I found this GT / CS and need some help

[Carsonagenic]

Hello All,
I just found this site and it seems it might be the best place to get some answer to some questions.
I was out hitting some garage sales with the boy and came across this. I recognized it immediately for it being a CS as when I was a kid, some people in my area had a couple of them. I took these quick shots from the road (and there is an Impala next to it, but 4 door..) but didn't knock or get any details. I figured that I would get a little more educated on them before attempting contact.
So I went through the introduction section on here and have read up on what effects value based on option, engine, etc.
But I really don't know what I might be getting myself into. I have found lots of redone CS for sale with prices in the 20's thru 90g but all of them were not in this condition. So what is a good rebuild going to cost? This car looks like the hood has been replaced and the grill trim and lights are missing. Logos and center caps are off as well. Who knows what the interior looks like, and same for the engine.
I'm up in Canada, so based on only there being 4118 CS, this could be a rare breed.
Either way, any hints and advice before I go knock on a door?

 

[speedy02]

From your pictures its hard to see the grill. But as we can see there has been work done on the front "Not the original hood". If it was me I would go over to the passenger side windshield area and try to get a picture of the VIN and order a marti report. I can only imagine what the floors look like setting out in Canada on the ground but that would be an area to look at.

 

[Carsonagenic]

From your pictures its hard to see the grill. But as we can see there has been work done on the front "Not the original hood". If it was me I would go over to the passenger side windshield area and try to get a picture of the VIN and order a marti report. I can only imagine what the floors look like setting out in Canada on the ground but that would be an area to look at.

Thanks for the advice.
I'm just trying to get as much info as I can before driving back there and knocking on the door. Don't want to just walk onto someones property and start taking pics...lol
I agree, that hood is not original looking and the front end looks look someone has attempted to fix an issue.
Its in Alberta, so it is not a wet climate, more cold and dry. That might keep the rust to a minimum depending if it was winter driven with salt on the roads.

 

[stangfan]

There were actually 3,867 GT/CS cars built. The extra 250 were built that way, but converted over to High Country Specials. Be aware that they are much more rare in Canada than in the US. You really should look closer at this car before you go too far. Knock on the door. BTW, this IS the very best place to be for information and assistance on these cars. Good luck!

 

[franklinair]

1.) Ask the owner if its for sale
2.) If it is, check & record the VIN tag viewable inside the passenger side windshield.
3.) TAKE PICTURES- interior, engine compartment, ALL body panels, bottom (floorplans) if accessible.
4.) Pour a cup of water into the cowl vent (forward of the windshield) left & right sides. See where it
runs out. If it runs out inside the car it means the cowl is rusted out (BIG JOB to fix). It should run out at the
bottom of the front fenders.

Good luck.

Neil

 

[Carsonagenic]

Awesome Guys! This is the info I require.
If they are interested in selling it, I will post all the pictures and details I get.

 

[Mosesatm]

The primered headlight bucket and front valance suggest a front collision. From the little bit I can see it looks like the interior is rough, as is the body. With only those two photos as a guide, which isn't nearly enough information, I'd say it's worth maybe $15,000 - $20,000 if the bottom isn't rotted out, has a drivetrain, etc. If it's a 428 car go ahead and raise that estimate a little.

 

[Carsonagenic]

The primered headlight bucket and front valance suggest a front collision. From the little bit I can see it looks like the interior is rough, as is the body. With only those two photos as aI guide, which isn't nearly enough information, I'd say it's worth maybe $15,000 - $20,000 if the bottom isn't rotted out, has a drivetrain, etc. If it's a 428 car go ahead and raise that estimate a little.

Hell of an estimate based on those pics I took...lol
You clearly know alot more about CS then me.
I agree that the front has been in some type of collision and the hood is off something else. I noticed rust on the rear quarters but my eyes are not as keen as yours. I hope to make it back out to where the car is soon and hopefully get some more details.
THANKS!

 

[CougarCJ]

Looks like a proper GT/CS, but they have been cloned. The VIN has to start with 8R01....., it has to have been built in San Jose, California. 8T01, OR 8F01, are a no go.

 

[Carsonagenic]

Looks like a proper GT/CS, but they have been cloned. The VIN has to start with 8R01....., it has to have been built in San Jose, California. 8T01, OR 8F01, are a no go.

Hopefully I can confirm this soon, must be 8R01....
Thanks!

 

[CougarCJ]

Hopefully I can confirm this soon, must be 8R01....
Thanks!

Still, not a guarantee of a GT/CS, but allows you to proceed with other clues.

 

[Carsonagenic]

The primered headlight bucket and front valance suggest a front collision. From the little bit I can see it looks like the interior is rough, as is the body. With only those two photos as a guide, which isn't nearly enough information, I'd say it's worth maybe $15,000 - $20,000 if the bottom isn't rotted out, has a drivetrain, etc. If it's a 428 car go ahead and raise that estimate a little.

I would assume that $15 k - $20 k quote is in US dollars?

 

[rvrtrash]

From the pics, it may have rust at the bottom of the doors and the quarter panel to rocker seam. If it's there, the floors probably have rust as well. If they want to sell it, inspect carefully. Rust repair gets expensive in a hurry.

 

[Carsonagenic]

From the pics, it may have rust at the bottom of the doors and the quarter panel to rocker seam. If it's there, the floors probably have rust as well. If they want to sell it, inspect carefully. Rust repair gets expensive in a hurry.

If they let me, I will be taking a lot of pics. every square foot at every angle...lol
All based on if they want to sell, and how much, at what point is there a way too much work not worth it stage? I am not a big car repair guy, but have watched the odd youtube video and rest valley restore type shows. They pull pieces out that most people would say scrap it and make things look awesome. Yes they have all the equipment, knowledge, and giant budgets. I would assume that CS are rare enough to put quite a bit of equity in to, (based for sure on engine type, options, etc) I know it is hard to put a price on anything based on 2 pictures taken 50 feet away, but if the rust is at a level you just mentioned, what rough kind of estimate is it to fix?

 

[Mosesatm]

Here's a 302 (J-code) GT/CS that seems to be fairly well restored for $65,000 Canadian, and it's been for sale for quite a while, so you may want to use that figure as an end point when figuring out the value of the white car.

1968 Mustang California Special | Diamond Classic Cars

www.diamondclassiccars.ca

Paint and minimal bodywork on a rust-free car may push $20K. Rust repair can easily double, or even triple, that figure. Then there are costs for suspension/steering, brakes, engine, transmission, rear end, interior, wheels & tires, hood, fog lights, grille, etc.

Rust repair is not only expensive, it's also demoralizing because it never stops, and when you get to floors you need to know how to support the car so the unibody doesn't twist. Patching a floor is fine but be careful how much you cut out at a time. If the frame is rusted out just walk away.

Another thing to be wary of is how the car was hit in the front. If it took an off-center blow the unibody may be tweaked into a diamond shape.

 

[stangfan]

One of the best bits of advice I have received regarding classic Mustangs is "Buy the best car you can afford.". I always went back to that advice and never regretted it. These cars are out there. Do not buy it if it needs a lot of work. Gets very expensive fast if you have to pay someone to do the work.

 

[franklinair]

Based only on the 2 photos, and what I suspect to see in additional photos I would be hard-pressed to believe this car would be worth more than $10K.
Worst possible scenario:
1.) Body/paint $12K minimum
2.) Mechanical (engine, suspension/brakes) $4K
3.) Interior (upholstery, carpet, headliner, dash pad, $2.5K
If it requires metal work (cowls, floorplans, frame, body panels) add another $10K. So you'd be looking at
$40K+/- total investment. That's a conservative 'guesstimate'. (Ask me how I know.) And I do most of the work myself.
I'm already at $40K invested in my current (rust-free) GT/CS (not counting paintwork)

Neil

 

[Carsonagenic]

Well I made it out to the car, about a 70 mile drive.
No answer when I knocked on the door, so I went next door to talk with the neighbor to see if anybody actually lived in the house. It was quite run down and didn't really look occupied.
Introduced myself and right away the guy says "Are you here about the Mustang?" I replied yes and he said I was about the 40th guy to have done so.
Turns out that the house is occupied by a mid 30ish guy that clearly has some mental issues, or drug issue, at least a classic hoarder judging by the yard. So the neighbor went on about hating the guy because he does nothing but trash up his yard, doesn't cut the grass, maintain anything, etc. According to him the guy never leaves his house, has no interest in anything, let alone selling the car. It has sat there for years and is just rotting away. Made him mad to talk about it...lol
Looks like it will just become one with the earth at this point. I took some pictures for our entertainment and thoughts. Clearly a major repair job / money pit based on what I could see.
If somebody can ID the VIN at least we can find out the engine, and history and probably scratch it off the list of CS still out there.
Its a shame what the car has become and what its fate will be.
Thanks for all the help though guys!

 

[Carsonagenic]

More pics

 

[Carsonagenic]

VIN Format: 1960-1980 Ford/Mercury/Edsel/Lincoln

Decoding: 8R01C162704

Digit	Usage	VIN	Decoded
1	Year	8	1968
2	Plant	R	San Jose CA
3-4	Series	01	Ford Mustang 2-door hardtop
5	Engine	C	V8 289-2v 200hp
6-11	Sequential Serial #	162704	162704

Looked up the VIN
Here are the specs