Vehicle Description
1968 Ford Mustang GT California Special - One Owner - Arizona Car -
All Original, Survivor - J Code 302ci/230hp 4V V8 - Gulfstream Aqua
Paint (Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1968 Ford
Mustang GT California Special on a website other than our Garage
Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our
many photographs of the car due to third-party website limitations.
To be sure you access all the more than 155 photographs, as well as
a short start-up and walk-around video, please go to our main
website: Garage Kept Motors.) The uniquely styled '68 California
Special is the Regional Edition to end all Regional Editions with
its Shelby-esque appointments and West Coast go-go allure. Motor
Trend, October 2007 The ClassicCars.com website gives a bit of
model history: Ford developed one of its first Mustang special
editions by tapping into a vibrant California automotive market, as
well as the pop culture emphasis on all things West Coast. The
result was the 1968 Ford Mustang California Special, a cosmetic and
options package developed by Shelby Automotive and based on
Shelby's famed GT500 concept car named 'Little Red.' Hemmings
provides the full list of this model's options: ...the California
Special included the addition of a host of fiberglass parts that
gave the model a very Shelby-like and aggressive look: a decklid
with integrated spoiler and quarter-panel extensions to match;
non-functional body-side scoops; and a lower back panel. Standard
Mustang taillamps were ditched in favor of horizontal units from
the '65 Thunderbird. If that back end looks familiar, it's probably
because you've got a '68 Shelby Mustang convertible tail in your
mind. The trunk and quarter-panel extensions were common to both
models, as were the taillamps cribbed from the Thunderbird. Offered
here is an original, unrestored '65 Mustang California Special in
survivor condition. This is an Arizona car owned by the same
individual since new. That owner resisted the temptation to
commission a full restoration. The car's odometer shows, 66,448
miles, or just under a very conservative 1,300 miles per-year on
average since new. The exterior paint shows the results of extended
exposure to the hot, Arizona sun. Still wearing its factory-applied
Gulfstream Aqua paint, the finish has been dulled by the passage of
time with a number of areas-particularly those flat surfaces facing
straight up-where the paint has disappeared and the primer is
exposed. As well, there is some peeling paint (near the taillights,
for example) and a number of chips across the car, but no dents or
body-panel damage. The sides of the car have fared well such that
the original white bodyside stripes (applied to these cars by the
dealers and oriented to follow the upper-body trim line) were
largely undamaged by the sun. This includes the GT/CS
identification on the Shelby-style rear-fender air scoop, and
another stripe across the rear spoiler. Unique California Special
badges (on the rear quarter panel above the side-marker light), and
this-model-only Mustang script emblems on the front fenders and the
rear spoiler remain in place. The rear, brushed-metal
gas-cap-filler-cover (with the running horse icon, but no
lettering, and identical to the standard Mustang) is in place.
Chrome bumpers fore and aft are in generally good condition. The
car's front grille is undamaged. Cabin glass and lighting
lenses-including the Thunderbird-sourced taillights-are clear and
uncracked. Narrow-white-stripe Optimo® tires are mounted as are
factory full-wheel covers with Mustang identification are original.
The car's interior has survived its 53 years in generally very good
condition. Upholstery on the folding front buckets and rear bench
features cloth inserts in an attractive vertical-stripe design (in
blue and white and white surrounded by white vinyl) is original.
The upholstery is remarkably free of rips or tears, or even much
evidence of age; the
