[emrgnc]

Hey guys, My dad just drove to Ohio and picked up a car he bought last week. He is all excited about it, but I have a few doubts. He tells me its a 1968 1/2 GT fastback with the 428cj. Its an automatic and has 85000 original miles He tells me there were only like 800 or so made of this particular model. He said that they are the left over Shelby's that they did not sale or something to that effect. The car needs to be restored, but it runs. He drove it on to the trailer. Anyway, Just wondered if anyone had any type info on this car model. Seems like a long drive to Ohio from Houston to pick up some old car.

Thanks.

[ajusaf]

the only 1/2 year is the 64. I would go and see the stang for myself

[dodgestang]

68 1/2 428cj...very rare car....if what you bought is a real one its a pretty good find

[Jay H 237]

I would make sure all the VINs match (fender aprons and dash tag. Door tag OK and a bonus, but not really needed) and get a Marti report on it. This will prove what the car is and Marti can get a new door tag if it's missing, damaged, or the wrong one for the car.

If this car is a true "R" code then I'd do a resto back to original. This car is too rare to modify and destroy it's value.

[Veronica]

Hello. Many of the 68 1/2 cobrajet cars had no engine code stamped in the inner fender panels. The 5th space was blank.I know they only built 118 coupes like that. I'm not sure how many fastbacks. Something like 400 I think. I'll check and get back with you on that. I have a book on them somewhere. The Shelby thing isn't true. That's kind of two stories that got intermingled in someone's mind. The 70 Shelbys are all re-titled 69 model cars. At the end of the 69 sales year they still had nearly 900 cars left over, so they re-titled them as 70s and built some more to go with the ones that they had left over. That's why the only differences between a 69 and a 70 Shelby is the 70 has a chin spoiler and two black hood stripes and the 69 doesn't. That's why all of the part numbers on a 70 Shelby are 69 or earlier. But, that sounds like a real neat car and one that's well worth restoring.

[Veronica]

Hi again. It seems that I was mistaken about the number of cobrajet coupes. Ford built 2,253 Fastbacks, 564 coupes and 10 convertibles with the 428 cobrajet in the last part of the 68 model year.

[emrgnc]

Originally Posted by Veronica

Hi again. It seems that I was mistaken about the number of cobrajet coupes. Ford built 2,253 Fastbacks, 564 coupes and 10 convertibles with the 428 cobrajet in the last part of the 68 model year.

Thats where the story came from that there were like 2k of them built and most (All but 8??) were Shelby or GT500KR's Not just regular non Shelby GT's He said he has a Marti? report and everything matches. Thanks for the response. Any more relevant info would be greatly appreciated.

[Jay H 237]

Originally Posted by emrgnc

He said he has a Marti? report and everything matches. Thanks for the response. Any more relevant info would be greatly appreciated.

Kevin Marti is an individual who bought all of Ford's production records from 1967 until ??? that tells what options a car came with from the factory when Ford was getting ready to destroy them. He took out a second mortgage on his house to do this. You provide him with the VIN and he'll sell you a report on what the car was originally and all original factory options installed on that particular car. He is licensed by Ford to do this and to reproduce the door tags.

NOTE: Ford destroyed all of thier records for 1966 and older in the early 80's so no info can be found to verify vehicles built before 1967 when Ford switched to the IBM computer punch cards to record the vehicle's order image.

Something else to always remember, just because a car was built with or without certain options doesn't mean it actually was sold that way. The dealers could, and have, changed or added options to vehicles to either please a customer request or help move a vehicle that has been sitting on the lot. While engines and transmissions wouldn't be changed they may have changed the radio, wheels, added power steering, added tape stripes, fog lights, a remote mirror or a vinyl covered roof for example. I have heard of one request that a customer wanted the rear end gear ratio changed in a 1968 fastback before delivery. So even if you find the original owner claiming they bought the car with an AM radio off the lot but the sheet says it didn't have a radio you can bet the dealer had added it.

I got a Marti report for my Mustang several years ago and they are much more indepth than the Ford 999 reports. I also found out exactly what day my car was produced since the date on the door tag was the expected build date but things often happened at the factorys to throw that off. I also found out my car had an AM radio, power steering, deluxe wheel covers, white walls, deluxe seatbelts and tinted glass when it was produced at San Jose.

Something else he can tell in his reports is exactly which dealer the car sold from and on what date it sold. With this info you will know if it was a customer order or just a vehicle ordered for lot stock. My car was lot stock since it was produced on 1/24/68 and didn't sell from Theodore Robbins Ford in Costa Mesa, CA until 7/22/68.

[va_tlc]

so if you have the original bill of sale for the car, a marti report wouldnt do much good? and how much does a report usally cost thanks

[Veronica]

Hello. The 'original bill of sale' is far too easy to fabricate and impossible to verify with anything other than the Marti report, so it really doesn't mean very much. The Maryi report, on the other hand, is independant verification, and pretty much the last word on what the car came with originally. You can go to www.martiauto.com and get a price. It isn't very much.Hope that helps.

[krankieone]

A 428 CJ sonnds like a cool car you'll have to get your dad to post up some photos

[lamourke]

thats great information, especially for newbie like me. thankyou very much