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[case12]

The basic and deluxe Marti report lists if it had the california special option. The production date noted is before CS production dates. Please post the Marti report - that will help us a lot.

Casey

 

[robert campbell]

The basic and deluxe Marti report lists if it had the california special option. The production date noted is before CS production dates. Please post the Marti report - that will help us a lot.

Casey

Casey,
I will scan the report soon. But it will be no help to you. I notice that you have the window sticker of your car in your gallery. The elite report will be the final proof, as it is a replication by Marti of the window sticker. The basic and deluxe report ONLY states that this car has a "gold nugget special" option. Your Marti report must, of course, say "california special" in its option line denoted in the option list in the lower left hand portion of your report. So my car is not a "calfornia special" in semantics. The question is; does a "gold nugget special" have the GT/CS Equipment Package as listed in your window sticker. If the elite report uncovers that, then a "gold nugget special" is a special edition of a "california special" for the Oregon/Wasington dealers. The ONLY thing I have to go on is the reference to this possibility in Pual Newitt's first recognition guide. There are two cars in the original registry that fit this. My car and Janice Brulcs. I would love to talk to her. Again, all of this is the the best of my knowledge on this subject. I am not trying to fool anyone nor trying to sell this car.

The elite report should once an for all shed some light on these cars. Maybe both Janice's and mine were put together by a dealer. I do not know. I have seen about 5"gold nuggets" in my area and have decoded them. Notice I said "gold nugget" and not "gold nugget special". A "gold nugget" is a special version of a 68 coup with sunlit gold paint, blackout hood, and a black "C" stripe. A common 68 coupe with just sunlit gold paint. Until I got Paul's book I did not know of the posibility of a "gold nugget special" and I think the 2 descriptions have run together.

The elite report will be the final clue in my mind. Or it was dealer assembled. Again, to the best of my knowledge owning and decoding Mustangs since 1974.

I have learned since 1974 to be careful trying to make a science out of decoding cars. The production lines were run by humans and the dealers ordered all sorts of special cars. To say the least the elite report will shed some interesting light on this car. I hope to have it in a couple months. I will make sure to post it!

Rob

 

[PNewitt]

Hi Robert!

Welcome! You'll like this group...nice folks!

I got your PM, and I'll answer it here. When I interviewed Lee Grey in 1988, (the District Sales manager for the Los Angeles District-in 1968), he told me that his assistant sales manager made a separate deal with the Seattle (and Nothern Oregon) area Ford dealers to make some Nugget Gold GT/CSs. These all had the 741111 DSO. A few of these have surfaced, and are very rare "limited editions within a limited edition". These were the So. Cal. Ford dealer's way of jump-starting sales of the GT/CS way above the Calif. border. Consider it kind of like a Seattle District Special.

I can't answer about the script question; and I'd have to study the color shots of the Feb 15th party in L.A., to see if there was one in Nugget Gold. As far as I know--that gold was the same as the one used in 1967.

As a side note--back in 1972, I went water skiing during jellyfish season in Bremerton Bay. Not bad, if you like a zillion tenacles on you all at once when you fall.... Near Silverdale, on Kipsap Way. The Seattle area Mustangers are awesome folks, with some really beautiful cars! You should get photos of your CS up at the vista point at Hurricane Ridge.

Paul N.

 

[robert campbell]

Hi Robert!

Welcome! You'll like this group...nice folks!

I got your PM, and I'll answer it here. When I interviewed Lee Grey in 1988, (the District Sales manager for the Los Angeles District-in 1968), he told me that his assistant sales manager made a separate deal with the Seattle (and Nothern Oregon) area Ford dealers to make some Nugget Gold GT/CSs. These all had the 741111 DSO. A few of these have surfaced, and are very rare "limited editions within a limited edition". These were the So. Cal. Ford dealer's way of jump-starting sales of the GT/CS way above the Calif. border. Consider it kind of like a Seattle District Special.

I can't answer about the script question; and I'd have to study the color shots of the Feb 15th party in L.A., to see if there was one in Nugget Gold. As far as I know--that gold was the same as the one used in 1967.

As a side note--back in 1972, I went water skiing during jellyfish season in Bremerton Bay. Not bad, if you like a zillion tenacles on you all at once when you fall.... Near Silverdale, on Kipsap Way. The Seattle area Mustangers are awesome folks, with some really beautiful cars! You should get photos of your CS up at the vista point at Hurricane Ridge.

Paul N.

Paul,
Thanks for the reply and information! I am born and raised in Bremerton and have boated and played in the very same waters. I hike the Olympics all around Hurricane Ridge and play in the snow there. Never had any of my cars up there though. It is a very beautiful place.

I will post the Marti deluxe report next week. The last option in the list of options is "gold nugget special". I called Marti today to see if I could get some intel on what the "window sticker replication" may say. They do not have it yet. I will post it as soon as it arrives.

Do you know of any of the the first 14 cars at the orginal promotion? Any cars with the rear quarter script in the higher position as shown clearly in your pic on page 14 of your orginal registry? The holes on my quarter panel were in a similar location before I moved it down to the more "traditional" location.

I have owned the car since 1989 and am rethinking the wisdom of not painting it anniversary gold. Not only that I have driven it as a secondary vehicle since then.... Time to think about a new restoration and return to stock color. I can still find the holes in the right quarter and locate the scripts up higher. In fact I still have three of the four script pieces. One was not on the car when I bought it. They did not look as robust in constuction as the California Special script I purchased from Ford. I would not know the first thing about comparing them to the early script that was made. I could send them to you if you like? The mounting pegs are broken off and they were attached by double back tape when I got the car. This car had been painted 3 times over the original anniversary gold paint. Actually this car was the worst condition Mustang I ever bought!!! It had been sold by Bruce Malmberg to a very young kid that was beating the crap out of it. License plates said "wildbill" and he was wild. Car was parked on the street, ungaraged, on Alki Beach in Seattle. I will not bore you with all the work I have done to it.

Thanks again for the information!!! I will stay in touch and if want to see the script pieces, give me an address! I will send them to you. They are in rough condition and with one gone, of little value.

Rob

 

[case12]

Casey,
.The question is; does a "gold nugget special" have the GT/CS Equipment Package as listed in your window sticker. If the elite report uncovers that, then a "gold nugget special" is a special edition of a "california special" for the Oregon/Wasington dealers.
Rob

Cool! Let's see what happens. It could be a dealer special (like the HCS?). The date is pre-production, which could make it interesting. Do the rear reflectors on the quarter panels have painted edges, or chrome? Thx, Casey

 

[robert campbell]

Paul,
I talked last night at length with Janice Brulc, who bought Tom Shields Gold Nugget Special. Vin 8R01C124554. Build date 04A. One day after my car. DSO 741111 also. She sold the car 3 years ago, but still knows where it is and thinks she could sweet talk it back. Still is painted anniversary gold. Black vinyl top and so on. I may order a basic Marti report for this car. Will a basic report tell you where it was sold? That would be interesting. Tom Shields was her uncle and the car, to her descprition sounds a bit rough, but all still there. She used it as a daily driver for I think she said 13 years. Both her and I feel a bit like idiots for doing this, although mine is always garaged, in secondary status, and we avoid most of the rain. Sounds like hers had some cowl problems, and I got the feeling it was not garaged. Boy does that soon lead to a mirad of other maladies!!!!

All and all I encouraged her or her uncle to see if they could get it back! I may contact her again to see if she has a pic or two of it. Another one of these is still floating around!!

By the way, I e-mailed Jon, the webmaster of this site. When both Janice and I registered our cars we selected the "Y5" code, but the site defaults it to a "Y". Not sure if anyone else had this problem Jon is strying to fix it.

Rob

 

[robert campbell]

Cool! Let's see what happens. It could be a dealer special (like the HCS?). The date is pre-production, which could make it interesting. Do the rear reflectors on the quarter panels have painted edges, or chrome? Thx, Casey

Casey,
On page 29 of Paul' first book he talks about production. 21 December 67 seems to be the earliset date for a GT/CS acccording to his research. Further in the paragraph, he talks of partially built cars put in "standby" status. I would assume any car with a buld date earlier that 15 February 68 were, so to speak, in standby waiting and partially built. Kudos to all the work and research Paul did!!! Without his hard work there would be many questions that would remain unanserable. His foresite to interview Lee Gray has turned up many facts that would have disappeared in time. On page 24 of Pauls book under colors available is anouther paragraph referencing the aniversary gold piant "Y5" and the fact that a few went to DSO 74.

Mine has the early "recessed" rear quarter reflectors. Another weird anomoly is it has a "GT" pop open gas cap that is painted black inside the letters, vice red that would be common for a 68 GT cap. My only guess is a hold over from 1967. It has the same part number as the GT cap that "was" on my highly modified 1967 GTA Fasback. I removed it way back when. Pictures in the gallery. And coventional wisdom says it is a no no for a GT/CS to have a GT gas cap. On page 46 of Paul's book he mentions that a few cars may have gotten the GT gas cap if they got the GT option. Mine does not list the GT option in the Marti report, so here is another anomoly. May have been added later or ????

I would love to find the orginal owner to test their memory if they are still with us. I am on the track for Bruce Malmberg. He may shed some more light on this car!

Rob

 

[Mustanglvr]

I believe there were some GT/CS`s that received a GT gas cap even though they were`nt GT`s. Correct me if I`m wrong guys.

 

[case12]

Casey,
On page 29 of Paul' first book he talks about production. 21 December 67 seems to be the earliset date for a GT/CS acccording to his research. Further in the paragraph, he talks of partially built cars put in "standby" status. I would assume any car with a buld date earlier that 15 February 68 were, so to speak, in standby waiting and partially built. Kudos to all the work and research Paul did!!! Without his hard work there would be many questions that would remain unanserable. His foresite to interview Lee Gray has turned up many facts that would have disappeared in time. On page 24 of Pauls book under colors available is anouther paragraph referencing the aniversary gold piant "Y5" and the fact that a few went to DSO 74.

Mine has the early "recessed" rear quarter reflectors. Another weird anomoly is it has a "GT" pop open gas cap that is painted black inside the letters, vice red that would be common for a 68 GT cap. My only guess is a hold over from 1967. It has the same part number as the GT cap that "was" on my highly modified 1967 GTA Fasback. I removed it way back when. Pictures in the gallery. And coventional wisdom says it is a no no for a GT/CS to have a GT gas cap. On page 46 of Paul's book he mentions that a few cars may have gotten the GT gas cap if they got the GT option. Mine does not list the GT option in the Marti report, so here is another anomoly. May have been added later or ????

I would love to find the orginal owner to test their memory if they are still with us. I am on the track for Bruce Malmberg. He may shed some more light on this car!

Rob

As they say, "All will be revealed in time". Keep digging, and let's see what comes of it. Casey

 

[PNewitt]

There is a lot of information here--and it seems that this "special" deal that Lee Grey's assistant did was more than just a few cars, and somehow, they managed to combine TWO limited editions, which must have been a small nightmare from a production & factory standpoint.

The Marti Reports on both cars will shed a lot of new light on what happened. IF the report has some dates that pre-date what we (I) know as the true January begin date for the GT/CS at the San Jose plant--then we have some more digging to do (and Kevin Marti has "some 'splainin' to do, too, LOL).

This will be very interesting how this will shake out. I really appreciate the detective work at your end.

As for the GT cap, my paperwork states NO GT gas cap, but as you know, a lot can happen between the factory and the dealer...and even an owner could have changed the gas cap the day he (or she) picked up the car in '68. We have a couple thousand (or more) GT/CSs out there that each have 39 years of possible mods on them. So, I take the GT cap with a "pillar of salt".

Keep up informed. This looks like an interesting historical sideline for the GT/CS.

I'll also look for the paint code. There are about three "GOLD" colors between 1967 and 1968.

thanks again....Paul.

 

[robert campbell]

Paul,
I just ordered the basic Marti report for Tom Shield's/Janice Brulc's GT/CS or Gold Nugget Special or whatever we find out these cars are. VIN number 8R01C124554. Build date on this car according to your first book was 4 January. One day after mine. My guess is it will be identical and say Gold Nugget Special vice California special in the list of options. We will see next week!

Thanks for the call today and I will start with the Seattle PI to see what I can dig up from their papers in January February of 68.

Glad to help with your research. Hopefully we will solve this mystery!! You have done so much for this car and our hobby that we all should very grateful. I for one do not take your hard work for granted!

Rob

 

[PNewitt]

Thank you for the compliments. I've had tremendous fun and excitement working on this GT/CS history puzzle, as well as talking to owners and enthusiasts.

Since this Mustang was driven by marketing and promotion, not necessairily engine size, we need to look in different directions and sources for what we need to know.

The Seattle PI (Post Intelligencer) should be a great source. I'd expand the search to late April, since we have DSO 74 cars going up there later in the spring and early summer. I would love to see a GT/CS Ford dealer ad from Seattle (or any other region, for that matter).

It involves going to a library that has microfilm (microfisch) in rolls that you look at in a viewer, and you'll find old ads from car dealers. If you own a GT/CS with a DSO from outside of Calif., go to that city (of DSO), like Salt Lake City, etc., and ask at the librarian. Who knows what we'll find. This is untamed research territory--for all Mustangs, not just the GT/CS.

This looks like the Gold Nugget Special story is something we need to check out first, then we go after the dealer promos. We might find something that is not reflected in the Marti Elite Report.

Who out there knows about the '68 Gold Nugget Special (outside of that Mustang Limited Edition website)???

Paul N.

 

[CougarCJ]

Somewhere I made some notes, probably from an old Mustang Monthly.

Notes mention, Jan 1-Feb 15, 1968.

I think that we will find that the Y5 indicates Sunlit Gold paint with Black hood stripes.
This is a common code starting in 1969 on the Mach1.

 

[rvrtrash]

She used it as a daily driver for I think she said 13 years. Both her and I feel a bit like idiots for doing this, although mine is always garaged, in secondary status, and we avoid most of the rain.
Rob

I used to live in Tacoma. Isn't "daily driver" and "avoid most of the rain" an oxymoron? :grin:

Steve

 

[robert campbell]

Hello again,
As Steve said it does rain here alot!!! The sun came out today and I finally took some digital pix of the Gold Nugget Special!!!! Also, the Mari report is on the Marti report thread. My thumb nail is not a thumb nail... I must be computer challenged....

Pix of car are in my gallery. Of course it is Wimbledon White and not the "whatever" gold it should be. The Marti report says sunlit gold followed by a Ford paint number... Ok lets just get a bit more confused.... I agree with "cougargt". My research on the "Y5" code just meant sunlit gold with a black out hood (stripes in 68). Further the "5" can be combined with any paint code to put a blackout hood on any Mustang. Again to the best of what I have learned over the years.

Anyway, the basic report of the other Gold Nugget Special should be here next week. Paul and I talked about the build dates a bit and after we were done I wondered... If Kevin Marti did a search on the data base for any VIN with a California Special option he would have missed my car. As you see on the Marti report it is a Gold Nugget Special. Now we just need to see what a Gold Nugget Special is... I hope the elite report helps and maybe I can get something from the Seattle paper archives from early 1968. An advertisement or something that may shed some light

Rob

 

[case12]

Hi Robert,

Saw your Marti report posted. The car has all the bells and whistle options - a lot of them - very nice. I am convinced it was a dealer promotion car (see this site: http://www.themustangshop.com/grandpa.cfm - very similar options to yours). This special is considered very rare. What is really interesting is that the report shows it as a 302, which we all thought came later in 68.

I checked with Kevin Marti yesterday and his response was that, "There was a Gold Nugget Special but it had no connection with the CS."

Now we need to figure out how the CS parts got on your (or another Gold Nugget Special) GNS car - dealer added?

Another person to talk to might be William O'Gorden who is the expert on the GNS, and I believe has the GNS registry. Again you have a rare car. See this site:

http://s112.photobucket.com/albums/...ial/?action=view&current=RareFindsArticle.jpg

Casey

 

[GTCSMustang]

Rob,

GT/CSs had GT/CS specific taillight harnesses. Does your car have that harness? I think there are pictures of it in Paul's book.

Scott

 

[robert campbell]

Casey,
Had not seen the TMS website. That car is identical to other cars I have decoded before. I always called those cars Gold Nuggets and not Gold Nugget "Specials". The other wesite I have seen before. I will contact him to see if he has any insite. What is interesting is how two cars within one day of each others build date both have the GT/CS "stuff" on them. That adds to the intrigue. Maybe dealer installed or???? Funny that Lee Gray mentioned this possibility to Paul in his interview. Certainly he would not have said it if these cars were just the deluxe Gold Nugget and had not tie to the GT/CS cars. Hmmm???

Not sure if the elite report will solve this or not. The Marti report is exactly how my car was built with the exception of the wheels. The only other part on the car out of place is the dueal exhaust to me. The panel was a 68 panel, but normally the dual exhaust was part of a GT package??? That one I am not sure of. Some help out there???

The fact that the right side scoop was a repop when I got the car got Paul and I thinking. Was another GT/CS t-boned on the right side, but none other glass hurt? Possible. If that is true, it is funny it ended up on a Gold Nugget Special. And there is another one.....

Ain't we having fun!! Sure I hope that the GT/CS stuff on it was from the factory. But as I said before, I am not trying to sell it or hide its history. I am as stumped as all of us.

Rob

 

[robert campbell]

Rob,

GT/CSs had GT/CS specific taillight harnesses. Does your car have that harness? I think there are pictures of it in Paul's book.

Scott

Scott,
Yes it does. Just like the book. One thing that is different in the trunk area is the insert into the old tail light area. Normally only one of the two braces is cut. Mine has both removed on each side. I have seen, what I believe to be, other "real" GT/CS cars with both cut. More fun!!

Rob

 

[GTCSMustang]

Rob,

The fact that it has the "real" GT/CS harness installed would tend to point toward a factory conversion rather than a dealer one...in my opinion.

I'd guess that the dual exhaust is not factory installed, maybe dealer, or owner installed. Would be pretty easy to tell by the way it is mounted though. There are usually still signs of original hangers even after the exhaust has been replaced. Are the tie-down brackets still on the car. Dual exhaust had different ones than single exhaust.

Scott