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Clones, Clones, Clones!!

marie68csmustangs

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Joined
Mar 12, 2006
Messages
287
Location
Sacramento, CA
Hi all, Just wonderning what all distinguishes a GT/CS clone from the origional GT/CS. I know that there was no emblem on the grill, the fog lights, and the tailights.. If Tim didn't tell me that his blue one was clone - I coundn't tell the difference between that and His origionals.. It looked that much alike...

Marie
 

PFSlim

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Joined
Feb 9, 2004
Messages
1,546
Location
Weatherby Lake, MO
Marie

It is easy to make a clone of a GT/CS. You replace the grill, buy foglights, drill holes in the hood and mount the hardware for hood pins, drill holes in the rear quarter for side scoops, replace the decklid and rear fender extensions and buy the tail lights and tail light panel. Add to the car the stripes and the California Special badge and you are pretty close to getting there.

However, the 4118 cars that were originally made as Cal Spec's and HCS's are unique because the VIN's are coded to Cal Spec's and HCS's.

It is easy to make one look authentic. That is why we spend money on the Marti report to ensure it is a true GTCS or HCS.

Hope that helps.

Paul
 

Midnight Special

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Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Messages
3,713
Location
Grass Valley, California
...Paul is right on. Always get a Marti report before ever considering one of these. Looking at the VIN alone won't do it w/o a Marti... It's the same w/ Shelbys and Boss Mustangs Marie. People love them, but they're too valuable to drive, hence the "Eleanors" & clones. Here, all you need is a cheap decent bodied '67 coup, buy all the GT/CS aftermaket stuff and pick out a nice 289/302 & yer set.

My clone would be obvious to most on this site, tho well done, it's a tricked out resto-mod more than a "replica" GT/CS. I make no bones it's a clone. Tho I like watching people try to figure out if it is :)
 

rvrtrash

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Apr 25, 2003
Messages
3,649
Midnight Special said:
Looking at the VIN alone won't do it w/o a Marti... It's the same w/ Shelbys and Boss Mustangs Marie.

You can tell a Boss by the VIN. The fifth digit, that designates the engine, is special to the Boss's. '69-'70 Boss 302's will be a G, '69-'70 Boss 429's will be a Z and '71 Boss 351's will be an R. The little known '72 HO (less than 400 made) also has an R since the engine is a detuned Boss 351. The car behind my CS, next to the red convertible in my avatar is an R code.
Steve
 
OP
OP
marie68csmustangs

marie68csmustangs

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 12, 2006
Messages
287
Location
Sacramento, CA
Midnight Special said:
...My clone would be obvious to most on this site, tho well done, it's a tricked out resto-mod more than a "replica" GT/CS. I make no bones it's a clone. Tho I like watching people try to figure out if it is :)

Yep, it's well done Tim If you didn't tell me it was I would have just thought that it was an origional Special.. Nice color I might add too.. Good luck w/ the car show tommrrow :))

Marie
 

Midnight Special

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Joined
Nov 5, 2005
Messages
3,713
Location
Grass Valley, California
rvrtrash said:
You can tell a Boss by the VIN. The fifth digit, that designates the engine, is special to the Boss's. '69-'70 Boss 302's will be a G, '69-'70 Boss 429's will be a Z and '71 Boss 351's will be an R. The little known '72 HO (less than 400 made) also has an R since the engine is a detuned Boss 351. The car behind my CS, next to the red convertible in my avatar is an R code.
Steve

Steve, I'd like to see your avatar up close. Could you enlarge & put it in your gallery perhaps?

Re; the VINs, yes- correct except for the GT/CS, right?
 

rvrtrash

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Joined
Apr 25, 2003
Messages
3,649
Midnight Special said:
Re; the VINs, yes- correct except for the GT/CS, right?

Correct. Only Ford or Marti can tell a GT/CS by the VIN. As for my avitar, here's a link to the thread where I was trying to create it. I posted a pic there you can look at. http://www.californiaspecial.com/forums/t3247-p2-posting-personal-avitar.html

If you would like a higher resolution picture, PM me with your email address and I'll send you two different versions. Keep in mind, one of my hobbies is finding "barn find" cars and restoring them so my collection is not as nice as yours. Two are projects in waiting and a third one is a project in progress. FYI, the list is as follows-left to right: 1968 California Special, 1969 Ford XL conv. (here's a link to my ad if you want to see what it looks like; http://www.northwestclassicautomall.com/browseads.ihtml?pid=2978&step=4 ) , 1971 Boss 351 (will some day again be Black w/ argent stripes ext., deluxe red int.), 1973 "Q" code Mach 1 (loaded with options), 1969 Fairlane 500 conv., 1965 Sunbeam Tiger.
Steve
 

Mustanglvr

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Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Messages
3,258
Explain some of the history behind the Sunbeam Tiger again would you Steve?
 

rvrtrash

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Apr 25, 2003
Messages
3,649
Mustanglvr said:
Explain some of the history behind the Sunbeam Tiger again would you Steve?

Rhonda! What were you thinking? Asking a car guy to talk about one of his cars? Jon doesn't have that kind of server space!:grin: :grin: I have a link for you that gives most of the info you might be interested in. It's a little old so some of the stuff (like price ranges) is out of date,but still interesting reading.

http://www.classictiger.com/magazines/cobras95.html

Steve
 

Mustanglvr

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Dec 4, 2004
Messages
3,258
Sorry about that. I find the Sunbeam Tiger very interesting and thought some of our new members would like to learn about them. So yours is authentic? Is red the original color?
 

Mustanger

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Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
1,974
Location
So Cal
Didn't Maxwell Smart drive a Tiger (he drove a few different cars, eg, Opel GT, etc.)? Those cars with a 260 or 289 and w/ some Shelby goodies could really scoot!
 

rvrtrash

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Apr 25, 2003
Messages
3,649
Just kidding. I love talking about cars. My Tiger is original and still has the correct numbered rear end, tranny, engine, etc., along with boxes of rare original and NOS parts. It's been authenticated by the Tiger "Guru" but in order to get what's called a "TAC" certificate it has to be inspected by 3 qualified judges and I haven't had the time to get that done yet. It was originally Blue, but was repainted Red at some time. Someday it'll be blue again. Maxwell Smart did drive a Tiger. Funny thing is, I never watched TV in the 60's so didn't even know about the show until a few years after I bought my car. Finally saw a couple of episodes on "TVLand" on cable. I don't think I missed much. By the way, mine is a 260 with the 4bbl intake and carb., and the kids in the Honda's with the coffee can mufflers look suprised when the old guy in the British "4-banger" smokes them. They always pull up at the next light with this confused look on their faces. I love it!:grin:
 

Mustanglvr

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Dec 4, 2004
Messages
3,258
Thats great! Sounds like alot of fun. Those 260 engines are nice. My sister had one in her 1965 fastback Mustang. 260`s are rare aren`t they?
 

rvrtrash

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Joined
Apr 25, 2003
Messages
3,649
You don't run into them to much anymore. I think '65 was the last year they were used. Same basic block as the 289/302-same stroke as a 289 with a smaller bore. It costs the same to build a 260 as a 302 so it seems most people just drop in a 302 for the extra horsepower and call it good. I've thought about using a spare 302 I have sitting around myself and storing the 260.
Steve
 

Mustanglvr

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Dec 4, 2004
Messages
3,258
rvrtrash said:
I've thought about using a spare 302 I have sitting around myself and storing the 260.
Steve

That seems to be a growing trend. You might as well have fun with the car now and save on the original engine as much as you can until the day comes when the whole car will have to be stored away like a museum piece.

Oh yeah, I just remembered, my sister let her Mustang fastback rust away in the Nevada desert along with a 1938 Harley Davidson flathead. She always was a french fry short of a Happy Meal, LOL.
 

rvrtrash

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Apr 25, 2003
Messages
3,649
That just kills me! I would love to find an old Harley and restore it, just to do something different.
Steve
 

Mustanglvr

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Dec 4, 2004
Messages
3,258
They`re out there, just like the GT/CS`s and the Shelby`s. Just sitting and rusting away in old barns across the country.
 

still looking for one

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Joined
Apr 26, 2006
Messages
201
rvrtrash said:
Just kidding. I love talking about cars. My Tiger is original and still has the correct numbered rear end, tranny, engine, etc., along with boxes of rare original and NOS parts. It's been authenticated by the Tiger "Guru" but in order to get what's called a "TAC" certificate it has to be inspected by 3 qualified judges and I haven't had the time to get that done yet. It was originally Blue, but was repainted Red at some time. Someday it'll be blue again. Maxwell Smart did drive a Tiger. Funny thing is, I never watched TV in the 60's so didn't even know about the show until a few years after I bought my car. Finally saw a couple of episodes on "TVLand" on cable. I don't think I missed much. By the way, mine is a 260 with the 4bbl intake and carb., and the kids in the Honda's with the coffee can mufflers look suprised when the old guy in the British "4-banger" smokes them. They always pull up at the next light with this confused look on their faces. I love it!:grin:

As I recall, James Bond drove a Sunbeam Alpine Group I in the chase scene with the old LaSalle Hearse in the 1961 film "Dr. No"

Anyone else remember that?

Jim B
 

Diesel Donna

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Joined
Dec 22, 2004
Messages
2,005
rvrtrash said:
That just kills me! I would love to find an old Harley and restore it, just to do something different.
Steve


I love motorcycles but I have a fondness for Indians..Dad had a 36 leaning up against the garage when I was growing up that we played on. He eventually gave it away!! He had a 47 Chief the last 20 years or so but he passed away last September and now my brother has it.Brother also has a 1960 HD and an 89.

Now me....I want to find a 1952 flattop, needlenose Peterbilt or Kenworth to stroll around in. Nice big ole' CAT engine in it. Meeee~ow!

~~~~Donna
 
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