Treasure Valley Mustang and Ford Club

Member Car of the Month - May 2003

I purchased this 1968 Mustang Coupe in October 2001 to use as a daily driver. At the time I was not really looking to buy another Mustang, but had thought that it would be neat to have another one in addition to my 66 coupe to use as a daily driver.

I saw the car sitting on a side street near BSU with a FOR SALE sign in the window. I jotted down the phone number in case someone in the club was interested. Then I got to looking at the car. It had a 289, automatic, console, air conditioning, tinted glass, aftermarket aluminum wheels, and nice interior. Those were exactly the options I would want in a daily driver!!!

I kept the phone number for a few days before calling. The owners lived in Nampa, so I went and looked at it one night. It was then I discovered that it also had power steering, 4 barrel Edelbrock carburetor, manifold, and valve covers. It also had a nice stereo system. While it wasn't 100% stock, all of the modifications that had been done were bolt on and stuff I had planned on doing.

I arranged to take the car home the following Saturday to put it on jackstands and inspect the body. What I discovered was no major body or structural damage, original paint, and minimal rust. The floorpans, rocker panels, and cowl were all rust free and solid. I also did not find any Bondo in the body panels.

The door data tag is intact and decodes as follows

• Body: 65A - Standard Interior Coupe w/ Bucket Seats
• Color: I - Lime Gold
• Trim: 26 - Ivy Gold
• Date: 31H - Scheduled Build Date of Aug. 31, 1967
• DSO: 71 - Delivered to Los Angeles, California
• Axle: 2 - 2.79:1 open
• Trans: W - C4 Automatic

The VIN shows that it was built in San Jose, California and was the 1970 car scheduled to be built on that assembly line.

The owner provided a folder full of original repair receipts going back to the early 80's. Overall the car was in excellent condition for 35 years old, and I was tempted to buy beyond my ability to resist. I made an offer that was a good deal for me, and they said they would let me know on Monday. Needless to say I got the car and have been driving it ever since.

My future plans for the car include a complete restoration and modification when I have a garage of my own. I plan to change the color to a dark green or blue, change the interior to parchment or saddle, lower the suspension, add a 5-speed manual transmission, and rebuild the engine, possibly adding fuel injection.

Lately, the car has caused me some headache with wiring and mechanical problems, but I still love driving it everyday and plan to continue to do so until I take it apart.

Comments or questions? E-mail us at webmaster2008@treasurevalleymustang.com