Awesome GT500

[Coralsnake]

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/shelby/gt500/2367301.html

More pictures in advertisement link

Mod edit to include description from ad:

Seller's Description:

1968 SHELBY GT500 CONVERTIBLE, CHASSIS NO: 8T03S179586-02763

• An original, unrestored time capsule example
• Original interior, paint and sheet metal
• Original engine and drivetrain
• Just 35,618 original miles from new
• Four-hour inspection and photo documentation of car by Kevin Marti, with Marti Platinum Report
• Single family ownership until 2019
• First time ever offered for public sale

428 cid V-8 engine rated at 355 HP, four-barrel carburetor, Ford C6 three-speed automatic transmission, independent front suspension with unequal-length control arms, coil springs, and anti-roll bar, live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs, front disc and rear drum hydraulic brakes; wheelbase: 108"


Of all the famous people associated with motorsports, the name Carroll Shelby is as big as any. Ranking among such greats as Barney Oldfield, Eddie Rickenbacker, A.J. Foyt, and Phil Hill, Shelby not only drove racecars, but he also built them. Shelby's heyday of building some of the fastest cars on the street were in the 1960s, when powerful GTOs, Mustangs, Corvettes, and Chargers roamed the streets in search of victims. The cars that Carroll Shelby built in that era are legends in the present day; they represent more than speed, as they have become a symbol of American muscle. Brute strength, superior power, and flashy colors were the order of the day for the Shelbys of yesteryear.

Offered here is an exceptional unrestored example from the muscle car era that has an incredible story. This 1968 Shelby GT500 is a timepiece that has been garaged and cared for since the day it was brought home in 1968 when Mr. Robert O'Brien bought it from Chaffee Motors in Redondo Beach, California. Mr. O'Brien used it for only a few years before purchasing a used 1966 Mustang, which became his everyday driver, while the Shelby was retired to the family garage. Mr. O'Brien passed away in 1988 and left the car to a family member on the condition that it be domiciled in the family's home garage. When Mr. O'Brien's widow passed on in 2015, it sat until 2018 when it was moved to the present owner's home. In order to ensure its reliability, the engine was inspected and rebuilt by Gasser's Garage in Lomite, California. The result is that this Shelby now runs great and is a true pleasure to drive. Most interesting is that this is the first time this Shelby GT500 has ever been offered for public sale. The incredible originality of this GT500 is documented in its Marti Platinum Report and its documentation also contains the original window sticker, build sheet, and dealer invoice, all attesting the authenticity of this time capsule. All identification tags are present and, except for a replaced carburetor, front shock absorbers, and safety equipment such as brake lines, this GT500 still retains its original parts. It also still has its license plate frame from Chaffee Motors and still retains its factory exhaust system. This is a nicely optioned Shelby with power steering, power brakes, and a power convertible top. It's also equipped with Ford's nifty "Tilt-Away steering that automatically moves the wheel out of the way when the car is turned off. This Shelby is finished Dark Metallic Green and is believed to still retain its factory original convertible top. It's also riding on only the second set of tires it's ever had. The authentic appearance of this GT500 is further enhanced by its factory Shelby rims. The interior is all business with a touch of comfort in the way of nice upholstery and a good amount of woodgrain applique on the dashboard, center console, and steering wheel. All gauges are intact and functional, and the center console gives this Shelby an "all business" look while bucket seats provide comfort. At the heart of this Shelby is the 428 Cobra Jet with 335 horsepower. Ford spared no expense in creating one of the most powerful and durable engines ever built in a production-based automobile. The 428 is mated to a C6 automatic transmission that makes driving a pleasure. The engine bay on this fine Ford is clean and well-sorted with correct colors and the all-important air cleaner emblazoned with the Shelby logo. The muscle car era comes alive in this Shelby GT500 with its attention to fine detail and dedication to authenticity. Prospective buyers should look closely at the preservation of this time capsule in order to fully appreciate its well-kept-up condition.

According to Kevin Marti and the accompanying Platinum Marti Report - "This is one of the finest examples of an unrestored 1968 Shelby. Its value is enhanced by being relatively untouched. Further, it is a desirable GT500, has a popular color scheme, and is a convertible. The rarity of the documents present, along with the rarity of the original parts present put this in the top three of original 1968 Shelbys that I have had the pleasure to observe. This will be a fine piece of automotive history to own and will someday belong in a museum."
We couldn't have said it better ourselves.

Marti report link below

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pji4dh5zn0iki6x/8T03S179586%20Analysis.docx?dl=0

[J_Speegle]

Looks like a great car. Always wonder why owners want to slap on an old black and gold plate that isn't right for the car 

Hated the idea when the sate started to allow you (of additional charges that they will collect every year) to add just about any license plate to your car.

Oh well easy on easy off

Thanks for sharing

[2112]

Curb Feelers! I remember those!

Amazing condition for being unrestored.

[Special Ed]

Wonder about that black plastic wiring harness holder on long smog hose any 68 guys seen that before?

[sd427]

Always wonder why owners want to slap on an old black and gold plate that isn't right for the car 

That is not an old plate. That is a newly issued sequence, true, it can be put on any car of any year.  California supplies that type of plate painted in those colors, as a retro look. Genuine 60's yellow on black plates were 3 letters followed by 3 digits.

[Bob Gaines]

Wonder about that black plastic wiring harness holder on long smog hose any 68 guys seen that before?

Ed,most likely a miss placed clip IMO. 

[J_Speegle]

That is not an old plate. That is a newly issued sequence, true, it can be put on any car of any year.  California supplies that type of plate painted in those colors, as a retro look. Genuine 60's yellow on black plates were 3 letters followed by 3 digits.

Agree that the new plate on the back of the 68 being discussed has the letter and sequence issued for the non-personlized plates now offered by the state.

Was attempting to bring to the attention of readers the  sequence -  3 letters followed by 3 numbers - was different from commercial and trailer plates and you see guys placing those on cars as well as letters (in the three letters and three numbers) that don't match what was available during the year of the car's production

Then you also had dealer plates and other ones with other patterns also

Some examples

Original top (non-passenger car or commercial truck)  - Bottom an example of a new state "Legacy" plate




Tow original examples of Commercial plats from the time period

[Shelby_r_b]

Just crossed the block this month at Worldwide in Scottsdale.

No sale at $120K.

Interesting.

[sd427]

Was attempting to bring to the attention of readers the  sequence -  3 letters followed by 3 numbers - was different from commercial and trailer plates and you see guys placing those on cars as well as letters (in the three letters and three numbers) that don't match what was available during the year of the car's production

Sorry to hijack this thread. Until recently, there was no way to retrofit an old style plate onto a 1963 or later car in CA. Cars that had been continuously registered in CA with their original plates could retain those plates indefinitely, but once the registration lapsed, if you then re-registered it in CA, they would force you to put the currently issued plates, or a vanity plate, on the vehicle. This situation made it easy to tell if a car had spent its whole life in CA, and gave rise to the term "original CA black plates" in car ads. This is no longer true. You can no longer tell if a 1963 or later car has its original plates, unless the owner can show you all of his yearly registration paperwork. The way to retrofit plates is called the Year of Manufacture program, or YOM. CA does not allow putting the wrong pattern of plate on a different type of vehicle, like a commercial or trailer plate on a car. Some people paint later plates, with a different pattern of letters and digits, yellow on black, to make them look like the 60's plates, but yes, if the pattern of characters is not 3 letters followed by 3 digits, they are not correct.

As for the cars with the correct 3 letters followed by three digits pattern, but the actual first letter not being "available during the year of the car's production", there are no hard and fast rules on which letters were used which years. Yes, there is a general flow from A to Z, but depending on where in the state you resided, the local supply of plates could change from one letter to the next quickly, or slowly, depending on population, etc. The distribution of plates was not centralized and perfectly followed the alphanumeric sequence. Of course, simple facts like a 1964 car that was brought into CA in 1968 would tend to have a later letter sequence.

[chris NOS]

Just crossed the block this month at Worldwide in Scottsdale.

No sale at $120K.

Interesting.

well ,that's a real cool time-capsule and looking nice preserved over the year ! 120 000 bidding was low ! i hope it will go to SAAC member !

[Coralsnake]

Ed, I'm guessing someone hung that wiring clip and forgot about it. There would be nothing to clip it to.

Love the color code written on passenger shock tower.

I find the plaid trunk mat interesting. Not saying its not original, but its not typical

This car was actually built without a deluxe steering wheel, so I would like to know when the deluxe wheel appeared.

Oh, it really needs hubcaps.just my observations.

[shelbymann1970]

" The authentic appearance of this GT500 is further enhanced by its factory Shelby rims."   REALLY???

[Special Ed]

Pete steering wheel looks deluxe to me in photos are there 2 types deluxe 68 steering wheels?

[KR500]

First, nice car.
The steering wheel looks fine to Me.
Wheels are repo's, looks to me like an earlier version.
I would question the trunk mat.
Someone has added a standard right hand mirror. Looks goofy to Me.
Anything amiss under the hood, remember the ad states the engine has been rebuilt so not everything is original. To bad.
Antenna broken off?
Later in the ad they incorrectly reference the engine as "428 Cobra Jet with 335 horsepower"
To bad they didn't include any photos of underneath the car.
Still looks like a very nice car.
I see in the Marti link there are some underneath photos.
Rodney

[Coralsnake]

There is a standard steering wheel and the deluxe (woodgrain) steering wheel. The build sheet indicates the car was built with the non woodgrain version.

I have seen several other cars without the deluxe steering wheel.

I will post the build sheet later today