Ford Motor Company had tremendous moxie in the 1960s with its Total Performance racing program, an all-out assault on just about every form of automotive racing around the world. However, something was missing in FoMoCo’s lineup that could be found on Main Street. Our Pick of the Day is the car that saved the manufacturer’s reputation, a 1968 Mustang GT 2+2 powered bythe 428 Cobra Jet. It is listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Hubbard, Ohio. (Click on this link to view the listing)
Ford had a performance problem in 1967—its sporty and performance cars were not cutting it in the market. After introducing the Fairlane GT in 1966, it became apparent this mid-size performance car was no match for GTOs or many other models being offered by Detroit manufacturers. Ford even had the nerve to downgrade the GT in 1967 by replacing the standard 390 with a tepid 289, and the 390 lost 15 advertised horsepower besides. Sure, Ford offered the 427 in 1966, but only 57 were built, all identical cars intended for the racer set; the 427 returned for 1967, but only about 250 were built, plus a handful more installed in the Mercury Comet. Even worse, Ford advertised the 427 but never installed one in any 1968 Fairlane.
The redesigned 1967 Mustang did not fare any better. Yes, the 320-horsepower was a nice addition, but its performance was underwhelming when faced with competition like the Camaro SS’s L78 396/375, high-output Firebird 400 or, for that matter, anything with a 440 or Hemi. It didn’t get any better in 1968, especially with more competition from Chrysler (with the 340, which simply outclassed the 390) and AMC (Javelin and AMX). The 427 also was on the radar but it didn’t happen—and when it did for the 1968 Cougar, it was an upscale GT-E model with a detuned engine (390 horses) only available with an automatic.
The 390 wasn’t the only problem in Dearborn. The problem also extended to the available engines with performance potential. All one had to do is look at Chevrolet in 1967 to see it offered a 290-horsepower 302, 275-horse 327, a 295-horse 350, and two flavors of 396s (expanding to three in 1968) for the Camaro. What did Ford offer? A solid-lifter Hi-Po 289 (killed after 1967) and the 390. Ford’s parts department had a vibrant catalog, but enthusiasts were interested in buying performance cars out of the showroom and not having to rely on turning on their engines by visiting the back end of the dealership.
Yet it was the catalog of parts that held the secret to turning around Ford’s misfortunes. Rhode Island’s Tasca Ford built a stout 428 for a Mustang and discovered it was creaming the competition. It showed Ford what it did, and Ford soon came out with its own version of the same car at the end of December 1967. Those 50 fastbacks did not have the same engine parts as Tasca’s, but it all was stuff from the parts bin. Several of those 50 cars made news at Winternationals early in 1968 and, come April, Ford officially released the 428 Cobra Jet to the public. The engine was available on Ford Mustang GT, Fairlane/Torino, Mercury Cougar, and Comet/Montego/Cyclone. Perhaps Ford’s engine lineup was still lacking compared to the competition, but the 428 CJ helped repair FoMoCo’s street reputation in a way that Total Performance could not.
This Gulfstream Aqua 1968 Ford Mustang GT 2+2 is equipped with the 428 Cobra Jet engine. You can tell because it was the only Mustang that came with a black stripe on the hood and a functional hood scoop (the latter being something the mid-size CJs didn’t have until 1969). This one features an automatic on the floor, 3.91 gears with limited-slip, matching bucket seats, White “C” stripe, power disc brakes, Goodyear Polyglas F70-14 tires wrapped around Styled Steel wheels, and AM/FM stereo, among other options. “Beautiful collector quality condition,” says the seller. “Better now than when it rolled out of Dearborn in 1968.”
Only 1,299 Mustangs were built with the 428 Cobra Jet Mustang in 1968, with 1,044 being fastbacks. Interestingly, that’s rarer than the Shelby GT500KR! While early Mustangs captured the public’s imagination, it was this car that captured enthusiast’s attention. For $132,500 (OBO), you can have a CJ that’s nicely represents the car that saved Ford.
Click here for this ClassicCars.com Pick of the Day.
Source: www.classiccars.com