WTB: 1968 GT/CS in Calif.

[mike in CA]

I am looking for a real 68' GT/CS in California. I am looking for a drive and not a show car. Something in the $10,000 to $14,000 range. I used to have two of these cars, one being an X code with the 390 and Automatic. I had to sell them both about nine years ago to help buy my house. I am now looking for another car as my daily driver. Being retired and on a fixed income, I can not afford a fully restored one anymore. I also am only looking for one with an Automatic trans as I am disabled and can not use my left leg to clutch. So if anyone out there has one, please contact me as I am a true fan of these cars.

Mike

 

[franklinair]

IMHO, $10-14K won't get you much in a C/S. Be VERY careful of any advertised in this price range - chances are, it will need SOMETHING to make it truly roadworthy. Even a decent driver would run $18K+. There are 2 on E-bay right now. Another on this site for $23+K, and a primo for about $40K. Just be patient & diligent in your search. Lots of good advice & inputs on this site, even to having someone knowledgeable looking at the car for/with you.

Neil

 

[classicsguy]

There is a gentleman in this forum that bought a collection of GT/CS and HCS and believe he is in California. His screen name is mustang.biz He has about 14 cars in different stages of restoration. You might want to contact him. I am sure he still got plenty of them and might chip in in this post. The collection used to belong to a guy named Ernie. Good luck!!

 

[franklinair]

True enough, Luis. BUT - I don't believe any of them are of a 'driver' status. As I said, a decent driver should run about $18K+. And even those require close scrutiny. Just ask Amy.

Neil (Wet Blanket) Hoppe

 

[mike in CA]

Thanks for the advice guys. I am looking at one on Ebay now, but it doesn't look like it will reach the reserve. I looked on the completed listings for the CS cars on Ebay, and none had reached the reserve prices. I guess with the economy the way it is now, people are holding on to their cash. I will keep looking. I sure wish i still had my 390 CS now. I sold it back then for $9,000 and thought I did well. It is probably worth a ton more then that now as it was in pretty darn good condition. My other one was a C code car and boy what a difference in performance. There is no substitution for horse power!

Mike

 

[Midnight Special]

...You might be amazed what you can find if you include craigslist.

True - traditional drivers have been at aroud $18 - 25K until recently, but not everyone can afford to hang on to these. With craigslist, you can search in your own area and perform personal scrutiny. We recently looked at one here in Grass Valley that sold for $10K that was every bit a sound driver! Body straight, interior good, motor had miles but drove very nicely, new brakes/ tires, only slight surface rust inside the trunk... It was a father/ son project that the kid painted himself (and it showed), but all else was very sound. He only needed quick cash.

Also; I received an incredible offer on my Highland Green 390 at a gas station today. We are in dialog now to see where it goes...

Be cautious, but not pessimistic!

 

[di81977]

The economy is bad, prices will and are going to come down. I have a C2 Corvette and we have seen prices drop, significantly in some cases. Keep looking, you will find the right car for you.

There are good deals to be made. In my opinion, if you have the money, this is a good time to buy.

Tim, good luck with your 390! Let us know how it goes. Rare, desirable cars in quality condition will always be valuable.

 

[aemoo28]

I recently purchased, from S California, a 'project' car for $18K. It wasn't supposed to be a project car for this price, so be careful and don't trust too easliy. I love it but it should have been in the $12-14K price range.

 

[mike in CA]

Tim
My 390 car was also Highland Green. I wonder if it is the same car. According to Paul Newitts book, they only made 54 with the 390 and C6 trans. I wonder how many of those were in the Highland Green? It would be a hoot if it was the same car!

I currently have a car that is really nice, but it is a manual trans, so i can't drive it these days. Since the market is so bad now, i can't even sell it without taking a beating. It is a 65 Shelby 427 Cobra replica. Fastest dang car I have ever driven.
0 to 60 in 3.2 seconds. But right now it just sits as my screwed up back can't hold up to clutching anymore. So the search is on for another GT/CS with an auto trans, so at least I can still drive a car I really like.

Although, going from a 2000 Lb. car with 530 H.P. to a 3500 Lb car and a 289 2V is going to be a huge difference. At least the 390 was closer in performance.

But heck, with the roads so packed these days, you can't let it go for more then a few seconds anyway.

Mike

Mike

 

[Midnight Special]

Mike, do you have or remember the VIN # of your car? Mine is 8R01S169388, sold in Kansas City and resided in Denver where I bought it.

I love it and and have real reservations about letting it go, but the offer exceeds what I paid for it three years ago....'just don't know yet.... ;-O

I'm also saddened to hear that you can't enjoy that awesome Cobra!

 

[sportyworty]

3.2 in 60 seconds in a cobra HMMM??? My Kirkham maybe 5 seconds??? not with independent rear suspension. you must be running a 9" axle set up. they dont hook.

 

[mike in CA]

5 seconds seems awfully slow for a Cobra. They did time trials last year in a Factory Five with a 400 H.P. 302 and it did 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds. Of course both cars need to be wearing drag slicks to acheive that time. I would think your Kirkham would perform as well with the same type of tires, altough you did not say what engine and trans you have, but 3.6 is quite common for a Cobra. This is the first time I have heard of a Cobra doing 0 to 60 in more then 4 seconds. I am sure yours will do better then 5 seconds, but i don't know your setup. You need the right gearing and Power to weight ratio. There are so many variables in how Cobras are built. I have low gears and a fast power curve. Great for 0 to 60 but not so great on mileage or freeway speeds. For now it really doesn't matter how fast it is, it only sits around unused these days. A waste of a great piece of machinery.

By the way, the Ebay car I was looking at did not reach the reserve either.

Thanks for all your advice guys

Mike

 

[sportyworty]

427 SO Keith Craft stage 2 Edelbrock heads, original salisbury 3.54. Toploader Goodyear billboards. approx 475 hp. I sold it before I pulled a Jm Morrison LOL. Not trying to be a prick just have not seen a Cobra pull that time. I used to build Contemporary kits in the early 90's so have been around a few. The fastest street car in the world does it in 2.6 sec the British built GTR Ultima. Good luck with your search if I find something will mail you Mike.

 

[390cs68rcode]

I know someone who bought a cherry 390 CS 3 years ago in the low 20's. It CAN happen but not often.

 

[mike in CA]

Tim
I guess it is not the same car as mine was originally sold in Beverly Hills and I bought it from the original owner about 16 years ago down in L.A.

Mike

 

[Midnight Special]

Hmm... It would be interesting to know where yours is today Mike. Below are a few pics of mine. I have a guy coming by tonite who is very serious about buying it. It's not for sale, but he's pushing real hard! I don't want to lose the S-code, so I may see if he wants one of the others... I would then take the $$ and totally optimize the 390 car as I intended. Stay tuned & I'll keep you posted!

 

[390cs68rcode]

Hmm... It would be interesting to know where yours is today Mike. Below are a few pics of mine. I have a guy coming by tonite who is very serious about buying it. It's not for sale, but he's pushing real hard! I don't want to lose the S-code, so I may see if he wants one of the others... I would then take the $$ and totally optimize the 390 car as I intended. Stay tuned & I'll keep you posted!

if it is not for sale then why let him come over? Or is it for sale at a certain price?

:undecided

 

[Midnight Special]

if it is not for sale then why let him come over? Or is it for sale at a certain price?

:undecided

...Full value offer and the fact I have 10 other Mustangs. If he chooses another, I would only do it for a considerable profit over what I paid. It's all up in the air at this point...

Yes - "undecided" ;-)

 

[HappyHour]

Ah the bait and switch...come for the 390 and leave with a "lesser" of the CS's? That is a nice S code....like the chrome tailplate. Im sure they have all been loved..in some cases by us. :grin:

Dont sell the black and gold!

Good luck Tim!!

 

[Midnight Special]

Thanks Robert ;-)

This (rather forward) encounter was stressful in that he had the cash and was ready to take one of these from me. Upon seeing the collection and learning I had two 4-speeds, his attention shifted to the red & black CSs. After some PM counsel here and from family et-al; I decided to leave the collection intact for the time being.

Bottom line is: we're having too much fun with the way things are and I'm just not ready to part with anything. This was also a (personal) wake-up call in that the GT/CS is indeed increasing in it's ultimate awareness and value (so take good care of your cars!

I pointed out to him that in the current economic conditions he could likely find what he was looking for at a lower price and that if I had the space - I too would be getting more!

All in all, nice people and a great experience, but I already have everything I want and don't need to sell...