Home - Sale Writeup

This vehicle is being sold as is with a clean Minnesota title in the seller's name.

This well-preserved Mustang was sold new at Kinsel Ford in Beaumont, Texas with an April 11 build date. It left the factory wearing Lime Gold paint. The interior was trimmed in Ivy Gold vinyl covering standard bucket seats. Power was provided by a 289 cubic inch V8, topped with a 2 barrel carburetor. A 3-speed manual transmission and 2.79:1 8 inch rear end completed the package. It rolled out of the Beaumont dealership on steel wheels with standard hub caps, and was delivered with manual steering and four-wheel drum brakes. Air conditioning was declined.

In 1989, the original owner had the car stripped, prepped and painted Raven Black - a color Ford offered Mustang owners in 1968. At that time, the interior was also painted and fitted with black upholstery, carpet, and headliner. A cassette player was installed along with two speakers mounted in a custom plastic rear package tray. The engine had racked up approximately 70,000 miles since 1968, so it was rebuilt at that time to accept modern unleaded fuel.

In the year 2000, the car was acquired by a wholesale dealer, presumably on trade, and shipped to Tennessee where it was purchased in September of that year by its second owner. The odometer read just over 75,000 miles at the time of the sale. From that point on, all records and receipts for the car were saved.

Over the next 20 years, the second owner drove the car approximately 5,000 miles. During those years, the steel wheels were replaced with the 14" GT style, complete with center caps and chrome trim rings. The factory steering wheel was replaced with a Grant wood-rimmed piece. In 2004, the 3-speed transmission was ejected in favor of a 5-speed Tremec, and the 8" factory rear cogs were replaced with a 3.55:1 ring and pinion. The original intake and 2v carburetor gave way to a 650cfm 4 barrel Holley and Edelbrock Performer intake. In 2008, Tri-Y headers took the place of the exhaust manifolds, and were routed through twin two-chamber Flowmaster mufflers. A leaky radiator was upgraded to a bigger aluminum unit along with an electric fan. New window weatherstripping was fitted, though the windshield and rear window seals remain untouched and do not currently leak.

In 2008, the clutch linkage failed and the car was placed on a rollback for a ride back to the shop for repairs. Unfortunately, it was not strapped down correctly, and sustained damage to the left front fender after lurching forward into the tow truck. The towing company took responsibility and paid for the repairs and replacement of the fender, bumper, and light bucket. All documentation of the event and subsequent repairs have been retained.

In June of 2020, the car was sold for the third time and taken to Minnesota where it currently resides. Since then, over 300 miles have been put on the odometer. In the past month, an effort has been made to return the car closer to its original look and feel, replacing some tired parts which had degraded over time. The rear speakers were blown and plastic package tray warped, so the decision was made to remove them and fit a new OEM style vinyl covered package tray. The front dash speaker was original to 1968, and was swapped in favor of a dual-zone single stereo speaker. The dated radio cassette unit was ditched and a vintage style modern AM/FM unit with an aux output was sourced and installed.

The 8" rear end gasket and axle seals were seeping oil, so they were replaced with new gaskets and seals. The old flywheel was removed for resurfacing due to clutch chatter when taking off in first gear. The transmission fluid was changed and a new clutch and linkage installed at that time.

A new rubber gas cap gasket replaced the aging cork piece. The front bumper had been replaced in 2008, at the time of the accident, so the current owner exchanged the pitted rear bumper and door handles for new to match. A new rear valance was also fitted, to replaced the damaged original. On the inside of the car, the faded carpet was removed and some light surface rust found on the floorboards treated with POR-15 rust inhibitor. The old floor sound deadener was falling apart, so new underlayment was fitted before installing brand new carpet. The vinyl was beginning to split at the seams on the drivers bucket seat bottom, so the decision was made to update front and back seats with new upholstery. The door sill plates were also replaced at that time.

Under the hood the engine operates smoothly with no smoke or oil usage. Light seeping of oil under the valve covers and behind the fuel pump were observed and so new gaskets were installed and the engine cleaned. To finish up under the hood, the oil and filter were changed as well as the plugs and wires. All of the exterior light bulbs, except the headlights, were replaced with new bulbs.

Many of the parts taken off the car by the second owner were retained and will go with the car which include the original 3-speed transmission, radiator and fan, air cleaner and 2 carburetors, factory intake, steering wheel, and new rubber seals for the rear window and windshield.

Parts from the work done by the current owner will include the original rear bumper, rear valance, and chrome door handles.