1968 Ford Torino

PaceCarConvt Convertible

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

8H43F149760

Gasoline

1968 Ford Torino GT Indianapolis Pace Car Convertible This is a very rare 1968 Ford Torino GT Indy Pace Car convertible. I am listing this car for my father, and all questions will be answered by him. This car spent its entire life in the Mason City Iowa area until it was brought to Kenosha Wisconsin in 2008. I had never seen one of these cars in person, and I always wanted to restore an Indy Pace Car, but I have a line on a 1972 Olds Indy Pace Car convertible. I like Fords, but I love Olds! Therefore some fortunate Torino collector or someone who would like to possess a very rare and very valuable muscle car will have an opportunity to acquire a car they will most likely never see in person. Prior to my purchase the only one I had ever seen was on a You Tube video. If you query 1968 Torino GT Indy Pace Car on You Tube, you will see a nicely done version of one of these rare cars. Check it out! I'm certain anyone who viewed that video would be impressed with what they saw. The only difference would be you could own this one for a fraction of what a restored one would cost. When I first decided to purchase this car I had seen a video of a 1968 Torino GT Pace Car convertible with a museum quality restoration. That owner mentioned that you would be hard pressed to find one of these cars in poor condition for under $9000. I believe anyone who saw this Indy Pace Car would consider it much better than poor condition. This car is extremely hard to find! This high performance Ford has great investment potential at a no reserve price. This sale is a quick 3-day auction, because time is of the essence on the 1972 Olds purchase. This Torino GT is one of 709 made, and has never been restored. It currently sits in its original condition. As they say: "They only come original once". This is a prime chance to purchase a car and perform a restoration of your choice. A finished car of this magnitude has the potential to bring anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000. You can be the pride of your neighborhood if you use this car as a daily driver or you do a show car restoration. I will tell you what the 2nd owner told me about this car. He knew of this car from new since it was a relative that purchased it back in 1969. This car was actually titled as a 1969, but was clearly one of the Indy Pace Cars as verified by the Deluxe Marti Report as shown. It was built on 4/29/68, but not sold until 01/02/69. I went to Mason City Iowa to pick the car up. It was purchased new from Bob Schukei Ford in Mason City. The title remains in the 2nd owners name from Mason City, so I firmly believe everything checks out. He replaced the original 302 engine with a 1970 Torino GT 302 which is currently in the car. He said he pulled the original 302 for a rebuild, and never got around to it, but he gave me the original motor and transmission which is included with this sale. It maintains its original Wimbleton White paint with the blue Indy Pace Car stripes. This body is relatively solid for being 42 years old, and would be an awesome candidate for a full restoration. I believe what saved this car all these years was the fact that it stayed out in the country for its entire existence. The mileage was told to be original, and all highway country road driving. The engine has been nicely detailed, and the plugs, wires, rotor, distributor cap, and points have all been recently replaced. The power steering belt was off when I purchased the car, and was never installed, but is included with the car. I never got a chance to enjoy this car, as it has been stored the entire time of my ownership. It wasn't until last week that I made the decision to sell it, so that was when the rear brake shoes and wheel cylinders were replaced. The oil was freshly changed. When you start this car up the blue cold light still comes on until the engine is warmed up. It has a nice set of dual exhaust that makes the car sound really nice. Not too loud with just the right hum. The original top is still on the car, but will need to be replaced. The original AM radio is still in place and working well. The original blue parade boot comes with the car in what is believed to be the original boot bag. The trunk has been detailed, and carries the original jack. The body panels all seem to be original with no signs of this car ever being involved in an accident, except for a minor touch in the right front as shown by the pictures. I believe every panel could be re-used in a restoration, but to receive top dollar for this car you may want to replace the quarter panels. They do have some rust. The right front fender could probably be re-worked, but then again for a top show car a replacement would be a considerable option. The bottom seam on both doors are really solid, and so are both rocker panels. The drivers window is off the track at the moment, but does stay either all the way up or all the way down. The original chrome door guards are still on the doors, and in good condition. The chrome bumpers are in drivers quality condition. The carpet and interior are all original. I would replace the carpet, and do some minor repair to the front seat, but the rear seat is still fairly nice as shown by the pictures. I inquired about the Indy Pace Car decals and they are available in reproduction. Those in my eyes are a must to make this gem really stand out. There are four like new Firestone raised white lettered P225/70R14 tires on a set of Magnum 500's with a matching set of trim rings and centers. The body and undercarriage is all original. I think any buyer would be impressed with the overall condition of this car. I will gladly show the car by appointment or take pictures of a specific spot at any potential buyers request. I want every bidder to have as much knowledge of their purchase to insure that my son will receive a favorable feedback after this purchase. I know his eBay account status means a lot to him, so please only bid what you can afford, and if you are a positive eBayer. I have a 1969 Fairlane 500 currently running on eBay item number 280551209679. I picked that car up in case I needed some extra parts for this restoration. Since the Pace Car is being sold I will have no need for it, so I left that as an option for the winning bidder of this auction. That listing ends a half hour after this one on Sunday. I just didn't want the winning bidder from this auction to be forced into shipping two cars if I sold them in a package deal. I thought that sale can be left up to the winning bidder from this auction if they choose. This Pace Car is a very complete car, but I've always found that it is nice to have extra parts on hand at your convenience. I want the new owner to be well informed of exactly what they are purchasing, so I try to list everything as accurately as possible. Please ask if you have any additional concerns before placing a bid. I pride myself in answering every question in detail with the utmost honesty. Don't miss out on this rare find. It will be well worth the time and effort to bring this piece back to its former glory. Thank You and Good Luck bidding!