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1968 GT/CS & HCS
2007+ GT/CS
1966-1967 HCS
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1968 February 2018 Mustang Times Issue
- Thread starter clubpro
- Start date
stangfan
Well-known member
Cool! Any chance of getting a link to the article?
stangfan
Well-known member
Yes please! :grin:
Thanks Ron it crazy that you have it on the west coast and we do not have here in the Midwest.
It is kind of small for old eyes to read so here is the text.
Driving our 68 High Country Special
Back home to the high country
I am the register for the High Country Special Mustangs. This story begins when I was contacted by the uncle of the owner of a 68 HCS asking if this car was listed in the HCS registry. After checking the VIN I found it was not. He told me it was Royal Maroon, C code 289, three speed manual transmission car with a AM radio. With that information I could list it in the registry. He also told me that his father had given it to his nephew and it now was not running and taking up space in his shop. He said his nephew was considering selling it. Well that perked my interest and I ask him how long it had been in their family. He said that his father who had owned a ranch near Center CO. purchased the HCS in 1980 and he was the third owner at that time. His grandson who would come to visit them loved the HCS because granddad would let him drive it around the ranch. When he was in high school Granddad said he could have the Mustang on two conditions, one that he would not modify it and two that he would not sell it while he was living. With the deal made the HCS was trailered to the Kansas City Kansas area. Some work was done on it and he did drive it a little but graduation came and he was off to college. He graduated collage, got a good job, found a wife and started a family. He was then transferred to a job in another state. Mean while, as the years had gone by his granddad had passed and the HCS was left sitting in his uncle’s shop. It had not run in six years and he had not the place or the means to restore it so he started considering selling it.
After hearing that story I was excited to go see the car. I made arrangements with him to check out the car. My son and I drove to Kansas City where we found a nearly rust free, 52K mile, unrestored original paint 1968 High Country Special Mustang. It had a lot of dents and dings from its life on the ranch but was in better original condition that any Mustang that I had ever found. I called the owner and made him an offer. I told him how special an unrestored first generation Mustang was and that it would be my intention to keep it unrestored. He said that would have made his granddad happy and he accepted my offer. Tari and I had a meeting coming up 05-12-17 with the Kansas City MCA National show committee for a walk through for their Grand National show. I thought it would be great to pick up the HCS on our way to the meeting. The 12th finally came and we picked up the HCS with no problems. Once in the meeting we were told that they only had fourteen inside spots left. Still pretty excited about our new acquisition I wanted our unrestored HCS to be at the Grand National so I registered it on the spot. Tari gave me that look like do you know what you are doing. When we got home and I unloaded and looked it over carefully, I realized what I had just got myself into. While it still was a very nice unrestored car it had spent most of its time on a ranch and boy was it dirty. I spent all summer carefully disassembling cleaning and reassembling. It was just one week before the Grand National when I got it driving. I was able to drive it to Overland Park for the Grand National where it received Gold. I was thrilled. I had been hoping for a Bronze.
With the MCA National show season over we took it to a couple local car shows. I really was enjoying driving it and I felt it was pretty reliable. I had seen on the Marti report that it was originally sold at Laplata Motors Inc. Durango CO. Our wedding anniversary is in October so I asked Tari if she would like a fall tour to the Mountains in the 68 HCS. She thought it sounded fun and said ok. We would be driving our 68 High Country Special back home to the high country. It was a beautiful warm fall day when we left. The HCS was running well and cool. It was have no problem doing 75 on I-80. We had gone 55 miles when the speedometer broke which got me thinking what else might break. I figured I could use the GPS for ground speed so I crawled under the car and removed the speedometer gear from the transmission and we were back on the road. We got several thumbs up on the road and at almost every gas stop someone wanted to know what the HCS was. After 315 miles we stopped for the night in Ogallala NE. The next morning was a beautiful and with a full gas tank and 600 mile ahead we were on our way. We were through Denver before lunch then came the first mountain pass I soon discovered that our 2V 289 was not over powered at 10,000 feet. Even though the HCS had manual steering and brakes, it was still fun to drive. Well at least the first couple of hours. We broke out on to some high plains and I got a little rest from the turns and up and down shifts. The little town of Center was coming up and I thought our HCS is almost back to its last mountain home. It had surely driven this road many times. I did not have an address of the ranch so we drove on west. When I got the HCS I found a registration slip that had belonged to the second owner who lived in the next town on our map Monte Vista. When we arrived we drove to the address on the registration no one was home but the neighbor said no one by that name lived there. We went to the post office and they said he still lived in town but had no forwarding address. I asked in a few more places but had no luck finding the second owner. We had to be on our way and needless to say, I was disappointed because I thought he might have the name of the original owner. Leaving town I spotted an operating drive in theater. The thought struck me I wonder if this car had parked in there to watch a movie. We pressed on west ward through more mountain passes, I was really getting tried. As the sun was setting thankfully we arrived in Durango. While checking in to our motel another guest rushed up to me and said tell me that this is not a Shelby you just drove in. I said no it was not a Shelby but a HCS. He said he had never had heard of such a car. By the time that conversation was over, Tari was getting tired of waiting. The next day we did some sightseeing and rode an 1880’s Steam train from Durango to Silverton and back. Leaving town there was a hot air balloon launch right outside the window of the train. This was a real treat. Riding the train was like going back in time with sights that were breath taking all around. After a nights rest we were back on our quest for our HCS history. We drove to Durango Ford where we were told that Laplata Motors had closed many years before and even the building was now gone. I was once again discouraged because I was running out of leads. Tari wanted to visit some quilt shops. Naturally I decided to wait in the car when I notice a Jiffy Lube across the parking lot. I went in and most of the workers there looked about twenty something, they had never even heard of Laplata Motors. Oh well. Walking back to the car I thought Quilt Shop, old ladies, they might remember Laplata Motors. Entering the shop a lady asked if she could help me. I told her of my quest and for information on Laplata Motors. She said oh yes she remembered Laplata Motors. Hearing our conversation another lady came over and said she said she remembered it too and her husband was a car dealer and she took my card. They both went outside to look at the HCS one said she thought she recognized the car but could not remember who the owner was but promised to call me if she could find any more information. Here my best lead had come from a quilt shop; I guess I had better not complain about stopping at them anymore. Running out of days off we headed for home. I drove a different route home with fewer mountain passes although I think I was getting use to the mountain driving. Our beautiful HCS brought us safely home after over 1850 miles. I had about 1000 miles on the motor oil when we left and now with 2850 miles that original motor, never disassembled 289 had not used even one quart of oil. I thought that was outstanding on a fifty year old engine that had pulled us over all of those mountains. I am sure this is not the last adventure for this HCS, may be we will see you on the trail to another national show.
Marty and Tari Rupp
It is kind of small for old eyes to read so here is the text.
Driving our 68 High Country Special
Back home to the high country
I am the register for the High Country Special Mustangs. This story begins when I was contacted by the uncle of the owner of a 68 HCS asking if this car was listed in the HCS registry. After checking the VIN I found it was not. He told me it was Royal Maroon, C code 289, three speed manual transmission car with a AM radio. With that information I could list it in the registry. He also told me that his father had given it to his nephew and it now was not running and taking up space in his shop. He said his nephew was considering selling it. Well that perked my interest and I ask him how long it had been in their family. He said that his father who had owned a ranch near Center CO. purchased the HCS in 1980 and he was the third owner at that time. His grandson who would come to visit them loved the HCS because granddad would let him drive it around the ranch. When he was in high school Granddad said he could have the Mustang on two conditions, one that he would not modify it and two that he would not sell it while he was living. With the deal made the HCS was trailered to the Kansas City Kansas area. Some work was done on it and he did drive it a little but graduation came and he was off to college. He graduated collage, got a good job, found a wife and started a family. He was then transferred to a job in another state. Mean while, as the years had gone by his granddad had passed and the HCS was left sitting in his uncle’s shop. It had not run in six years and he had not the place or the means to restore it so he started considering selling it.
After hearing that story I was excited to go see the car. I made arrangements with him to check out the car. My son and I drove to Kansas City where we found a nearly rust free, 52K mile, unrestored original paint 1968 High Country Special Mustang. It had a lot of dents and dings from its life on the ranch but was in better original condition that any Mustang that I had ever found. I called the owner and made him an offer. I told him how special an unrestored first generation Mustang was and that it would be my intention to keep it unrestored. He said that would have made his granddad happy and he accepted my offer. Tari and I had a meeting coming up 05-12-17 with the Kansas City MCA National show committee for a walk through for their Grand National show. I thought it would be great to pick up the HCS on our way to the meeting. The 12th finally came and we picked up the HCS with no problems. Once in the meeting we were told that they only had fourteen inside spots left. Still pretty excited about our new acquisition I wanted our unrestored HCS to be at the Grand National so I registered it on the spot. Tari gave me that look like do you know what you are doing. When we got home and I unloaded and looked it over carefully, I realized what I had just got myself into. While it still was a very nice unrestored car it had spent most of its time on a ranch and boy was it dirty. I spent all summer carefully disassembling cleaning and reassembling. It was just one week before the Grand National when I got it driving. I was able to drive it to Overland Park for the Grand National where it received Gold. I was thrilled. I had been hoping for a Bronze.
With the MCA National show season over we took it to a couple local car shows. I really was enjoying driving it and I felt it was pretty reliable. I had seen on the Marti report that it was originally sold at Laplata Motors Inc. Durango CO. Our wedding anniversary is in October so I asked Tari if she would like a fall tour to the Mountains in the 68 HCS. She thought it sounded fun and said ok. We would be driving our 68 High Country Special back home to the high country. It was a beautiful warm fall day when we left. The HCS was running well and cool. It was have no problem doing 75 on I-80. We had gone 55 miles when the speedometer broke which got me thinking what else might break. I figured I could use the GPS for ground speed so I crawled under the car and removed the speedometer gear from the transmission and we were back on the road. We got several thumbs up on the road and at almost every gas stop someone wanted to know what the HCS was. After 315 miles we stopped for the night in Ogallala NE. The next morning was a beautiful and with a full gas tank and 600 mile ahead we were on our way. We were through Denver before lunch then came the first mountain pass I soon discovered that our 2V 289 was not over powered at 10,000 feet. Even though the HCS had manual steering and brakes, it was still fun to drive. Well at least the first couple of hours. We broke out on to some high plains and I got a little rest from the turns and up and down shifts. The little town of Center was coming up and I thought our HCS is almost back to its last mountain home. It had surely driven this road many times. I did not have an address of the ranch so we drove on west. When I got the HCS I found a registration slip that had belonged to the second owner who lived in the next town on our map Monte Vista. When we arrived we drove to the address on the registration no one was home but the neighbor said no one by that name lived there. We went to the post office and they said he still lived in town but had no forwarding address. I asked in a few more places but had no luck finding the second owner. We had to be on our way and needless to say, I was disappointed because I thought he might have the name of the original owner. Leaving town I spotted an operating drive in theater. The thought struck me I wonder if this car had parked in there to watch a movie. We pressed on west ward through more mountain passes, I was really getting tried. As the sun was setting thankfully we arrived in Durango. While checking in to our motel another guest rushed up to me and said tell me that this is not a Shelby you just drove in. I said no it was not a Shelby but a HCS. He said he had never had heard of such a car. By the time that conversation was over, Tari was getting tired of waiting. The next day we did some sightseeing and rode an 1880’s Steam train from Durango to Silverton and back. Leaving town there was a hot air balloon launch right outside the window of the train. This was a real treat. Riding the train was like going back in time with sights that were breath taking all around. After a nights rest we were back on our quest for our HCS history. We drove to Durango Ford where we were told that Laplata Motors had closed many years before and even the building was now gone. I was once again discouraged because I was running out of leads. Tari wanted to visit some quilt shops. Naturally I decided to wait in the car when I notice a Jiffy Lube across the parking lot. I went in and most of the workers there looked about twenty something, they had never even heard of Laplata Motors. Oh well. Walking back to the car I thought Quilt Shop, old ladies, they might remember Laplata Motors. Entering the shop a lady asked if she could help me. I told her of my quest and for information on Laplata Motors. She said oh yes she remembered Laplata Motors. Hearing our conversation another lady came over and said she said she remembered it too and her husband was a car dealer and she took my card. They both went outside to look at the HCS one said she thought she recognized the car but could not remember who the owner was but promised to call me if she could find any more information. Here my best lead had come from a quilt shop; I guess I had better not complain about stopping at them anymore. Running out of days off we headed for home. I drove a different route home with fewer mountain passes although I think I was getting use to the mountain driving. Our beautiful HCS brought us safely home after over 1850 miles. I had about 1000 miles on the motor oil when we left and now with 2850 miles that original motor, never disassembled 289 had not used even one quart of oil. I thought that was outstanding on a fifty year old engine that had pulled us over all of those mountains. I am sure this is not the last adventure for this HCS, may be we will see you on the trail to another national show.
Marty and Tari Rupp
stangfan
Well-known member
Great article! Thanks for posting it. 
robert campbell
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2007
- Messages
- 4,322
I love you Marty!! Good on you!!
Rob
Rob
