mickman

OK Folks, need some help deciding what direction to go with my '68 GT.

I don't have the original motor at this point. The car originally came with a 302, Sunlit Gold exterior, Ivy or Nugget Gold interior - deluxe. Apparently only about 5,500 of the '68s were GTs. So they are kind of rare.

Obviously if I had the original motor I would go factory colors inside and out.

But, since I don't, I have a few options. These cars were the platform for the 68.5 428s, so I can go restomod and pick a different color scheme and go with a 428 FE or similar.

Or, I could stick with a period correct or period incorrect 289 or 302 and go with the factory colors.

Anyway, I'm interested in what everyone thinks would be the best way to paint this car. It's got great "bones" as it is a San Jose car that was delivered to Phoenix and ended up here in New Mexico. Very little to no rust, all due to a leaky radiator core. So it's in great shape. Did I mention it's a GT ?

Please advise ! Thanks.

andrewmp6

The way i look at it its your car do whatever makes you happy with it.Is it rare being a gt yes but its not really worth anymore most only go ape over the early gt mustangs.

mickman

I getcha, thanks Andrew. I guess what I'm struggling with is how original to keep it when I don't have the original motor. I'm a sucker for originality, and because this car is not just a plain jane notchback like my '67, of which there were a quarter of a million produced, it seems like keeping it somewhat original would be cooler.

andrewmp6

Most of us do the bolt on rule and keep anything we take off in case we change our minds later on.Either way enjoy the car and drive it,I hate when i drive past a house and see the garage open to see a old car i never knew they had lol.

mickman

Thanks Andrew, I am keeping all the original parts that I do have, in fact from the '67 I have and the '68 GT.

I just wonder about the exterior color, without the original motor. I'm not real fond of the Sunlit "Gold", which is more of a copper color, and have thought of a different shade of gold, and going with the gold interior. The motor is a 289 out of my '67, which is pretty darn close to the 302 that the car came with even tho the dates are not correct. So I may end up going with a real gold, maybe even a flake, exterior paint with a gold interior and the 289 in place of the original 302.

The other way I was thinking was a 428 68 1/2 tribute, with a white exterior and black interior, since the car is a GT.

So, anyone else want to weigh in ? I appreciate everyone's thoughts and views.

mickman

Here are some pics of the car

andrewmp6

What about a california special clone? all of those started out as a gt mustang.

mickman

That's an option I guess but I have just never really been fond of those cars at all - they seem more cosmetic. What I really dig about the 68.5s is their understated appearance yet brutally bad *** horsepower and raw power.

andrewmp6

Cloning a car can be done a few ways the pricey way is only the vin tells.If your just wanting big power you can build a small block today with more power then most old big blocks.If you have your heart set tho start looking for that 428 block the rest can be bought aftermarket.

mickman

I'm leaning more and more toward the factory colors, the true Sunlit Gold with Ivy or Nugget Gold interior, whatever it was, with maybe a 428 at somepoint since apparently or supposedly they manufactured those cars from the factory with the gold-on-gold colors.

The built 289 that I have in the car now will do for now, it is pretty damn close to the 302 that the car came with.

Plus I am kind of starting a search for the original motor here in town, hoping that maybe it's sitting in the backyard of the lady I bought the car from, or maybe it's in some junker parked around town somewhere and they know where. Hopefully, LOL.