Rare 1968 Mustang Real California Special Gt/cs Highland Grn 1 Of Only 3867 Made on 2040-cars

Year: 1968
Make: Ford
Drive Type: Automatic
Model: Mustang
Mileage: 1
Trim: California Special

Condition: Used: A vehicle is considered used if it has been registered and issued a title. Used vehicles have had at least one previous owner. The condition of the exterior, interior and engine can vary depending on the vehicle's history. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections. ... 

UP FOR SALE--

1968 CA Special Mustang, Highland green with correct Ivy gold interior. Options include 289 V8 , Automatic Transmission, Power Steering, and factory airconditioning, chromed GT wheels , deluxe turnsignal hood, deluxe wood steering wheel , orig AM radio, The car has been upgraded with headers an edelbrock intake and carburator, new master brake cylinder, New items include; doorpanels arm rests, dashpad, instrument bezel, carpet, reupholstered seats, doorhandles emblems, twist open correct hood pins and much much more.

This is a California car, numbers matching and is rust free. 

Price is $19950--don't waste time with low-ball offers. This car is going to sell FAST at this price!!!

Call or text me at 7I4.two2two.4eight3eight

Have title and car is here in Ladera Ranch, CA

NOTE:  The passenger side rear quarter panel by the tail has a minor dent and area where we touched up the paint.  The damaged happened after the car was almost fully restored.  We are looking into getting it professionally fixed or can give a few hundred off the sale of the car.  Other than this, the car is perfect.

HISTORY ON THE GT/CS 1968 Mustang
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The GT/CS was unveiled to CA dealers on February 15, 1968 at the Century Plaza Hotel in LA, where it received a very enthusiastic reception. Shortly afterward the media campaign began in earnest including full page newspaper ads, TV commercials and billboards; all designed to get the public to visit their local Ford dealer to see the new Mustang made just for California. The reality though was that the GT/CS expanded beyond CA state lines and was also sold in other markets including Kansas City, Dallas, Salt Lake, Seattle, Phoenix and Canada.


SUMMARY: 1968 GT/CS & HCS Mustang

-Fiberglass trunk lid and quarter extensions
-1965 Thunderbird tail lights (non-sequential)
-Pop-off gas cap
-Fiberglass side scoops (non-functional)
-Chrome quarter panel script (GT/CS only)
-Unique body striping
-Blacked out front grille with no chrome surround or running horse emblem
-Fog lights (Marchal or Lucas depending on production date)
-Quarter turn hood locks
-Only available on coupes. No convertibles or fastbacks
-Any regular Mustang engine, option or color available (with exception of options that conflicted with GT/CS package)
-Built only at San Jose plant (all VIN's start with 8R01)
-3867 GT/CS cars produced (The Marti report total of 4118 includes the 251 HCS cars. Confirmed by Paul Newitt through Kevin Marti using Ford records)


1968 GT/CS--Following is a detailed list of the features found on the 1968 California Special. With the exception of the items in this list, the GT/CS used the same parts as standard '68 Mustangs. They could be ordered with any engine, transmission, color or option as long as the body style was a coupe. No convertible or fastback "Specials" were produced in 1968.

TRUNK LID AND QUARTER EXTENSIONS--Integral "duck tail" spoiler

Perhaps the most striking element of the GT/CS, the thing that makes even the most casual Mustang enthusiast say, "what kind of Mustang is that?" is the unique tail section. Comprised of a fiberglass trunk lid and quarter panel extensions with integral spoiler, horizontal 1965 Thunderbird tail lights and a special pop-off gas cap, many loyal Mustang lovers mistake it for a Shelby from the rear. (or worse yet, accuse the innocent owner of trying to create a fake Shelby!) The mistake is understandable as many of the parts are shared with the 67-68 Shelbys. The fiberglass trunk lid and quarter panel extensions are the same as 68 Shelby convertibles. Their production was contracted out by Ford to A.O. Smith, Ionia, Michigan, as were all the fiberglass components on the GT/CS.

The rear face of the trunk lid features horizontal stripes and a chrome "Mustang" script fastened to the upper right corner. This is the same script emblem used on all 1968 Mustang front fenders. The stripes continue from the upper edge of the integral spoiler by turning downward onto the rear quarter panel extensions.

TAIL LIGHTS--1968 GT/CS tail lights (same as 1965 T-bird)

The tail lights too are shared with 68 Shelbys (67 Shelbys used Cougar tail lights), although they first appeared on 65 Thunderbirds. In order to fit these tail lights in the solid concave rear panel on 68 Mustangs, Ford had to cut four additional holes in the sheet metal. A fiberglass cover panel was then placed over the rear so the new tail lights could be mounted. These lights required a special wiring harness which plugs into the stock Mustang pig tail leading to the trunk. The fiberglass rear panel is the same as the 68 Shelbys, however the wiring harness is completely unique to the GT/CS and HCS. This is one of the key areas to check when verifying a potential GT/CS or HCS.

POP-OFF GAS CAP

The GT/CS and HCS came with a unique gas cap. It was a pop-off design similar to the 1968 Mustang GT or Shelby caps, but without the GT or Cobra emblem. Instead, a running horse inset in a rectanglular "corral" resides in the center. This same cap was used on the Sprint package and was also available as a dealer option.

SIDE SCOOPS--GT/CS side scoops

Perforated metal One part completely unique to the GT/CS is the fiberglass side scoops. Although very similar in design to the 67-68 Shelbys, the GT/CS and HCS scoops are not functional. To give the look of a real scoop, Ford placed a perforated metal screen at the scoop's "inlet." Behind this was a black vinyl to give the the appearance of a functional scoop.

While the scoop itself is identical on both the GT/CS, the decal on it is one of only two cosmetic differences between the two. (The other is the "California Special" fender script. The GT/CS has the letters "GT/CS" stenciled out of the wide center stripe, letting the cars paint color show through.

"CALIFORNIA SPECIAL" SCRIPT-- GT/CS script on rear fender.

The other cosmetic difference between the GT/CS is the chrome "California Special" script which, for obvious reasons, was not used on the HCS. This script is fastened to the rear quarter panels above the reflectors and is made up of two separate pieces, one for each word. The script used a cursive font similar in style and size to the "Mustang" script found on the front fenders of all 1968 Mustangs. The usual front fender "horse and bars" emblem was deleted on GT/CS cars.

BODY STRIPING-- Side and tail stripes

White stripes on darker paint colors. Tail stripes on spoiler & quarter panel extensionsOne of the most noticeable features of the GT/CS is the unique GT body striping. The triple stripe (one wide center stripe flanked by two narrow ones) begins at the front edge of the front fender and extends to the rear of the side scoop. Striping was available in four different colors depending on the paint and interior color of the car; black, white, red or blue.

BLACKED-OUT FRONT GRILLE Blacked out grille

The GT/CS received a unique blacked-out front grille without the chrome horse and corral emblems found on standard 1968 Mustangs. The GT/CS grille used the same rectangular grille pattern, but did not have the filled-in mounting areas for the stock Mustang grille emblems. The GT/CS grille gives a more clean, uncluttered appearance without any ornamentation or emblems of any kind.

FOG LIGHTS Marchal fog lights

In the first few months of production Ford used a light made by Marchal. This was a rectangular, clear lensed fog light with a raised "star" in the center of the glass and an "eyebrow" at the top. The Marchal lights were mounted with an angled bracket that attached to the grille, and was hidden behind the lamp. This gave the appearance of the fog lamp floating in the blacked out grille.


COMPETITION STYLE HOOD LOCKS --Quarter turn hood locks


The GT/CS also featured a hood with integral turn signals (practically a standard option on all 68 Mustangs by this point anyway) and factory installed chrome hood locks. These locks were in addition to the standard center mounted hood safety latch. They were a quarter turn design (also called DZUS) and mounted through factory cut holes in the hood. When the hood was closed a turn of the locks secured them to special latches bolted to the radiator support.