1968 Mustang Convertible 302 J-Code

1968 Ford Mustang Convertible Description

1968 Mustang Power Top Convertible, J Code 302, C4 Auto

*15,950 miles on the restoration! Read the story on this gem…..25 years in the making!

I purchased this very ‘68 Convertible Mustang in 1993 as it sat in a field providing shelter for a herd of cats. My wife rolled her eyes as I unloaded the Mustang from the trailer and positioned it in the garage. I had a vision, she didn’t! Her patients during the next 3 years I took to restoring the car is something every man dreams of. The car was dismantled, the body panels and frame then loaded back on the trailer to get sand blasted.

The engine was taken to a machine shop where the J-Code 302 cid power plant received a complete rebuild. The heads were machined, blocked boiled, complete engine rebuild kit installed, and a cam selected that gave this pony a few extras. A new Edelbrock Performer intake manifold and new Carter AFB 600 cfm carburetor installed. A Billet Mallory Unilite ignition system with the matching chrome coil was selected to replace the unreliable factory points set up. To make it pretty under the hood I installed polished aluminum Holley valve covers, polished aluminum oil pan, chrome alternator, stainless steel braided hose kit, chrome air cleaner, chrome breather cap, headers and chrome oil dip stick. The fuel pump, all hoses, thermostat, plugs, wires, and belts were all replaced. A new radiator was purchased to keep it all cool. Dual exhaust with chrome tips was installed and gives this ride a rumble that is just right!!!

The C-4 3 speed automatic transmission was dismantled and rebuilt by a professional race car transmission specialist. He installed a complete rebuild kit, new torque converter, and a shift kit that gives this ride the crisp shift we all desire.

The rear axle received new inner and outer bearing, pinion bearings, seals, u-joints, drums turned, new brake shoes with spring kits, and new gear oil. A complete rebuild, less the ring and pinion.

The frame was painted and the underbody undercoated. The body was finished in 1995 Corvette Torch Red. I selected this color because a brand new 1995 Torch Red Corvette pulled into the body shop as I was trying to select “My Perfect Red Paint Color” from little color squares in a big dusty binder. Paint was selected, sprayed, and several coats of clear added. 20 hours of cutting and buffing made the paint come to life.

All stainless trim was polished. As I recall the factory ford bumpers were straightened and re-chromed. The deck lid received new M*U*S*T*A*N*G letters and trim. The tail lights and reverse lights bezels and lenses were in great shape and reused. A brand new grill, grill surround, trim, and correct center emblem was installed.

The interior received a new dash pad, seat covers, carpet, gauge cluster lenses, stereo, door sills, black carpet mats, speakers, and a beautiful Grant Billet aluminum / Black leather steering wheel. I also turned the odometer back to “00000” as I had no way to know the actual miles.

A new convertible top was installed with upgraded folding glass. The windshield was replaced. All the rest of the original factory glass was in great shape and is still in place.

To finish it off I installed new aluminum rocker panels and a set of Billet Aluminum Center Line Wheels wrapped with BF Goodrich T/A radials! Subtle mud flaps keep the rocks off the paint.

In 1998 my family moved into a new home and I sold the car. As with all car stories, I asked the buyer (my old neighbor) if he decided to sell the car and it was going to leave his family to please call me and give me first right of refusal (Right, like that ever happens).

PART TWO: 2 weeks ago Sunday (20 years later!) I get a text from my long lost neighbor….”Do you want to add a Mustang to your Camaro collection?” The answer is always “YES”, at least until you know the condition and price of any muscle car. We met that Monday at 2pm and by 3 pm that car was mine again!

The condition of the car today: I sold the car in 1998 to a 50+ year old guy and bought it back from the same guy (20 years later) who is now 70+ years old. The car was babied and only driven on bluebird days. He had a LOF (lube, oil, filter) service every year and an air filter replaced when needed.

I have driven the car about 10 miles in the past couple of weeks and this is what I know. Drives straight and stops straight. There are a few minor imperfections in the paint. I spent a couple of hours polishing the paint and it really shines. I have posted a couple of pictures that you can see the reflection in the paint but please keep in mind that this was painted 25 years ago and has some minor blemishes. I would give the paint a solid 8.5. The chrome bumpers get a perfect 10…not even a dead bug! The wheel well moldings shine but have a few door dings and can be viewed in the pictures. The stainless trim around the windshield gets a very strong 9.5! The billet Center Line wheels look great and the rockers score a 9.5 as well. Body lines are very good and similar to how Ford would have sent it to the dealership. The grill and associated moldings get a 9.8…a very very small scratch on the bottom driver side grill molding. The tail light bezels are excellent originals and score 9. The original reverse lights show slight pitting (view the pics) and score 7. Door handles and mirror get a 9.5. Final Note…NO RUST!!!!!

Interior: Dash pad solid 10! Gauges and trim get a 9. Carpet excellent (9.5) with just a touch of very light sun fading by the floor shifter. Seat upholstery and door panels get a very good 9.2 for simple age but no holes, tears, or rips. The driver side door is a bit tight to get back open after someone slams the door. I noticed the door striker was slightly loose but I do not have a Phillips screw tip large enough to fit correctly and didn’t want to strip the bolts. With that being said, If you put just the slightest amount of downward pressure on the handle as you push in the button the door will easily open. The door and quarter windows could use a slight adjustment for better fitment (Please look at the pictures). The stereo gets a very weak 2! There is a Shania Twain disc stuck in the unit and none of the controls work to adjust the volume, change the station, or even turn it off. You are stuck listening to Shania at mid volume. When you are sick of it, pop off the face plate and sing a Beach Boys tune (FYI, The Pioneer speakers sound really good). I installed a power antenna that appears to be bent and does not go up and down by itself. It can easily be replaced with a factory style or another aftermarket power antenna. The convertible top and folding glass look new and amazingly fresh with no fold marks or signs of age.

All lights work! Even the hood blinkers! Check out the pictures. I even took one with the car running and in reverse…that means the E brake is functional and works perfectly!

The trunk mat and bag look great! The spare tire is a spare tire. In the trunk bag is a convertible top boot in excellent shape with the correct foam pads to go over the metal frame of the convertible top when using the boot cover. The trunk deck lid decals are in the EXACT location that they were from the factory when new.

The engine and drive train: Starts good, smooth idle, and runs strong. There is an aftermarket choke installed for cold starting (we live in Utah) located under the steering column. The engine does not show any signs of burning oil. I did not steam clean the engine compartment…for that matter I didn’t even wash the car! I did tighten the valve cover bolts as there was slight oil seepage from them. There were a couple of drips of antifreeze on the manifold next to the thermostat. I added 1 quart of antifreeze, tightened the bolts and hose connections and think took care of the problem.

The C-4 Transmission shifts crisp as expected with the selected shift kit and converter. Trans fluid is full and looks absolutely new with no smell of burning or other issues. The rear end has oil seepage around the pinion housing seal. It has not dripped on my garage floor but is visible on the axle.

The undercoating / undercarriage looks great.

I did not install the fender emblems because I liked the clean look. However, new correct “302 Horse” fender emblems and “Mustang” Fender emblems I had purchased 25 years ago were still in the trunk bag and will come with the car. There is also an uncut OEM radio bezel if you want the stock radio look when replacing the stereo. Lastly, in the very bottom of the trunk bag was my old folder with many of the receipts from this restoration during 1994-95. It was fun for me to look through all of these and remember spending hours and hours going through catalogs and ordering parts over the phone as we didn’t have internet. I even faxed in some orders! LOL! Those will be in the car and included with the sale as well as a car cover.

I TOOK PICTURES THAT SHOW ALL ANGLES OF THE CAR. PLEASE SPEND THE TIME TO REVIEW EACH OF THEM. I HAVE DESCRIBED THIS CAR AS ACCURATELY AND HONESTLY AS I CAN. THIS IS A VERY SOLID CAR, BUT NOT PERFECT.

Someone on ebay wins: Only 15,950 miles on the restoration in the past 20+ years! I have watched bidding on several 1967 and 1968 Mustang convertibles and have set a very reasonable reserve based on the condition of this car but expect the car to do better than the reserve.

If you are close to Utah or want to fly in and drive the car you are more than welcome to do so. The winning bidder must arrange and pay for shipping or fly in and drive it home. I will make myself available to help get the car to the shipper. Please have the funds available before bidding.

Happy bidding and good luck!!!