Is this 68 GT500KR Authentic?

The registry has this vin as correct. Not sure if its the right car without seeing it.

 

Much more needed - pix????

Mike

 

You would want to check

1- with Vinny that runs that years registry for that year. Lots of info is often "on the record" but not in the registry - add to the fact that the printed version is old.

2- examine or have someone who know what they are looking at, examine the car to see what they can determine.

Determine if the car is complete and to what extent

Determine if its a real Shelby

Determine what repairs or damage has taken place since the car was new

The vast majority of these cars have been repaired, altered and have had many parts replaced. Once you get a true picture of the cars condition you can determine what value it has to you.

Sure you knew much of this good luck - be careful and comprehensive in your efforts

 

NO!!! That would be only the begining. Then there are the hidden VIN's the ones on the engine and trans.... and even then these all can be swapped to another body and called a "Shelby" Even SAAC will only confirm the numbers but will not confirm that the numbers go to a particular body/car and suggest an inspection.

Way too many examples of rebodied cars and just fakes built around a set of numbers. And unfortunately, way too many buyers (ones that bought cheap and expensive cars) that have purchased something other than what they thought they bought. One person I talked to a couple of weeks back purchased a 67 GT500 only to find that the car had been clipped. Car was advertised as a number matching car .... he was lucky to get his money back after we determined the issue. He turned around the next week and bought a 68 GT500 only to find that the claimed original drivetrain was not there (though the owner and contacted previous owners claimed it was original)

 

I would check the car out very well, it is an early KR but it has a lot of differences from my KR 3739. If it is lugit you'll spend a lot of money getting the unique Shelby and KR parts it's missing.
Has anyone seen a KR with flush mounted qtr. panel reflectors?
Good Luck
Kenny

 

The engine can always be a challenge.

1- Look for the VIN (though this can always have been added)

2- Check the casting numbers to see if the dates "match" the expected pattern

3- Short of tearing down the engine it can be difficult to determine since Ford mixed and match exterior castings.

Like the rest of the car - your looking for what should be there, what should not be there and what ever else you find to help determine if it is or isn't what it's reported to be.

Sorry these sorts of things are not easy - I spent over 4 hrs a few weeks ago looking at a 68 500 for a guy.

Looked at the add. Would not have guessed the car was in Reno from the pictures of the home and neighborhood shot. If the car is about 4 hours from your location you must be between Sacramento and the Bay area.

 

My early 68 GT 500 has the flush mounted rear quarter side markers. The KR should not. So you can assume the car has been quartered. It is missing the air cleaner and A/C from under the hood. And missing the seat belts. The pix make it hard to see much else. But if the seller says the car has original sheet metal and quarters and it has the wrong quarters what else is he not telling the truth about. Check code dates on the motor, heads and intake. Maybe a partial code date on the back of the head. Has the wrong tranny. I would invest in an expert in the area to go over the car. Can save a lot of hassles down the road. And his starting bid is at 82 k so if he takes 45 k...you got to wonder why.

 

This car also has the holes in the radiator support where the rubber strip was screwed on, the KR's should be stapled.
If you notice the ram air duct isn't sealed to the hood like mine. Has the hood or duct been replaced.
If it is a 4spd. KR it should have staggered rear shocks.
I can't see the shock tower bracing that the KR's have, could an early KR have the shock towers welded instead of the braces.
If I were you I'd take someone that knows early KR's when you go to look at the car.
Kenny

 

Seems kinda shady, no pics of the vin tag in windshield or the shelby tag near fender! I have only seen one picture of a KR with the early reflectors and that was in a ad so it probably wasn't even a KR it was probably a prototype. Plus the reflector bezels aren't even chrome. No good interior pics, does it even have a shelby console? If I were going to look at it i would first look at the windshield vin to see if it is a 8T02R car and then if it is I would want to see that under the fender as well, because if it is a R code from Metuchen it is a true shelby.

 

Car has been discussed over on the CJ site

http://www.428cobrajet.org/forum/index.php?topic=10148.0

 

The seller ended the auction on ebay yesterday.
I'm glad you took the time to go see the car, at least your only out time and gas.
Kenny

 

Yikes!
I just read this thread through ... it looks like a minefield buying a genuine Shelby over there. I'm not in the market just yet, but probably will be next year. So when I'm ready to buy I'll be employing someone like Snakepit to check it out.

I'll be in Minneapolis 15th July to 15th August, then to San Francisco (I have my ticket to Pebble Beach) till Monday 18th then up to Fortuna.

Are there any Shelby/Mustang events worth looking at in those areas/dates?
I don't mind driving a few hundred miles to look at something worthwhile.