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1968 Original "X" code california special w/ Tach?

calspcl

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Nov 10, 2004
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Seattle, Wa
Your marti report indicated you had the GT option, I thought the tach was a part of the GT option package. My ole bad blue and noisy has the GT option and factory tach.
 

gofastguy

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Feb 26, 2007
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Canton, Ohio
Your marti report indicated you had the GT option, I thought the tach was a part of the GT option package. My ole bad blue and noisy has the GT option and factory tach.

This was my understanding as well,since I do not believe I have a tach option... although perhaps it may be different on the X codes???
 

Ruppstang

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The tach dash was not part of the GT option. Marty MCA gold card Judge 38812
 

Ruppstang

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May 22, 2009
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I'll have to defer to your expertise, but mine isn't on the Marti and sure looks like it came from the factory...

As said eariler in this thread it could have been missed in the Marti report or could have been added as early as the orignial dealership. Do the warning lights work in the tach? Marty
 

Karenjackson

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Oct 6, 2010
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Ruppstang, can you educate us with your MCA knowledge? What option included the tach? Or was it included in the 390/428 4 speed cars?
 

Ruppstang

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Ruppstang, can you educate us with your MCA knowledge? What option included the tach? Or was it included in the 390/428 4 speed cars?

According to the 1968 Ford sales information I have the Tachometer and reset Odometer was a stand alone option. It was not included in any other option or package. Hope this helps. Marty
 

calspcl

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Seattle, Wa
There are a lot of past posts on this topic. Input determined it was a GT option item. My Marti does not list a tach as a stand alone order item.

Maybe we can enlist soem help from fellow forum members. Does anyone with the GT option and tach list a tach/trip odometer as a stand alone option?
 

gofastguy

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Canton, Ohio
As said eariler in this thread it could have been missed in the Marti report or could have been added as early as the orignial dealership. Do the warning lights work in the tach? Marty

Not sure about the warning lights as my Special is taking a long winter's nap right now. As near as I can recall from the late '60's though, it would have been pretty unusual to take the dash apart and install a factory gauge. It seemed like strapping them to the steering column was all the rage then with the tachs.
 

Ruppstang

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My dad has a 68 S code GT coupe built in SJ that in the Marti report listed the tach as a seprate option. Marty
 

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CougarCJ

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According to Mustang by the numbers, there were a total of 18,839 1968 Mustangs with the GT option, but only 8,147 with the tachometer/trip option.
 

dalorzo_f

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Brisbane Australia
As the S code noted is a C6, the tach was an option. 4 speed cars got the tach as standard equipment, not called out on the Marti for my '68 S GT coupe w/toploader.

So the numbers noted are not total number of cars with tach, just ones where people special ordered the tach as an add-on.
 

Mosesatm

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Are you saying all 4-speed cars got tachometers or just 4-speed GT cars?
 

dalorzo_f

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I believe all the '68 4 speed's came with a tach, but am not 100% sure. Know mine is OEM and not called out on the Marti. As the S C6 GT does not have it, and my 4 speed GT does, it doesn't prove if it was for all 4 speeds or just 4 speed GT's... any '68 4 speed non-GT owners out there with a tach that doesn't call out on the Marti?
 

Ruppstang

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As the S code noted is a C6, the tach was an option. 4 speed cars got the tach as standard equipment, not called out on the Marti for my '68 S GT coupe w/toploader.

So the numbers noted are not total number of cars with tach, just ones where people special ordered the tach as an add-on.

Do you have any documentation of this? Or is this just what you think?
 

Ruppstang

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Here is a picture of a 68 GT-CS C code 4spd car no tach.
 

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Mosesatm

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Here's a photo of my old blue GT/CS.
The car I owned in the '80s had a 4-speed and a tach. I'll order a Marti for it and see what comes back.
 

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Midnight Special

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Grass Valley, California
Do you have any documentation of this? Or is this just what you think?

Marty, at what point will MCA have complete documentation?

We have seemed to drift in & out of these speculations for years and I'm wondering if there will ever be a definitive answer. The hobby remains somewhat futile regarding purist opinions at car shows vs. said documentation to the contrary with always a vague conclusion. I also remember visiting many dealerships with my father in the very early '70's looking at Ford sedans with salesmen (and literature) saying they could configure a car to any standard a customer wanted. How are post-factory options considered and how do we consider "experts" running around touting "absolutes" with little more than hear-say?
 

dalorzo_f

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Brisbane Australia
My documentation is just my experience. The Marti of the S C6 coupe, tach as an option, and my S 4 speed GT coupe, tach not listed and it has an 8k. I have seen numerous 4 speeds with tachs, but not their Marti's.

I have also seen numerous C6 cars with the tach option called out on either a window sticker or Marti. I have not seen any Ford docs stating "all 4 speed cars get a tach". Maybe an S code only thing, which is where most of my prior interest was focused while restoring two of the beasts.

Be interested to see someones Marti for a 4 speed car and tach option.

Dealer options aside, as noted that is a can-o-worms, that requires an invoice and does not prove "factory option". As I'd bet if you had the right money you could pay a dealer to do almost anything, even "non standard" options... were these the first restomods? :wink:
 
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