The 8th Annual Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Collector Car Auction is coming fast. Taking place on April 1st through the 3rd, the tropical paradise of Palm Beach will once again play host to the greatest show on earth for car guys.
The Palm Beach event is a bit smaller than the Scottsdale event, but always plays host to an interesting mix of cars. This year, the collection of Mustang includes a little of every thing from 1965 through 2011. Headliners include a concept version of the new 2010 Roush Barrett-Jackson edition Mustang. Also, Carroll Shelby will be selling serial number 350 of his new 2011 Shelby GT-350 Mustang which made its debut at the Scottsdale event last January.
Below is our preview of the Mustangs that will cross the block during the event. As usual we have colored our reviews with our own opinion and assessments of the cars. Take it with a grain of salt, but also a smile. We love Mustangs and have spend a lot of time restoring them, wrenching on them, judging them at shows and tearing off a few tires. So we almost qualify as experts.
Tuesday, April 1st Mustangs On The Block
Lot Number 17.2: 1965 Mustang Coupe
Burgundy with black interior. Basic classic Mustang with 200 cubic inch six-cylinder engine and 3-speed manual transmission. These are usually donor cars for custom builds, but this one is clean and all together original. The 200 six is good for about 115 horsepower and gets relatively good gas mileage, making them good daily drivers that rarely need attention. It is getting harder to find these un-molested plain-Jane Mustangs than you might think.
Lot Number 30: 1968 Mustang “GT Re-Creation”
Red over black interior. Upgraded with the GT appearance package items like fog-lights in the grille, bot no C-stripe. Comes with the new for ‘68 302 V8 with later 351 heads, modern roller rockers, Magnum cam with 4.030 bore and Keith Black forged pistons. 4-speed top loader transmission, 9″ rear end with 3.00 ratio. Admittedly not original and would make a nice driver for someone who would not want to risk a $100,000 BOSS 302 or Shelby.
Lot Number 42: 1966 Mustang Coupe “GT Re-Creation”
Red with two-tone red/white Pony interior. Another GT re-creation restoration with out of the catalog trim pieces popular for cars of this era. 289cid V8 and new paint are part of what sell calls a nut and bolt restoration. Buyer can provide pictures of restoration and documentation on site. Looks nice overall, but appears the restoration took full advantage of the reproduction parts catalog for resale sure-fire accessories.
Lot Number 100: 1970 Mustang Sportsroof Customer
Custom touches added to this 302, 3-speed manual transmission Mustang. Buyer says completely restored in 2008 and only test driven since restoration. Owner is a body shop owner so in theory paint should be good. Indigo Blue with Pearl White stripes. Mustang has no air conditioning and no power steering which means it is not pleasant to drive. With the addition of power steering and perhaps brakes, would make a decent driver.
Friday, April 2nd Mustangs On The Block
Lot Number 340: 1966 Mustang Convertible
298 2-barrel C code car with 4-barrel induction added during restoration. Power steering, modern Vintage Air under dash system, automatic and aftermarket AM/FM stereo radio. Buyer claims it is a rust-free Florida car with original sheet metal. Ivy Green exterior and black interior can be very classy looking too. Information on car says recent restoration, show quality paint, near perfect interior. Highly detailed engine and undercarriage. Should make for a nice Sunday car you don’t have to pamper to enjoy.
Lot Number 343.1: 1966 Mustang Coupe Custom
Laundry list of custom touches that go way beyond our scope or room to list here. The first thing that jumps off the page at us are custom wheels are tacky and don’t go with the car. They look like they would be more at home on a 1980 Datsun, not a classic Mustang. A newer 302 V8 with Tri-Power motivates through a modern automatic overdrive, 4,000hp rated aluminum drive shaft, 9-bolt 4.30 posi-traction rear end, driven less than 500 miles since fully restored. Surely a great play-toy but not all a collector piece.
Lot Number 346.1: 1965 Mustang Fastback
289cid “A” code engine, 4-speed manual transmission with factory equipped front disc brakes. MCA Gold Winner means the restoration is correct, detailed and done right. Frame-off rotisserie restoration in 1999 correct labels, stickers, even the correct oil filter and factory headlamps with the “Ford” logo embossed in the glass. The latter means it is not a cheap reproduction set of parts. Lots and lots of awards for this MCA Gold show car. Should be well appreciated on the block.
Lot Number 353: 1968 Mustang Coupe “GT Re-Creation”
One of only 53 X Code 390-2V engine Mustang coupes built. Restored and customized with Ford GT parts. Custom interior, Detroit Locker rear axle are added. While rare with X-Code lineage, engine has been modded to the point of overshadowing the point of its rarity. Includes Marti-Report, build sheet, original bill of sale slip, warranty card, owner’s manual and service records. But all that is moot given the car has been customized.
Lot Number 361: 1967 Mustang Fastback “GT-500 Re-Creation”
Guess we have not gotten past this fake-out re-creation fad yet. This car went in deep too. 427 FE, big spline top loader, original Shelby 40-year-old parts such as deck lid, roll bar, Y belts, wood wheel and grille. 31-spline posi-traction, power brakes and power steering. A laundry list of other high-dollar add-ons make this likely the most expensive investment for the seller that is least likely to pay off on the block. A hint for the wise, people only pay for the real thing.
Lot Number 369.1: 2009 Ford Shelby GT-500
Not sure why this car is on the block at Barrett-Jackson instead of the used car lot. But here it is, a 2009 Shelby GT-500 with cheap looking custom wheels. 3,876 original miles. 650hp at the crank. Performance modifications include Steeda cold air induction, small diameter Supercharger pulley with tune, long tube headers, X-pipe with cats, Magnaflow stainless steel mufflers, 3.73 gears, blah ,blah, blah. Guess the dealer low-balled the owner when he tried to trade it in.
Lot Number 386.2: 1968 Mustang California Special
Clean and restored to original state. Buyer claims is rust-free. Has a 289 V8 and automatic transmission. Since it is not specified we have to assume a 2-barrel carburetor. It is however somewhat rare to find a 1968 Mustang with a 289 as most came with the 302. Rare, however not necessarily the number one sought after engine such as a 302 4-barrel, 390 or 428 big-block. Nice red on black example however. And in Florida, the car is a novelty since back in 1968 the GT/CS was really only sold in California.
Saturday, April 3rd Mustangs On The Block
Lot Number 628.2: 2007 Ford Shelby GT-500 Convertible
Like the last modern era GT-500, we wonder why this car is here instead of your local Ford used car lot. Seller says Black with black interior. Wow. Every option available as if that is somehow unique. 1,010 actual miles. Only 856 produced with the black exterior paint. While it is surely a nice car, someone somewhere in the loop between sellers and the folks at Barrett-Jackson needs to start raising the bar on what crosses the block here. Should at least get retail book. Or not.
Lot Number 633.2: 1967 Mustang GTA Convertible
An extremely rare 390 “S” Code GTA convertible. Rust-free car with Arizona title. Seller says it is meticulously restored. Automatic transmission noted by the GTA designation. White with red deluxe interior shows the car off well. Engine compartment appears to be well done and correct with original style air conditioning compressor. AC was a very rare option in 1967, and rarer still on a convertible. Comes with Marti Report showing 324 of these GTA’s were made.
Lot Number 634.2: 1968 Mustang Custom Convertible “Eleanor Re-Creation”
What a waste of what once was a nice car. Custom convertible is yet another high-schooler’s wet dream “Eleanor” re-creation scheme. Non-original features include 331cid stroker engine, Tremec TKO 500 5-speed transmission, 9″ Ford rear end, air conditioning, 4-wheel power disc brakes, nitrous, brushed aluminum interior. All nice nuts and bolts but a bastardization of a 1968 convertible that can never be reversed.
Lot Number 637.2: 1967 Mustang Fastback Custom
This 1967 re-creation has been built as an exact replica of something it never was. No expense was spared on the restoration. Is that supposed to make the fraud better? Seller says all new parts were used in the restoration process. The interior is all new. Parts of the car’s undercarriage are painted red. Sounds like Pep-Boys action there. The wheels are factory replica 10-spoke wheels with Goodyear white-letter tires. Seller is likely to find out you never get your money out of fakery.
Lot Number 639.1: 1969 Mustang Mach 1 428
A very straight and solid vehicle with great body gaps and panel alignment. Very well equipped with 428 Cobra Jet Ram Air, close-ratio 4-speed, 3.50 Traction-lok rear axle, power disc brakes, fold-down rear seat, AM/8-Track radio, very rare tilt swing-away steering column and rare beautiful Silver Jade paint. Also has Ford OEM air conditioning and power steering systems that are dealer installed from donor cars. A total rotisserie restoration, very well done. Documented by Window Sticker and two Marti Reports. A one of one vehicle.
Lot Number 644: 1969 Mustang Mach 1
Mach 1 “R” Code with its original 428CJ engine and close ratio 4-speed transmission complete with its Hurst shifter. Front and rear spoilers and rear window louvers. Ground-up restoration that includes complete rebuild of its original drive train. Upgrades include 4-wheel disc brakes from industry leader Stainless Steel Brake Corporation, factory style air conditioning from Classic Auto Air, Mustang style stereo from Custom Auto Sound, 4-speaker stereo with 10-disc changer, iPod and mp3 ready, custom 16″ Magnum 500 wheels. Nice car but non-original aftermarket mods in this stratosphere hurt not help.
Lot Number 646: 1969 Mustang BOSS 302
One rare BOSS 302. Fully restored, “W” Code BOSS drag pack car. Rare 4.30 locker, rare factory oil cooler, rare Code “6″ RUG-AW close-ratio top loader transmission, 6,150 rev limiter. Description goes well until you read “color change” to Medium Red and warranty replacement engine. Correct documentation includes Esslinger Report, Marti Report, FoMoCo 999 build report and the Window Sticker. Documentation is great, but not when it describes a different color car than the one you are buying.
Lot Number 646.1: 1969 Shelby GT-350 H Sportsroof
351-4V engine, automatic, 3.00 Traction-Lok differential, power front disc brakes, power steering, tilt-away steering wheel, air conditioning, AM/FM radio, tinted glass, tachometer and trip odometer, deluxe seat belts and warning lights. Grabber blue over black interior, one of 10 painted this color. Ram Air, 351cid/290hp engine restored to original specs. One of 152 Hertz Shelbys. 42,958 original miles, matching numbers and Carroll Shelby-signed glove box.
Lot Number 647.2: 1969 Mustang Mach 1
This rare “R” Code Mach 1 has unfortunately been custom built to the point of devaluation. While description brakes about rare 428 Cobra Jet Ram Air, top loader 4-speed, 9″ nodular 31-spline Traction-Lok rear axle, the car is then sullied with non-original brakes, air conditioning and so many other mechanicals. When you add non-period themed custom wheels it just ruins the value of the car. Folks, you don’t take a $100,000-$180,000 rare car like this an fubar its value with a bunch of mods. Likely worth half what it should be.
Lot Number 649.1: 2010 Roush Barrett-Jackson Edition Concept.
You can buy the concept version of this special edition Roush Mustang with custom metallic black paint and painted metallic red stripes. Based on the 2010 Roush Stage 3 540hp Mustang, this special edition will only be copied 25 times for 2010, and another 25 units based on the 2011 5.0 Mustang. Custom order in your favorite of 25 specialty Barrett-Jackson House Of Color special edition color combinations. See our full article on this car here.
Lot Number 656.2: 1969 Shelby GT-500 Fastback
A true 1969 Shelby GT500 with 428 Cobra Jet. It has a correct replacement engine block. The correct Cobra Jet C6 automatic transmission and correct 9″ nodular Traction-Lok rear axle. This Shelby has power front disc brakes, power steering, air conditioning, tinted glass and dual exhaust. Finished in its correct color of Candy Apple Red with gold stripes, blackout hood treatment and black deluxe interior. This is a one of one Shelby GT500 documented with Deluxe Marti Report.
Lot Number 658: 1969 Mustang Mach 1
1969 Mustang Mach 1 428CJ 4-speed. Just completed 2-year rotisserie restoration. Original Candy Apple Red with white interior and 4-speed verified by the Elite Marti Report. Very rare color combination with many options. Power steering, power front disc brakes, F70X14 WSW tires, sport deck rear seat, tinted glass and deluxe belts/warning light. Original matching numbers drive train with VIN stamped head. Date code correct carburetor, distributor, fuel pump, intake manifold, radiator, etc.
Lot Number 658.2: 1969 Mustang Sportsroof Custom
Custom 1969 Ford Mustang “BOSS 557″. Formerly a “S” Code big block car, engineering excellence has produced a super car utilizing the finest performance parts. The black PPG paintwork is simply amazing. Lots of custom touches and top-dollar original engineering make this a custom creation worth a look. Not a re-creation of something else, but a creation of something all its own.
Lot Number 663.1: 2011 Shelby GT-350 Mustang
Traditional white with Shelby Guardsman blue Le Mans stripes and features the new 2011 5.0 DOHC Ford V8 with a Ford Racing supercharger. It is mated to a 6-speed manual. Body package features a unique center exit exhaust. Engine is said to have somewhere in the neighborhood of 500hp. This Anniversary model GT350 will be documented in the Shelby Registry as having been sold at Barrett-Jackson and will have serial number 350. See our full article on this car.
Lot Number 679: 1968 Shelby GT-500KR Sportsroof
1 of 613 with paint code, 458 with this paint/trim combination, 523 with this engine transmission, 1,053 ordered as GT500KR cars, out of 1053 built, only 299 had factory air conditioning and this is one of them. Home office reserve ordering district under domestic special. Original radio with working 8-track tape player, tilt away steering, interior décor group, tinted glass, tachometer and trip odometer. Certificate of Authenticity of Carroll Shelby’s signature. Deluxe Marti Report included.
Lot Number 683: 1970 Mustang Mach 1
A true “R” Code, 428 Cobra Jet, with shaker hood. Seller says it is a rust-free California car with matching numbers and all original sheet metal. Description says all body panels align which is one of our big deals. Factory air conditioning and many more options make this a well packaged car for the block. Fresh professional restoration. Dark metallic green with black interior. Automatic transmission. Looks like a nice example of the breed.
Lot Number 685: 1969 Mustang Mach 1
Unique color. Complete restoration includes rusted panel restoration. The engine is the correct 8A17 date coded correct 428 block, the C80E heads are date code correct, and the exhaust and intake manifolds are proper C80E parts. The transmission is an automatic C6, freshly rebuilt with the correct cast iron tail shaft. The big 9″ Ford rear end has Traction-Lok and 3:25 gears. The interior is a mix of brand new and restored originals. Overall looks like an interesting pick.
Lot Number 686.1: 1971 Mustang BOSS 351
351cid 4V high output BOSS engine, wide-ratio 4-speed, power steering, power disc brakes, dual exhaust, Magnum 500 wheels, Firestone wide oval tires, correct Grabber Yellow paint, black stripes, spoilers, white interior and documented with Marti Report. Big body Mustangs like this get nice dough if properly restored, and with this generation it is a difficult job to do.
