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ebay 390 gt/cs UPDATE!!

toomanycars

Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Messages
12
Location
Naperville, Illinois
Hello everyone,
I have had some time to work on the car and it is now in two piles. The keep pile and the junk pile. I am happy to say the keep pile is the biggest. I have looked at every square inch of the car and here is what I found. It is a very very solid car. I took out the carpet and the floor looks perfect, with all the factory markings. The only rust is in the lower drivers side rear fender. The doors, front fender and hood will need replaced. The only thing I saved in the interior was the rear seat and some trim pieces. The good news is I am sure it is the original 390. It has the correct casting code and a date code of 12/08/67. It has the correct heads, intake and exhaust manifolds. We will know for sure after we get it apart if it is a 360 or not. None of the date or casting codes MCA gave re- the engine matched. This makes me think it is the original engine and trans. I did find some stick welding on the passenger side shock tower...right above where the control arm shaft bolts to the tower. I dont know why they did it, the tower shows no sign of damage. We will be able to see better when the engine is out. MCA was right about the pleasure ride air shocks that was in the car. The sticker is still in the trunk. The Marti report shows the car being sent to Serramonte Ford, but the owners manual shows Rudolph Ford as mca said. So MCA did know alot about the car. I have tryed to contact him with no luck, if he has history on this car i need it.
Now what to do with this car ??? Remember,I paid 36k plus shipping cost, I am in it for $37,500. I figure it would take 20k easy to make a nice driver. Now that is aprox 57k. Could I find any one out there that would pay that for a nice driver? Or should I go all out, and go for a concourse restoration for about 50k. I have a friend that is one of the countries best Shelby restorers, and he will be doing the work with all nos parts. I am sure I could get it done cheaper, but not better! He wants to do this car. He has talked to alot of people he deals with and they all think that this is the way to go. They all agree it is a rare car with a link to Shelby and the value can only go one way. Up, up, up I hope!!! I am not trying to fix it up to sell it. I am going to keep it. But we have to face facts, there is a limit to what a car is worth. Do you think 87k in a 390 gt/cs is a little much???? You all know the gt/cs market better than me.
Thanks again,
Steve
 

Mosesatm

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 18, 2005
Messages
9,011
toomanycars said:
Hello everyone,
I did find some stick welding on the passenger side shock tower...right above where the control arm shaft bolts to the tower. I dont know why they did it, the tower shows no sign of damage.
Steve

If it's where I think it is some people welded that area to keep the 2 panels from separating and messing up the alignment and wearing the inner tire edges. There are a lot of forces trying to pull the upper control arms towards each other. A Monte Carlo bar helps hold the tops of the fenders apart but it doesn't do much down lower.

At least that's what an old front end guy told me years ago. Don't know if I believe it or not.
 

Mustanglvr

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 4, 2004
Messages
3,258
Steve, I don`t think there are very many concourse GT/CS`s out there and I think going $50,000 on a concourse restoration would be the best thing to do. It will be well worth what you`ve put into it and more. It would be great to have as many perfect examples of these cars as we can get. I can`t wait till the new GT/CS`s start selling. I feel our cars will become much more popular and valued. It is us, the owners of these rare cars that are setting the standards on these. As we speak in these threads, the information we exchange and the prices we are willing to pay will be passed onto future generations of GT/CS owners. Ummm, I`m rambling again. I am just real passionate about these cars.
 

Diesel Donna

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 22, 2004
Messages
2,005
Steve, How long have you had your 289 CS? I would go ahead and do the 390 up proper!

~~~~Donna
 

390cs68rcode

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
2,864
Location
Houston Texas
If you go concourse will you drive it? If you don't will you drive it?

How about almost concourse but still driveable?

the date code you gave for the motor is for a car with roughly a serial number between 8r01s12800 and roughly 8r01s148000. What is the VIN?

date codes on a original 390 should be within 1-2 months (tops) from the cars' build date. Are you sure the motor is original to the car?
 

Gatorbait

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 1, 2005
Messages
62
If you don't want to drive it, and you are certain you will keep it for some time, then concourse is the way to go. If you win some major shows the value will go up even quicker. You will recoup your money sooner or later. Personally, I would want to drive the car, so I would do a nice driver restoration. But...that's me. I'm more into driving them than winning shows. Both is good...but if I have to pick....I'm driving.
 

68gt390

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2004
Messages
2,021
Location
Columbus, Ohio
toomanycars said:
I have a friend that is one of the countries best Shelby restorers, and he will be doing the work with all nos parts. I am sure I could get it done cheaper, but not better! He wants to do this car. He has talked to alot of people he deals with and they all think that this is the way to go. They all agree it is a rare car with a link to Shelby and the value can only go one way. Up, up, up I hope!!! I am not trying to fix it up to sell it. I am going to keep it. But we have to face facts, there is a limit to what a car is worth. Do you think 87k in a 390 gt/cs is a little much???? You all know the gt/cs market better than me.
Thanks again,
Steve

Steve;
Since I have one of the 111 "S" code CS's with the 4 speed, I have taken mine in the direction of being a nice driver car. I figure if I'm putting in the money and time I want to enjoy the car. I'm sure wheather the car is a nice driver or concourse restoration, the price will continue to go up. Myself I have never been much on trailered cars. But, that's just me. One of my biggest factors when I started mine was budget and I'm fighting hard presently to stay within that area (it's hard). Second, since your friend wants to do the car I'm sure he feels it will also go up in value. I haven't found to many restores who will take on a restoration just for the money. Most I have delt with are pretty upfront. If they feel a car isn't worth the time and money they will usually tell you that up front. At this point it's pretty much up to you as to want do you want out of the car? Either way you choose to go personally I don't think you'll loose money on your investment. It's always a speculation on anything you do. Even with my car being a driver, I have taken my share of awards at both local shows and MCA events. For me it's not about the awards it's the friends I have made and the comments I get from folks that see the car. I've even had people make comments like "How can you drive that car" it's just too nice to be on the street. It's things like that that tell me I've gone in the right direction and have done it right. That's just my take on it.

Don :cool:
 
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toomanycars

Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Messages
12
Location
Naperville, Illinois
Mosesatm said:
If it's where I think it is some people welded that area to keep the 2 panels from separating and messing up the alignment and wearing the inner tire edges. There are a lot of forces trying to pull the upper control arms towards each other. A Monte Carlo bar helps hold the tops of the fenders apart but it doesn't do much down lower.

At least that's what an old front end guy told me years ago. Don't know if I believe it or not.

I looked at it again and it kind of feels like they welded in a shim. Its kind of hard to see, and it is only on the one side. I guess I will know for sure when its apart.
Thanks
 
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OP
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toomanycars

Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Messages
12
Location
Naperville, Illinois
Diesel Donna said:
Steve, How long have you had your 289 CS? I would go ahead and do the 390 up proper!

~~~~Donna
Donna,
I bought my 289 ct/cs two years ago, I found it on ebay with the buy it now price of $19,600. It was at a classic car dealer in St Louis. It has 47000 miles and it is one of the nicest original cars I have ever seen. Everything is there and works. Even the air! I have not had to do anything. It is one of my favorite cars.....
 
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OP
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toomanycars

Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2006
Messages
12
Location
Naperville, Illinois
390cs68rcode said:
If you go concourse will you drive it? If you don't will you drive it?

How about almost concourse but still driveable?

the date code you gave for the motor is for a car with roughly a serial number between 8r01s12800 and roughly 8r01s148000. What is the VIN?

date codes on a original 390 should be within 1-2 months (tops) from the cars' build date. Are you sure the motor is original to the car?

Yes if I go concourse I will drive it but not very far. I like to go to the small car shows. There is one every night during the summer in different towns close to me. No judges, just sit back and enjoy. I am not one for the big car shows with judges. Too much stress for me.
I don't know where to draw the line between almost concourse and concourse. My Shelby is a concourse car and I drive it to work some times. I just dont think it hurts it much. And if it does you can always fix it. Kind of like touch up the make up.
I got under the car to look at the date code again and it is 7L28. It is kind of hard to read, we thought it said 7L08 at first. The vin is 8r015159387 and no i am not sure that is is the original engine. We dont even know for sure if it is a 390 and not a 360 untill we take it apart. MCA said when he had the car it had a 302 in it. He said he took a 360 out of a 67 Cougar. From my understanding a 360 is a truck engine and not required to have a smog system any where at that time. This engine has all the brackets still there for the smog system. Its hard for me to belive that someone went to all that trouble to put that stuff on a 360. But as I like to say, only a fool is for certian.
Thanks
 

390cs68rcode

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
2,864
Location
Houston Texas
not the original engine. date code is dec 1967. Your car are was built in April 1968.

here is what the engine should look like when you are done (except for the sanden AC compresor):

vbpicgallery.php
 

case12

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 8, 2004
Messages
1,450
Location
Crystal Lake, IL
OK, forgive me if I get this wrong because I know we have discussed this many times on the site, but would'nt the VIN be stamped on the back of the block behind the intake? I know early cars did not necessarily have this (my original 289 does not have the VIN stamped on the block - mine is a Feb built car), but a later car would have the stamp? Casey
 

68gt390

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 22, 2004
Messages
2,021
Location
Columbus, Ohio
Casey;
Not all cars from the San Jose Plant had the VIN stamped on the engine blocks. They were kinda hit or miss. Guess it just depended on how they felt that particular day.

Don
 

PFSlim

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 9, 2004
Messages
1,546
Location
Weatherby Lake, MO
Just my two cents on this subject.

I think each one of us have our GT/CS's for our own reasons. Some folks like to keep theirs in the "driveable condition" which is to say not to spend alot of money on a fancy paint job and just enjoy the car. There are others that want a car to be perfect "concourse" correct. These folks usually want to show the car and have a piece sellable at the highest price possible. Then, there is a third group. One that really wants a nice looking car but drives it as much as they can. They still show the car but don't mind getting it out on the road. (I am in the third class)

As for modifications, I really think the best advise anyone here can give is to make the car your own. We enjoy the fact that our car is close to original but we are extremely glad we made some of the upgrades (both for safety and pleasure of driving) that we did.

Some folks will (and have in our case) step back and look at our car and say "Well that is not original" but in the end, I don't care. Everything we now have on the car is what we want and I love the way the things drives and rides. "Concourse" correct is hard to achieve and my hat is off to anyone who makes it there!!!

Paul
 

BroadwayBlue

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2005
Messages
2,900
Location
Hudson Valley Area, NY
PFSlim said:
Just my two cents on this subject.

I think each one of us have our GT/CS's for our own reasons. Some folks like to keep theirs in the "driveable condition" which is to say not to spend alot of money on a fancy paint job and just enjoy the car. There are others that want a car to be perfect "concourse" correct. These folks usually want to show the car and have a piece sellable at the highest price possible. Then, there is a third group. One that really wants a nice looking car but drives it as much as they can. They still show the car but don't mind getting it out on the road. (I am in the third class)

As for modifications, I really think the best advise anyone here can give is to make the car your own. We enjoy the fact that our car is close to original but we are extremely glad we made some of the upgrades (both for safety and pleasure of driving) that we did.

Some folks will (and have in our case) step back and look at our car and say "Well that is not original" but in the end, I don't care. Everything we now have on the car is what we want and I love the way the things drives and rides. "Concourse" correct is hard to achieve and my hat is off to anyone who makes it there!!!

Paul

I'll throw my 2 cents in with Paul as well so now there's 4 cents in the pot. My feelings exactly - I couldn't have said it better.
I'm in that third class as well.
Nothing I've done is un-reversible for the next owner.
I like it to look good and still get out and enjoy.

My hats off as well to someone that can make it to concourse and keep it there.
 

rvrtrash

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 25, 2003
Messages
3,649
BroadwayBlue said:
For us novices ... where exactly would you look for the VIN stamp?
Can you see it with the engine in the car?

Can someone post a pic?

Actually - I found this thread ... maybe this will help me
http://californiaspecial.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2423&highlight=vin+engine+block

Thanks!
Rich

If I would've known how many times my engine picture would show up, I would've patented it and made a fortune.:grin: Sure brings back memories of when I was trying to get my CS put back together so I could drive it.
Steve
 
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