Tips on finding a specific 68 GT/CS?

[vangtcs]

Can anyone offer any tips on finding a very specific 68 GT/CS that was at one point in Langley, British Columbia, Canada? My wifes father owned it for 9 or 10 years from 68 until 77 or 78. He purchased it used (a couple months old) and sold it to a neighbor with the last name of Penticost (sp). My wifes fathers' last name was Bennett. He passed away a number of years ago and we have nothing really to go on besides my wifes memory.

It was a Metallic Blue GT/CS with black interior, automatic transmission with console. We don't have VIN numbers or dealer information, etc. It could have even been purchased in the US and brought to Canada by the original owner.

His 68 GT/CS was the reason we purchased a 2007 GT/CS last year. I would really love to find out where that original car is though, or even what happened to it.

 

[rvrtrash]

There are a couple of people here in that area, maybe they've seen it. Could you give more info, such as which engine, any other accessories?

Steve

 

[vangtcs]

Sorry, that's about all the information we have. My wife was about 14 or 15 when her dad sold it. The first owner (foolishly) painted the top white to match the stripe.

We will try to come up with more details, but for now that's about all we have.

Thanks for the reply!

 

[robert campbell]

Paul Newitt knows Bob Thrower from BC. Maybe Bob would know something.

The top was white, but not a vinyl top? This is scary, because my car was a medium blue with a white vinyl top and white stripes when I bought it. I got in in 1989, but a man named Bob Malmberg had it during the 80's. Black deluxe interior. Black lower console. Does you wife remember woodgrain dash and woodgrain on the door panels. Does she remember an upper console with woodgrain and map lights? Does she remember convenience lights? 4 lights above the radio that blinked on and off when you first start the car. Does she remember a rear window defroster that was a fan above the rear seat in the shelf? Made noise when turned on in the back.

Wow, this is way scary!!! I have been trying to locate Bob Malmberg. He lives on Maui in Hawaii. This may step up my search.

My guess is this is not the car if your Dad purchased it almost new. My car has been painted a couple times and was an original Anniversary Gold car. But it may jog your wifes memory of things to look for.

Rob

 

[vangtcs]

She says that she doesn't remember any woodgrain trim at all on it. She's also pretty positive that it was not a vinyl top, but actually painted white by the original owner (yes, sounds crazy, but it was the late 60's after all).

One thing I didn't realize though is that ownership records don't really start until 1981. I thought that it was always possible that someone had seen either the name Bennett or Penticost on a VIN report, but now know that's probably not possible. We are going to try looking up anyone named Penticost and see if we can track what happened to it from the time they owned it.

 

[robert campbell]

Have you sorted the registry by color?

Rob

 

[PNewitt]

I'll give a look in the registry, and get back to you ASAP.

I have an amazing number of CS cars up in Canada; what seems like more up there now than there were in '68....

(hmmm...and to think the Canadian $ is NOW worth more that the US $)

Paul Newitt, GT/CS Registrar.

 

[vangtcs]

I have looked in the registry, not only by color but also by playing with some of the other options (lower console, white stripe, etc.), but no luck.

Who knows though, I could be looking right at it and not know it. A search for people by the name of Penticost has come up empty (with spelling variations even), so that's quickly becoming a dead end. I suggested that it could possibly have been Pendergast or something, but my wife is certain that it was Penticost / Pentacost.

And snap, just as I was typing up the above paragraph, I thought I'd try a few more spellings. Pentecost may be the correct spelling as there are a few of those in British Columbia. Keep your fingers crossed that one of them is the right one and that they can help in my search. I just hope that the car didn't end up as scrap at some point (*shudder*).

 

[C160223]

I have owned my GT/CS since 1990. Since then I have always kept an eye out for any GT/CS's locally. I have seen about 20-25 different cars in our area (originally from Vancouver, now in Surrey) and I have never seen a blue with white top CS.

 

[vangtcs]

I don't think it would still be like that, that's just how it was in the 70's. Who knows what colour it is today, if it's even still around.

 

[C160223]

This is a long shot, but try contacting ICBC at the North Vancouver office and see if you can search your Father-in-law's name for previous vehicles he had owned. You may be able to get a VIN number. Without the VIN, it will be hard to find that specific car. Like I said in my previous post, have yet to see a blue with white top CS. So from 1978-1990 it either has been repainted, sold somewhere outside the lower mainland, wrecked, junked or may still be tucked away somewhere, hidden in someone's garage....

 

[vangtcs]

To resurrect an old post...

The ICBC trail didn't get me anywhere. Unfortunately, due to privacy restrictions and what not, they will not do a search on my wife's fathers name (Thomas Bennett - I shouldn't really call him my father-in-law since he had passed before I even had a chance to meet him, and before my wife and I started seeing each other).

The car would have been a US car that was brought to Canada (White Rock, BC) within a couple of months of being new.

Here is the only picture that we have of it. It was most likely Acapulco Blue, but could have possibly been another blue (Presidential?). Interior was black, and as I said in another post it had the full console. I have no idea what the engine or transmission was unfortunately.

We are going to try to write a letter to ICBC and see if they will relent and try to find the VIN for us but they said it would be unlikely.

 

[cnassif]

If you figure out how to find it without the VIN please let me know. I'm searching for my Dad's the same way.

 

[vangtcs]

The more I look at the picture, the more I think my wife is mistaken. That has to be a white vinyl roof on it. Looking at other 68's with vinyl, the roof ends at the exactly the same place where the supposed paint ends on this one.

 

[rvrtrash]

The more I look at the picture, the more I think my wife is mistaken. That has to be a white vinyl roof on it. Looking at other 68's with vinyl, the roof ends at the exactly the same place where the supposed paint ends on this one.

Have you looked at the picture under a magnifying glass? If there is a chrome strip between the top and quarter panel, it's probably a vinyl top.

Steve