1968 Ford Mustang for sale $219,900

In 1978 even a Shelby GT500KR convertible (with AC!) was little more than a used car. Certain astute collectors at the time recognized that these were special cars but they had not yet gathered the immense following they enjoy today. Even Carroll Shelby himself had turned his back on the Mustangs bearing his name years earlier dismissing them as little more than interesting footnotes to the Mustang story. So when Shelby 03900 was stolen stripped of its engine and transmission then set on fire there was no public outcry. And the original owner probably happily cashed the check the insurance company gave him as compensation. The stripped burned-out carcass was hauled away to a local scrap yard called Twin Service in Anderson Indiana where it was scheduled to be crushed just like any other stripped burned-out theft recovery. However a sharp-eyed enthusiast spotted the body at Twin Service and immediately made his move. Noting the original Shelby fender tag was still intact and therefore knowing the car was a top-of-the-line GT500KR convertible he arranged to purchase it for $500 just hours before it was slated to hit the crusher. He paid the wrecking service to drag the car to his home where he began an extensive restoration.

In 1978 you could still order Shelby parts directly from Ford so all new fiberglass OEM pieces were purchased to replace those that were destroyed by the fire. Other missing parts were tracked down and added to the growing collection of NOS equipment that would restore 03900 to its original condition. Sadly that never happened as even in 1978 the resources required to restore a Shelby Mustang never mind one that was burned were substantial. Eventually the car and all its associated parts were sold bouncing from collector to collector for almost 20 years. By the late 90s it had become pretty clear that the cost of restoring the car was insignificant compared to the value of a finished product so at least one previous owner made a heroic effort to restore the car using a donor vehicle to supply items like the correct black interior and other irreplaceable parts. His workmanship must have been very very good because the pros at Custom Classics who re-restored the car several years later could find no trace of fire damage.

When this Mustang landed at Custom Classics many of the NOS parts acquired by the first restorer were still on the car and the remaining correct authentic and original components were assembled to create an absolutely stunning convertible. The car itself is no less remarkable than its story. Originally delivered to Dallas Texas it carries special-order WT6066 yellow paint factory AC a C6 automatic transmission and a tilt steering column. It is 1 of only 20 Shelby convertibles painted WT6066 yellow and of those 1 of only 7 equipped with air conditioning. Custom Classics spectacular restoration incorporated all the aforementioned NOS parts plus hundreds more that were painstakingly researched and properly date-coded. The paint is 2-stage urethane that exactly duplicates special order Bright Yellow and looks especially good under correct stripes and call-outs. Naturally any flaws carried by the original fiberglass have been thoroughly exorcised (even after Ford took over Shelby production the glass wasnt all that great). Panel alignment is exceptional gaps are even all around and the car fits together better than any Mustang ever built by the factory.

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