 14 cars were? None of those first 14 GT/CS cars were ordered as a GT/CS, nor would have the option noted on the Marti report. As our car does not. How many more cars were in the mill and retrofitted before the cars were actually ordered from Ford as a GT/CS after the debut? Cars 14 through 20? Though 30? Who knows. It amazes me that none of those first 14 cars has ever surfaced.

Rob

both:

old:

new:

 

[PNewitt]

A couple of quick points:

The later script was probably the Scott Drake version, perhaps a repro from China. Whomever made these forgot to make the surfaces flat as theoriginals made by Acsco. Good thing to look for as this will be a point of concours for MCA, and in my book. Thanks!

Second...I asked Lee Grey, and Tom McIntyre of ACSCO, and they both agree with me that all the cars at the Feb 15th event were SJ factory GT/CSs that were sent to an L.A. dealer; and were driven to the show.

Early cars may have had an installation problem in the beginning. I will check with other early cars in the Registry.

Your car pre-dates regular GT/CS production that began in late Jan, 1968.

Paul N.

 

[rvrtrash]

My car has original script and it looks like the top one in the photo.

Steve

 

[robert campbell]

A couple of quick points:

The later script was probably the Scott Drake version, perhaps a repro from China. Whomever made these forgot to make the surfaces flat as theoriginals made by Acsco. Good thing to look for as this will be a point of concours for MCA, and in my book. Thanks!

Second...I asked Lee Grey, and Tom McIntyre of ACSCO, and they both agree with me that all the cars at the Feb 15th event were SJ factory GT/CSs that were sent to an L.A. dealer; and were driven to the show.

Early cars may have had an installation problem in the beginning. I will check with other early cars in the Registry.

Your car pre-dates regular GT/CS production that began in late Jan, 1968.

Paul N.

Paul,
Your comment under second…

This is the real question….. Did all the cars the cars at the February 15th event START with an order sheet for a GT/CS option? Thus making them GT/CS cars from inception and then the Ford records would carry over to the Marti records. I do not dispute that the cars that day were GT/CS cars from San Jose. My question is of the timing between the concept, the debut, and the availability of an order form with a check mark for GT/CS option. Were the early GT/CS’s retrofitted from a Mustang already built?

This is the true mystery that surrounds the earliest cars. Certainly you have solidified the piece that they are all San Jose cars. But were they ordered from inception as a “California Special”? Did Lee Gray or a Ford executive fill out 14 order sheets for Mustangs in December of 1967 or January of 1968 and check an option on the order sheet that said California Special? I think not. So the first 14 (or more?) Mustangs, that were destined to become a GT/CS, may have come down the line as a “normal” Mustang. You even refer to this fact in your first book that loaded cars were “pre-staged” to receive the GT/CS option at a later time. So if this is true, the Marti report may not reflect a car that had the option installed after it came down the line. You further stated that this may have happened to other “early” GT/CS cars.

You made these comments in your first book. Certainly a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then. Maybe you have uncovered other data surrounding the debut. When reading these original statements, it made perfect sense to me due to all the turmoil at the end with the scripts and so on. Certainly after the debut, orders were taken right and left.

But from what you state you seemed assured that all GT/CS cars would have been ordered from inception as GT/CS cars. A check on an order sheet by someone to destined the car for this end. And a Marti report would reflect that. I am not convinced of that for the first 14 cars, or maybe a few more. But if you know the date, it would seem that you will be able to work with Kevin Marti and tell us the VIN numbers of the first 14 cars. Or make a good guess. There would be 14 cars in his records that are not in the registry. Heck, he should be able to provide a complete list of every Mustang with this option to you. Maybe he has, but that may cut into his sales…...

Why have not any of the first 14 surfaced???

It is makes sense to me that even the ordered cars came down the line in a similar fashion as a Shelby. No trunk lid or end caps. No trim in the scoop area. Maybe even no grill. Then they were herded off the line into an assembly room for a GT/CS. The hood reflects that the hood locks were added after the paint. Template was used to locate and drill the script holes. Certainly, for all the early cars. There is no way that Ford would move the dies around after 20 or so cars inside of a “draw form” that forms a quarter panel. This would require a completely new draw form, not to mention the later deletion of the recessed reflector. That is why there is lots of variance in their placement. This is further supported by the absence of a replacement GT/CS specific quarter panel in either recessed or non-recessed form. It is my opinion that they were all drilled, but we have already clubbed that seal to death. Bolt the fog lights on to a different grill. Add the trunk lid and taillights. Jam a hole in the scoop area and slap on the scoop and stripes. Making it sound like that might horrify the owners. I would even submit that the early cars may have had to have the stock taillight harness removed and the GT/CS one added.

Well at least we may have solved the difference between the style of the script and whether those available today are identical. By the way, the “new” script in the picture is from 1989 and came in a Ford box. It is not Scott Drake. Not sure if the old Ford ones in that era are from Acsco origin or not.

Rob

 

[hotrodgrany]

I have the Scott Drake version on my 07 and fits just perfect on mine. Not great picture, but realy does fit flush .

 

[sam]

my scripts are the "flat" versions with production date 4/4/68
Sam

 

[PNewitt]

ROBERT,

You deserve a longer answer, but the short version is that most likely, the 14 cars were regular production San Jose GT/CSs. I can't divulge the exact date, but actual (full blown) GT/CS production began in late January at the factory. It's possible that ACSCO put the script on those 14 cars there in their shop in Burbank, then the cars were taken to Century City that day.

In the meantime, the script sets were delivered in early Feb, to the factory, and a jig was made and they were assembled (I know this from the updates on the script blueprints).

There is not really a way to identify those 14 cars, other than to find early VINs, and the script positions (and being DSO 72 cars). A tedious task ,but they could be found...

Your questions and challenges are great to hear and are appreciated!!

Paul.

 

[robert campbell]

Paul,
Thanks for the answer. As years go on, maybe another car with holes in an original quarter panel in the “higher” position will surface. My gallery has some approximate dimensions and pictures of how it would look if located there. Someday I will move the script back up to this location on my car. The holes are still there. I did not weld them closed. I will have to duplicate the best I can on the left side, as that quarter was hurt and removed before I purchased it in 1989. I removed the entire left quarter and replaced it myself in 1989 as the prior fix was doo doo.

Wonder how many other cars were still pre-staged and assembled after the first 14. A few, none?? Any car already built, pre-staged, and retrofitted with GT/CS “stuff” would also not show in the Marti database.

The mystery of special promotion cars…. You have taken on a huge task and covered these special cars as thoroughly as any car in history. Including the Shelby’s! We owe you a huge debt.

Well I think we have a better feel on what the orginal script looked like! I only have one side. The "special" script I have is in better condition and flat also. My left side ones were "glued" on the doo doo quarter "fix" and the pegs removed. Actually one had fell off and you could only see the glue marks. She was a rough old steed when I bought her.

Rob

 

[franklinair]

Wow! Wouldn't it be a hoot to find the VIN's of those prototype cars? Now THAT would be a find. Indiana Jones, where are you now that we need you.

Neil

 

[PNewitt]

Rumor has it that after the event in L.A., those 14 cars were put on a railcar and sent to North Carolina, where they were hidden in an aircraft hangar.

(kidding!!!)

I've looked high and low for those cars...the only way we'll find one or more of them is to search (registry) cars with pre-Feb 15th. build dates, and a DSO of 72.

Start Digging!!

Paul "Indy" N.

 

[franklinair]

Well thanks Paul, you blew my cover. But I only can account for 12 of them. Two gold ones are missing from my secret collection.
Seriously though, wouldn't there have been a record @ the mfr facility of the vehicles sent to the debut showing? And even then, would there be documentation of the C/S components installed on them? What a phenominal mystery. If there was any possible way to document, Rob would be the owner of a rare, rare prototype vehicle. I would just be beside myself in such a situation - a super rare car, unable to document. Could Kevin Marti be enticed to help? It would be a feather in his cap to locate such a rarity through his records.

Neil

 

[robert campbell]

Neil,
I would like to think that a “gold” color car built on 2 January was at the Century Plaza, but my car is a DSO of 74 for Seattle destination. So based on Paul’s extensive research I have to believe it was not there or one of the first 14 prototype GT/CS cars. But I wonder if it is GT/CS prototype 15 or 16? An already built Mustang, pre-staged, and retrofitted before the first “ordered from inception” GT/CS. And how many cars were between the first 14 prototypes and the first ordered GT/CS?

We may never know. One day I hope to see Janice Brulic’s car in person. All I have are a couple old photo’s. My car has the both the metal pieces that separates the 3 “stock” or normal Mustang taillight bezels cut off. Most GT/CS cars only have one cut off per side. But I have heard of a couple others with both cut from each side to allow the clearance for the Shelby style taillights. Almost like later on they said. “Gee whiz, we only need to remove one of them”. Anyway, I would like to inspect her inner trunk for the higher holes for the script. Her car was repainted by her uncle before he sold it to her. Maybe her Uncle moved them down like me. Paul’s books identify all sorts of little running changes as the cars evolved. The prototypes must have all sorts of idiosyncrasies.

A quest that may take us a bunch more years!! Hope someday we will have more evidence and examples. I will soon see if I can visit Janice's car. She sold it, but knows where it is.

Rob

 

[Mustanger]

Rumor has it that after the event in L.A., those 14 cars were put on a railcar and sent to North Carolina, where they were hidden in an aircraft hangar.

(kidding!!!)

I've looked high and low for those cars...the only way we'll find one or more of them is to search (registry) cars with pre-Feb 15th. build dates, and a DSO of 72.

Start Digging!!

Paul "Indy" N.

Here's a pic of Indy investigating the hangar :wink: ...

 

[Mosesatm]

Now, these are high scripts!!!

 

[robert campbell]

Now, these are high scripts!!!

Yes they are! where did you find this picture?

 

[Mosesatm]

Sell new RARE 1968 Mustang REAL California Special GT/CS Highland Grn 1 of ONLY 3867 MADE in Ladera Ranch, California, United States, for US $19,950.00

Sell new RARE 1968 Mustang REAL California Special GT/CS Highland Grn 1 of ONLY 3867 MADE in Ladera Ranch, California, United States, for US $19,950.00

www.2040-cars.com

 

[CougarCJ]

Holy thread resurrection Batman!
Got suckered into this without checking the dates. Took pictures of my NOS side script and mounting location on my February 6 built GT/CS. It appears that the holes are in the appropriate production location.
Per my Marti Report; Car scheduled for build Feb 5, actually built Feb 6, and released Feb 19. My car is incorrectly listed as C137614, in the last recognition guide. It should be J137614. Probably one of the first 25-30 GT/CS's by consecutive VIN.

 

[Mosesatm]

I knew this thread would get Rob's attention.

 

[robert campbell]

I knew this thread would get Rob's attention.

Wow, that car shows alot of GT/CS options. The one sorta close up of the left side scoop "seems" to reveal the witness line of original GT/CS fiber glass. would be great to get a VIN on this car. Other that the placement of the script, it looks like the real deal. Of course, the photos are horrible, and it needs an in-person inspection.

 

[franklinair]

Sell new RARE 1968 Mustang REAL California Special GT/CS Highland Grn 1 of ONLY 3867 MADE in Ladera Ranch, California, United States, for US $19,950.00

Sell new RARE 1968 Mustang REAL California Special GT/CS Highland Grn 1 of ONLY 3867 MADE in Ladera Ranch, California, United States, for US $19,950.00

www.2040-cars.com

Arlie;
When was the CS @ "2040 Car Sales" advertised? I noticed the high-placed scripts on it.

Neil