My 2nd car was a 68 &1/2 Cobra Jet. I bought it in 1979 for $2000. White with black interior 4 speed. Looked just like that one on the outside but with black interior And my side stripes were black also. Loved that car. Sold it in 2003 for a bunch of money to a collector. I bought a 03 Mach 1 azure blue for my driver and still have it. Great car. Lots of fun to drive. Sometimes I miss the Cobra Jet though.
The '68 Hemi Dart was the quickest car in '68. I agree that the '67s and '68s were better looking than the '65 and '66. The 428 was probably the best STREET engine Ford ever built...it was a beast!
@@anthonytomaro8278 - L88 engine in the standard '66 - '69 Corvette sales literature as an option... manual or automatic trans... various rear end ratios... colors...
@@KingCast65 the only difference between 67 & 68 were the grill, 68 didn't have the bars and the molding on the quarter panel, 68 was just a straight where as 67 looked more like a grill
Great cars indeed. I think another thing that impacted Mustang sales, especially for 68, was the release of the Firebird as well. In any event, great content as always. Belated Happy Thanksgiving ~ Chuck
The featured car is a 1968 1/2 Mustang GT. The GT option included the R-Code 428 Cobra Jet. Rather than the proper black interior this car has a blue thus providing the hideous blue C-Stripes. The classic off-white Wimbledon White with the matte black hood, black interior and black non-reflective C-stripes is most probably the best looking of what collectors refer to as simply a CJ. The profile of the car looks mean and with the CJ loud and rumbling makes a statement. Yes, the CJ is the fastest Ford production Mustang of the classic era.
The Corvette was/is a sports car. Chevrolet built 80 L88 Corvettes in 1968 - even though they came out as RPO’s they were hardly regular production cars - they were built as race cars. Yes, we all know they were vastly faster but since there were only 80 of them do they really belong in a discussion about Ford Mustangs and all the other muscle cars of the day that high school kids were buying? Should we bring European exotics into the discussion too? Again, I don’t see the relevance.
@charliechristie2949 He means that a ‘68 428 Cobra Jet Mustang won Super Stock Eliminator at the NHRA Winternationals at Pomona. This is where Ford debuted the CJ - the car beat 32 other cars including 21 Mopar Hemis to win the title. Any other questions?
It was definitely the horsepower wars back in those days. I remember one of my friends in high school had a 1968 Cougar GTE with the 7.0 liter 427 side oiler in it. As I remember, only about 350 of them were built with the 427 engine package. His had the C-6 automatic in it as they all did if they had the 427 engine option. It was basically robbed out of the factory stock of engines they put in the Shelby 427 AC Cobra. So yeah... it was fast. REALLY fast. My brother and I went in 50/50 on a 1969 Cougar that had the factory drag pack set up with the 428 SCJ and the 4-speed. Bought from the original owner that had received it from her dad as a graduation gift from high school. Oh how I wish I would have kept that car as they did not make very many of them. Back then in the late 1970's & early 1980's these cars were cheap as the only guys that wanted them the gear heads and drag racers. When my brother and I bought that Cougar, we had looked at a 1970 426 Hemi Challenger with a 4-speed, orange on black interior. We passed on it because the dealer wanted $3,000 for it and we thought that was ridiculous, so we bought the Cougar instead because it was less money...🤦♂ Those were the days...
The 1968 sales numbers were lower because many of those that wanted Mustangs had bought them already. Market saturation is a real issue when it comes to maintaining a car's production numbers.
For a factory built road car you could buy from the dealer It was actually a 428 powered Cougar that took the crown in '68 with a 1/4 mile time of 13.28 The 68' Charger would take the crown for top speed pushing over 200mph at Daytona with a modified 494ci 426 Hemi which was not allowed to participate in Nascar.
One comment: The 289 was NOT "replaced by the 302". The Ford factory brochure describes the 302 as intended for "sedan racing, on special order." That engine was not intended as a simple replacement for the 289. I had a '68 with the 289, which was the most common V8 powerplant that year. Ford suffered a strike at the beginning of the '68 model year, which delayed production by about three months. This is why some of the planned changes and engine offerings were changed or cancelled, from the original offering. This video is correct in stating that Ford offered the 427 V8 originally, but that in reality, none were ever delivered. Ford knew the strike was coming, and it has been suggested that this was why the car wasn't changed more than it was in 1968.
The L88 Corvette was probably the fastest factory optioned car you could buy in 68. Even the more streetable L72 Corvette was more than a match for any mustang including the Cobra Jets and Shelby's. The L72 was well known to produce over 450hp in stock trim and the L88 has been proven to produce as much as 585hp in stock trim on period correct dyno equipment. Lots of great cars in this era, but in stock trim the mustang wasn't a contender for fastest car. I remember those years well and in stock trim the fastest mustangs were running mid 14s quarter mile. A well optioned example with an experienced driver might turn a high 13, but so could many Camaro, Firebird, . GTO , any of Mopars Hemi cars, plus a slew of dealer prepped cars running 12s or better. Now if Ford had put a side oiler 427 or the cammer in the mustang it could have some bragging rights.
I had a 68 shelby 500KR with a SCJ. Back when we had "track days at SAAC, the SCJ was just that little bit faster than the CJ's, maybe jsut because we were willing to spin them a bit faster...
My old 69' Ply Road Runner safety harnesses were never even removed from the ceiling except one time in the late 70s or early 80s just to try it out. I was sorry I tried it because I could never get it folded up nice and neat and put back like it was from the factory.
My second car was a 68 390 GT Fastback w/4 speed. Bought it in 1970 as a 16 year old kid, for $1500. It was a pretty fast car. Mine must have been built prior to 1/1/68 because it had no shoulder harnesses. Always wished it was a 428 CJ, but I collected enough tickets with the 390 as it was. Also, like your feature car, mine didn't have power steering, but it did have the fast ratio steering box. MAN, that was hard to turn! A junkyard supplied a power steering set-up that made the world of difference. I sold it in order to buy a Corvair, and I haven't been without one since.
McQueen's car was a heavily modified '68 S-Code 390. The GT's don't come with power steering but using one as a driver it's not difficult to install it and is virtually mandatory with the 4.30 gear ratio. Was yours Highland "McQueen" Green?
Dude you did a great job on this video. Great pitch, inflection, enthusiasm, all of it. My Dad's boss had a '69 Boss 302 and I remember the era so well. I still preferred the older body style though and the way those seats folded would make a 911 blush. Did the earlier Fastback have it set up the same way?
Great observation! Hemi Darts and Barracudas were outsourced, limited production race cars that were untitled and only sold to established drag racing teams. Funny that, as the “fastest Specials”, they made up some of the 21 Mopar Hemis that Al Joniec beat driving his ‘68 Mustang Cobra Jet when he won Super Stock Eliminator at the ‘68 NHRA Winternationals. He went undefeated that day beating a total of 32 cars. Even though they were sold as regular production orders, L88 Corvettes were factory produced race cars. There were only 80 of them built in ‘68 and, according to what I read, the vast majority of them built in ‘67 and ‘68 went to professional racing teams. - hardly “normal production”. Doesn’t seem like any one of the three cars you mentioned belong in a discussion about a car (Mustang) that could be bought by a high school kid…
@mikeharms8388 The '68 BO29 and LO23 were not in the dealer order guide. Your dealer had to get approval to order one. Whether they got that depended on their contacts, the dealers resume and/or the potential customers resume. They were intended for Super Stock competition and built at Hurst Performance and included the Race Hemi not the Street Hemi. They included statements saying not intended for street use (They were not certified for '68 emissions and some components didn't comply with '68 safety standards), no warranty, engine blueprinting recommended. They are akin to the modern Cobrajet Mustang. I consider these kind of cars "Specials". You are free to consider them regular production if you choose. The L88 would of course have been a '68 since the topic was model year specific. They would have needed a fan shroud installled to cool in traffic, but they met '68 emissions and safety standards, were in the regular dealer order guide and could be ordered by any dealer for any customer. I consider these regular production cars.
The fastest stock was the 1968 L-88 Corvette. Put on a set of cheater slicks and a quarter tank of Chevron Custom Supreme and you had a 10 second 1/4 mile car. I had a 1968 Corvette 390 hp 4-speed convertible that ran 13:40 at 110 stock through the mufflers and met one such vehicle at SIR in the fall of 1969 running in the 10's.
Awesome car! I love all musclecars and thanks for sharing! Fastest? No. 427 Vette's, and specifically 1968 HEMI Darts and Barracuda's. The NHRA had to make a class just for the HEMI cars.
‘68 Hemi Darts and Barracudas were not factory built - they were outsourced, limited production race cars with no warranty and only sold to established drag racers. A ‘68 Mustang 428 CJ won the Super Stock Eliminator title at the ‘68 NHRA Winternationals beating 32 cars including 21 Chrysler Hemis! All the winners of the Super Stock classes funneled into Super Stock Eliminator to determine the championship for the event. This event was the NHRA debut for the Cobra Jet - they went on to dominate Stock and Super Stock Eliminator for the next two years. Fastest? Yes…(not sure where you’re getting your information from)
@buzzwaldron6195 You keep citing the “standard sales literature” but there were only 80 L88 Corvettes built in ‘68. Again, they were factory built race cars sold primarily to professional racing teams so not really comparable to regular production Mustangs that you would find in any high school parking lot back in the late ‘60s and ‘70s. ZL1s were exotic all aluminum versions of the L88 and even more rare so it’s even more absurd to mention them in this discussion.
I’d always heard the negative comments about the 67 Mustang’s size were attributed to Carrol Shelby. Yet it was Shelby who stuffed a 428 PI and added a second four barrel to the 1967 to create the GT500. That it was Iacocca makes since. The 390 had made more horsepower in days gone by, so the question is why the 390 that went into the Mustang and Fairlane GT (and others) limited to 325 horses out the door? I grew up in that era, but didn’t know anyone with an FE Mustang. And all my acquaintances a decade later in high school who had Stangs had either sixes or Windsors. Anyway, a really nice video. I’d say differences in ETs between a Cougar and a Mustang equipped with the same drive train could be attributed to how the cars were prepped, the atmospheric conditions of a given day, and the drivers.
8-10 years later was when they got out more. I built FEs in the 70s when they were just used cars and 428 3 rib blocks were in junkyards. The hot street ticket was the D 427 solid cam and 2 4V MR intake. They were respectable and still strong at the track.
@@sombra6153 A 410 ci FE power honed to 4.055 with 2618 alloy forged pistons with a 1.15 compression height and 7.0005 198 Slant 6 rods from the D300 that were 5140 forged steel and treated to a polish and shot peen with SPS or ARP 3/8 2000 bolts and the 3.98 turned to 4 inch and the smaller diameter with oversized tri- metal bearings 410 stroke and that D solid cam and the aluminum MR 2 4V intake all ARPstuds. And internal balance. Good headers in the 67-68 fastback was a real sleeper. 413 ci. And I drove it to school every day with 3 inch open pipes out in front of the wheels. 7000 redline but really happy at 6200. It sounded and ran so good. I’m 64 now and I can’t see to drive, but that thing really got the job done. Those engineers knew what they were doing. Every modern American muscle engine has some FE DNA.
I had a 69 Mach 1 with a 428SCJ with the Drag Pack 4:30 gears which I bought from Tasca Ford ,at that time there was No Way a 428CJ Cougar could run with me. In fact Tasca had a Lincoln / Mercury just up the road and never even seen a XR7 CJ back then ,they were definitely heavier than a Mustang.Back then I ran pure stock E/SA @ Conn Dragway and New England Dragway, times were consistently 13.72 13.79 which was a very fast street car in it's day.
I hada 67 GT Fastback with 390 4 speed 390 axle and it would have been great to have the 427. That's the engine to have. Monsters with mechanical cam. The sound with open pipes. The Sound , Heavenly.
My friend had a '66 with that 200ci and in the early 2000s it was a head turner but we prayed nobody tried racing it. That motor took alot of hell from some teenagers for being almost 40y/o at the time. Try that with anything made after 2005?!
Lol! My dad had a ford torino with this engine and we stopped at a light, and a Plymouth roadrunner jacked up to the sky big wide meats and waves a $100.00 bill at my Dad, he chuckled and he ain't got a motor to turn them tires! My brother and me were with and my dad didnt bite....pissed me right off! Bad! I was 9 . Lol!
The 428 was Ford's answer to building a cheaper 427.. like Lee iacocca said the 428 was a boat anchor compared to the 427.. if they had a 4:27 in a mustang it would scare the hell out of you. . the 427 was a hand built pure race engine.. that cost for a lot of money.. but they got a lot of advertisement that helped... General motors 427 was nothing close to what a Ford 427 would do...😊
@timr31908 Seems to confirm what I always thought about the lack of a factory 427 Mustang. There seems to be some club racer specials been built with some impressive on board video on YT.
The best looking car ever built the mustang Ford power forever baby a real Chevy and dodge killer the best never rest they just keep getting better has a Ford blu by you later come get some
The Dodge L023 Hemi Dart was the fastest factory offering in 1968. There were only 80 made, and they were specifically engineered for drag racing in the super stock class. They had specially built 426 hemis and drivetrains to handle the extra power, and stress of drag racing. They weren't street legal from the factory, but they were the most powerful factory built car you could buy back then.
??? In fact, they were NOT factory built - they were outsourced! You’re right - not street legal and no warranty. They were built for and distributed to established drag racers. So if they’re non-street legal race cars why would you consider them a “factory offering”? That doesn’t even make sense! And, BTW, Al Joniec in his ‘68 Mustang 428 Cobra Jet beat 32 cars at the ‘68 NHRA Winternationals to win Super Stock Eliminator. That included 21 Chrysler Hemis, some of which were Hemi Darts - the “fastest factory offering” according to you…Hmmm
@ not all factory built cars are street legal. Some were factory built specifically for drag racing or NASCAR. Ford made several cars that were not street legal. Any car that is factory built can be outsourced for a crate motor, custom headers, beefed up transmission, and more. Street legal cars can be made illegal for street use, and vice versa.
@@Mbartel500 Still have no idea what you’re talking about. Again, Hemi Darts were not factory built and you couldn’t buy one because they were program cars that were only sold to established drag racers. I also pointed out that they weren’t “the fastest factory offering” because they were getting beaten by Cobra Jet Mustangs in NHRA Super Stock.
I can’t figure out why the 428 CJ is still kicking ass and taking names in B and C Stock in NHRA. I have a friend running in B/SA and can blow the index all to hell. Best of 10.44. Factory Stock. I won’t say that they could be the fastest, but mine never got beat. I must have had a unicorn. From all of the comments I have read that they weren’t that fast, but I street raced and I did well with it. ruclips.net/video/EuvQZhlEX8w/видео.htmlsi=SHN8oBQxU8GC7C8T
The 428 Cobra Jet in 1968 was ok. it wasnt particularly competitive with offerings from GM or MOPAR. Had it been running a 427 sideoiler it would have been quire competitive.
And yet a 428 Cobra Jet Mustang won Super Stock Eliminator at the ‘68 NHRA Winternationals beating 32 cars including 21 Chrysler Hemis - Hmmm! Also, you should google the differences between the 427’s, 428 CJ’s and Boss 429’s.
My current 17' Super Sport Camaro 6spd has a back seat that folds down giving me access to the trunk in case I need to hall something long like skis or 2x4s.
@@AtropalArbaal-dk8jv On what? The 428CJ put down 400 in tune. They had many inherent advantages in their design. Good physics and engineering. I wish Ford would make them today for “off-road” and vintage use instead of the 427 Windsor.
Fastest? Quickest? Need-ta define the question. Compare it to a 68 Hemi Dart. A 68 S/S AMX. A RAII firebird. 68 W-30. A 68 427 Vette.All rare, and all quick. But no doubt, the 68 CJ Muscrat, in the Ford promo at the drags is a cool commecial. :) Oh, and the RA scoop (?) was generally useless. Much like the 65-70 GTOs, and 67-69 Fbirds. Didn't accomplish much. Too low. But they sure looked wicked, when showing it off. They did help by isolating the hot underhood air tho.
There were 80 Hemi Darts produced in ‘68. They were not factory built - they were outsourced. They were limited production race cars sold with no warranty to established drag racers. Why would we compare Mustangs and other pedestrian muscle cars of the day to something like that?
I dislike the 67-69 Mustang. The original car was way much nicer looking. I'll take a 1966 271 HP Mustang over most versions that came later. The dash is almost a clone of my 2005 Mustang.
I don't think so. I owned a Firebird 400 Ram Air with close ratio 4-speed and 4:33 gears. No mustang came close, except for Shelby with a 427 side Oiler.
No. I’ve restored fords since 2001. 428 cj was not faster than a good 390 with the right gear. Honestly. They’re way overrated. Besides. You could get a W code 427 in a cougar. Which is a lot more engine in several ways. The 428 cj had many warranty issues. Valve guides being chief. They ate heads when new.
And yet, from everything I’ve read, 428 Cobra Jets were dominating the NHRA Stock and Super Stock classes back then and I never saw a single reference to a Ford team running a 390 after the CJs were introduced to drag racing in 12/68.
@ those drag cars were heavily modified FE versions. Not box stock 428cjs. Look. I’m not dogging them. I’ve had the pleasure of restoring 12 cj mustangs and cougars. 3 of which were scj drag pack cars. As long as you go through them and change the valve guides to modern versions , upgrade the rocker shafts IF you’re putting a larger cam and stiffer springs in it you’re good. Look up the records on the ford warranty claims for them when new. My father in law and his brother both bought new 428cj Torino s in 69. Both had heads replaced under warranty. The brother 3 sets. I own those heads. They were tossing them out , and installing new. So he loaded them up and brought them home. Stayed just his basement for years. Valve guides are trash. They both sold those cars because of that issue, and bought 70 cougar and a 70 Mk3 Lincoln to replace them. If I’m lying I’m dying. So yes. Ford was fast. But I’m speaking to longevity and stock for stock power. You can take an S code 68 mustang sided by side with an R code 68 and if the 390 has a good deep gear , they’ll run fender to fender. I say that because ford has a habit of putting 3.00 gears in 390 cars unless ordered differently. Which made them a hair more pedestrian and tame. Driveable. Etc. Which the 428 is going to get 3.90 or 4.30 gears a lot of the time.
So many faster cars, Yenko/ motion Everything, 68 Buick GS 68 olds 442, 68 firebird ram air II, the Mustang was the second slowest car made, next to the AMX
@JerryM-p2v I'll be kickin' 81 next June. I was present when every one of these great cars were born. Just sold my '74 Nova last month to a local boy. 383 stroker sbc. Still riding a '98 Shadow 1100. I lived during the golden age of fast cars that had what is long gone from modern cars: SOUL.
These are fast, fun cars but not the fastest. I had a '69 428 SCJ 'R' Code plus drag pack. Also fun. In 68 Hemi's, 440's, 427's were all faster depending on gears and such. Cheers.
though I luv the new for ‘68 1/2 cobra jet 428 mustang originated by Tasca Ford, it was certainly NOT the fastest car in that year. My vote would go to the 1968 L88 427 Vette. Hemi roadrunners needed worked on to be fast.
@@rickdebruhlcars This was not even Fords fastest mustang in 1968. Shelby KR500's were more powerful and faster even if most are considered paper cars. NHRA classed these 428 scj mustangs in C/S as were the 351 Cleveland mustangs if that tells you anything. A Boss 429 mustang was something to brag about but this one is kinda eh........
My 2nd car was a 68 &1/2 Cobra Jet. I bought it in 1979 for $2000. White with black interior 4 speed. Looked just like that one on the outside but with black interior
And my side stripes were black also. Loved that car. Sold it in 2003 for a bunch of money to a collector. I bought a 03 Mach 1 azure blue for my driver and still have it. Great car. Lots of fun to drive. Sometimes I miss the Cobra Jet though.
Great video! The 68CJ has always been on my bucket list. Closest I came was a 67 GT-500.
Hi Morgan, do you still have the green 2 dr Fairlane 428? You are a hero.
The '67 GT500 was a better car.
@@AtropalArbaal-dk8jv I'd take the '67 GT500 in a heartbeat over the 68 CJ Mustang.
The '68 Hemi Dart was the quickest car in '68. I agree that the '67s and '68s were better looking than the '65 and '66. The 428 was probably the best STREET engine Ford ever built...it was a beast!
Agreed. There wasn't much in it though. A street 68 CJ could pull 13.5 down the quarter all day.
The L88/ZL1 Corvette/Camaro were vastly faster than any other car!
@@buzzwaldron6195 how many of those were actually on the street? Chances on seeing one while cruising down Main St on Saturday night was pretty slim.
@@anthonytomaro8278 - L88 engine in the standard '66 - '69 Corvette sales literature as an option... manual or automatic trans... various rear end ratios... colors...
10.01 was only beat 50 years later, by wait, the 2018 dodge demon
the 1968 is my favorite year for the Mustang. I had a 68 302 GT Fastback
I slightly prefer the more angular lines of the '67 but both just so great.
I love this
@@KingCast65 the only difference between 67 & 68 were the grill, 68 didn't have the bars and the molding on the quarter panel, 68 was just a straight where as 67 looked more like a grill
Great cars indeed. I think another thing that impacted Mustang sales, especially for 68, was the release of the Firebird as well. In any event, great content as always. Belated Happy Thanksgiving ~ Chuck
A UAW strike in late 67 didn't help either.
@ Fair point, I had forgotten. Thank you again ~ Chuck
First year Fbird was 67, ( as was the Camaro). And yes, Gm did need a competitor for the Muscrat.
@@joequillun7790LOL.
Cool! Did not know the subtle differences between the 67 and 68. Besides the quarter panel flare vents, I didn't think there was that much!
Great content Rick!!!!~~
I don't know any other car as beautiful as the 1968 Ford Mustang😢😢😢
I love the 67-68 styling!
👍👍👍@@rickdebruhlcars
I love the one I have in original condition😢@@rickdebruhlcars
The featured car is a 1968 1/2 Mustang GT. The GT option included the R-Code 428 Cobra Jet. Rather than the proper black interior this car has a blue thus providing the hideous blue C-Stripes. The classic off-white Wimbledon White with the matte black hood, black interior and black non-reflective C-stripes is most probably the best looking of what collectors refer to as simply a CJ. The profile of the car looks mean and with the CJ loud and rumbling makes a statement. Yes, the CJ is the fastest Ford production Mustang of the classic era.
The Camaro was way prettier than that Barge.
That quarter panel "light" is actually a reflector.
Thanks - I was wondering about that…
there are a couple of 427 fast backs out in the wild...one still with its original owner ! ex ford program cars from 67 !
11.56 seconds @ 120.64 mph quarter mile at the 1968 Winternationals! 👍
Did win the Winter Nationals in 68
Explain what your statement means, sir. You won your class ?
Of course the L88/ZL1 Corvette/Camaro were vastly faster than any other car!
The Corvette was/is a sports car. Chevrolet built 80 L88 Corvettes in 1968 - even though they came out as RPO’s they were hardly regular production cars - they were built as race cars. Yes, we all know they were vastly faster but since there were only 80 of them do they really belong in a discussion about Ford Mustangs and all the other muscle cars of the day that high school kids were buying? Should we bring European exotics into the discussion too? Again, I don’t see the relevance.
@charliechristie2949 He means that a ‘68 428 Cobra Jet Mustang won Super Stock Eliminator at the NHRA Winternationals at Pomona. This is where Ford debuted the CJ - the car beat 32 other cars including 21 Mopar Hemis to win the title. Any other questions?
It was definitely the horsepower wars back in those days. I remember one of my friends in high school had a 1968 Cougar GTE with the 7.0 liter 427 side oiler in it. As I remember, only about 350 of them were built with the 427 engine package. His had the C-6 automatic in it as they all did if they had the 427 engine option. It was basically robbed out of the factory stock of engines they put in the Shelby 427 AC Cobra. So yeah... it was fast. REALLY fast.
My brother and I went in 50/50 on a 1969 Cougar that had the factory drag pack set up with the 428 SCJ and the 4-speed. Bought from the original owner that had received it from her dad as a graduation gift from high school. Oh how I wish I would have kept that car as they did not make very many of them. Back then in the late 1970's & early 1980's these cars were cheap as the only guys that wanted them the gear heads and drag racers. When my brother and I bought that Cougar, we had looked at a 1970 426 Hemi Challenger with a 4-speed, orange on black interior. We passed on it because the dealer wanted $3,000 for it and we thought that was ridiculous, so we bought the Cougar instead because it was less money...🤦♂
Those were the days...
We thought those day swere long gone and now factory cars are pushing more than 700 hp!
The 1968 sales numbers were lower because many of those that wanted Mustangs had bought them already. Market saturation is a real issue when it comes to maintaining a car's
production numbers.
For a factory built road car you could buy from the dealer It was actually a 428 powered Cougar that took the crown in '68 with a 1/4 mile time of 13.28
The 68' Charger would take the crown for top speed pushing over 200mph at Daytona with a modified 494ci 426 Hemi which was not allowed to participate in Nascar.
In fact the L88/ZL1 Corvette/Camaro were vastly faster than any other car!
But the Hemi Darts went 1001
Factory Products
One comment: The 289 was NOT "replaced by the 302". The Ford factory brochure describes the 302 as intended for "sedan racing, on special order." That engine was not intended as a simple replacement for the 289. I had a '68 with the 289, which was the most common V8 powerplant that year. Ford suffered a strike at the beginning of the '68 model year, which delayed production by about three months. This is why some of the planned changes and engine offerings were changed or cancelled, from the original offering. This video is correct in stating that Ford offered the 427 V8 originally, but that in reality, none were ever delivered. Ford knew the strike was coming, and it has been suggested that this was why the car wasn't changed more than it was in 1968.
The 302 replaced the 289 mid year in 68.
That is a beautiful car!
I absolutely love the 67/68 body style.
Nice review!
Uncle owned a very good running 67' GTX 440 and said he never lost to a cheby but the only car that got'em was the 428 CJ Mustang.
The L88 Corvette was probably the fastest factory optioned car you could buy in 68. Even the more streetable L72 Corvette was more than a match for any mustang including the Cobra Jets and Shelby's. The L72 was well known to produce over 450hp in stock trim and the L88 has been proven to produce as much as 585hp in stock trim on period correct dyno equipment.
Lots of great cars in this era, but in stock trim the mustang wasn't a contender for fastest car. I remember those years well and in stock trim the fastest mustangs were running mid 14s quarter mile. A well optioned example with an experienced driver might turn a high 13, but so could many Camaro, Firebird, . GTO , any of Mopars Hemi cars, plus a slew of dealer prepped cars running 12s or better.
Now if Ford had put a side oiler 427 or the cammer in the mustang it could have some bragging rights.
I would have thought the 68 Cougar GTE with the 427 would have been faster!
Actually the L88/ZL1 Corvette/Camaro were vastly faster than any other car!
@@buzzwaldron6195 with the right tires. Thunderbolt would thrash it though. Technically street legal and sub-12...with the right tires
@@bbb462cid - Thunderbolt wasn't publicly available...
@@buzzwaldron6195 So what? That's not part of the situation.
@@bbb462cid - If going to include cars not publicly for sale, might as well include a John force 2.8 second rail dragster...
My old 65 Barracuda had a back seat that folded down something this.
I had a 68 shelby 500KR with a SCJ. Back when we had "track days at SAAC, the SCJ was just that little bit faster than the CJ's, maybe jsut because we were willing to spin them a bit faster...
My old 69' Ply Road Runner safety harnesses were never even removed from the ceiling except one time in the late 70s or early 80s just to try it out. I was sorry I tried it because I could never get it folded up nice and neat and put back like it was from the factory.
My second car was a 68 390 GT Fastback w/4 speed. Bought it in 1970 as a 16 year old kid, for $1500. It was a pretty fast car. Mine must have been built prior to 1/1/68 because it had no shoulder harnesses. Always wished it was a 428 CJ, but I collected enough tickets with the 390 as it was. Also, like your feature car, mine didn't have power steering, but it did have the fast ratio steering box. MAN, that was hard to turn! A junkyard supplied a power steering set-up that made the world of difference. I sold it in order to buy a Corvair, and I haven't been without one since.
I'm not sure my driver's license would have survived a Mustang with a 390 when I was 16...
@@rickdebruhlcars I spent a lot of $$ on lawyers and spent a lot of time in court! But no crashes at all!
McQueen's car was a heavily modified '68 S-Code 390. The GT's don't come with power steering but using one as a driver it's not difficult to install it and is virtually mandatory with the 4.30 gear ratio. Was yours Highland "McQueen" Green?
@@MarkRoberts-bj2me Mine was dark blue, with a white C stripe. P/S was available, as was A/C, but both were options.
Dude you did a great job on this video. Great pitch, inflection, enthusiasm, all of it. My Dad's boss had a '69 Boss 302 and I remember the era so well. I still preferred the older body style though and the way those seats folded would make a 911 blush. Did the earlier Fastback have it set up the same way?
Fastest "Special" would have been one of the '68 Hemi Barracudas or Darts.
Fastest normal production would have been the L88 Corvette.
Very true, the L88/ZL1 Corvette/Camaro were vastly faster than any other car!
Great observation! Hemi Darts and Barracudas were outsourced, limited production race cars that were untitled and only sold to established drag racing teams. Funny that, as the “fastest Specials”, they made up some of the 21 Mopar Hemis that Al Joniec beat driving his ‘68 Mustang Cobra Jet when he won Super Stock Eliminator at the ‘68 NHRA Winternationals. He went undefeated that day beating a total of 32 cars. Even though they were sold as regular production orders, L88 Corvettes were factory produced race cars. There were only 80 of them built in ‘68 and, according to what I read, the vast majority of them built in ‘67 and ‘68 went to professional racing teams. - hardly “normal production”. Doesn’t seem like any one of the three cars you mentioned belong in a discussion about a car (Mustang) that could be bought by a high school kid…
Werent special, were factory
And no again, o 68 yes. But 69 was the 427 Camaro
@mikeharms8388
The '68 BO29 and LO23 were not in the dealer order guide. Your dealer had to get approval to order one. Whether they got that depended on their contacts, the dealers resume and/or the potential customers resume.
They were intended for Super Stock competition and built at Hurst Performance and included the Race Hemi not the Street Hemi. They included statements saying not intended for street use (They were not certified for '68 emissions and some components didn't comply with '68 safety standards), no warranty, engine blueprinting recommended.
They are akin to the modern Cobrajet Mustang. I consider these kind of cars "Specials". You are free to consider them regular production if you choose.
The L88 would of course have been a '68 since the topic was model year specific. They would have needed a fan shroud installled to cool in traffic, but they met '68 emissions and safety standards, were in the regular dealer order guide and could be ordered by any dealer for any customer. I consider these regular production cars.
Just for clarification in the interest of accuracy. That's a 'Hurst' -- not a William Randolph 'Hearst' shifter.
George Hurst
Good one!
The fastest stock was the 1968 L-88 Corvette. Put on a set of cheater slicks and a quarter tank of Chevron Custom Supreme and you had a 10 second 1/4 mile car. I had a 1968 Corvette 390 hp 4-speed convertible that ran 13:40 at 110 stock through the mufflers and met one such vehicle at SIR in the fall of 1969 running in the 10's.
Awesome car! I love all musclecars and thanks for sharing!
Fastest? No.
427 Vette's, and specifically 1968 HEMI Darts and Barracuda's. The NHRA had to make a class just for the HEMI cars.
‘68 Hemi Darts and Barracudas were not factory built - they were outsourced, limited production race cars with no warranty and only sold to established drag racers. A ‘68 Mustang 428 CJ won the Super Stock Eliminator title at the ‘68 NHRA Winternationals beating 32 cars including 21 Chrysler Hemis! All the winners of the Super Stock classes funneled into Super Stock Eliminator to determine the championship for the event. This event was the NHRA debut for the Cobra Jet - they went on to dominate Stock and Super Stock Eliminator for the next two years. Fastest? Yes…(not sure where you’re getting your information from)
Merry Christmas ✝️
Merry Christmas to you too!
Considering that there were three high performance 427 Corvettes, 396 Chevelle's, and Mopar Hemis, not even close
Plus the L88/ZL1 Corvette/Camaro were vastly faster than any other car! And a factory option in the standard sales literature...
396 Chevelles saw the tail lights of a 68 CJ all day. If we want to throw out anomalies...the 427 Fairlane from 66-67 were daddy rabbit
@buzzwaldron6195 You keep citing the “standard sales literature” but there were only 80 L88 Corvettes built in ‘68. Again, they were factory built race cars sold primarily to professional racing teams so not really comparable to regular production Mustangs that you would find in any high school parking lot back in the late ‘60s and ‘70s. ZL1s were exotic all aluminum versions of the L88 and even more rare so it’s even more absurd to mention them in this discussion.
I’d always heard the negative comments about the 67 Mustang’s size were attributed to Carrol Shelby. Yet it was Shelby who stuffed a 428 PI and added a second four barrel to the 1967 to create the GT500. That it was Iacocca makes since. The 390 had made more horsepower in days gone by, so the question is why the 390 that went into the Mustang and Fairlane GT (and others) limited to 325 horses out the door?
I grew up in that era, but didn’t know anyone with an FE Mustang. And all my acquaintances a decade later in high school who had Stangs had either sixes or Windsors. Anyway, a really nice video. I’d say differences in ETs between a Cougar and a Mustang equipped with the same drive train could be attributed to how the cars were prepped, the atmospheric conditions of a given day, and the drivers.
And the driver's foot...
8-10 years later was when they got out more. I built FEs in the 70s when they were just used cars and 428 3 rib blocks were in junkyards. The hot street ticket was the D 427 solid cam and 2 4V MR intake. They were respectable and still strong at the track.
@@sombra6153 A 410 ci FE power honed to 4.055 with 2618 alloy forged pistons with a 1.15 compression height and 7.0005 198 Slant 6 rods from the D300 that were 5140 forged steel and treated to a polish and shot peen with SPS or ARP 3/8 2000 bolts and the 3.98 turned to 4 inch and the smaller diameter with oversized tri- metal bearings 410 stroke and that D solid cam and the aluminum MR 2 4V intake all ARPstuds. And internal balance. Good headers in the 67-68 fastback was a real sleeper. 413 ci. And I drove it to school every day with 3 inch open pipes out in front of the wheels. 7000 redline but really happy at 6200. It sounded and ran so good. I’m 64 now and I can’t see to drive, but that thing really got the job done. Those engineers knew what they were doing. Every modern American muscle engine has some FE DNA.
I had a 69 Mach 1 with a 428SCJ with the Drag Pack 4:30 gears which I bought from Tasca Ford ,at that time there was No Way a 428CJ Cougar could run with me. In fact Tasca had a Lincoln / Mercury just up the road and never even seen a XR7 CJ back then ,they were definitely heavier than a Mustang.Back then I ran pure stock E/SA @ Conn Dragway and New England Dragway, times were consistently 13.72 13.79 which was a very fast street car in it's day.
I hada 67 GT Fastback with 390 4 speed 390 axle and it would have been great to have the 427. That's the engine to have. Monsters with mechanical cam. The sound with open pipes. The Sound , Heavenly.
A 1968 mustang is my dream but it will never be mine😢😢😢
What about the ford gt itself? Or this is about street car only?
My friend had a '66 with that 200ci and in the early 2000s it was a head turner but we prayed nobody tried racing it. That motor took alot of hell from some teenagers for being almost 40y/o at the time. Try that with anything made after 2005?!
I'm always impressed when someone has a muscle-era car that still has its 6-cylinder. So many times they get swapped out.
Lol! My dad had a ford torino with this engine and we stopped at a light, and a Plymouth roadrunner jacked up to the sky big wide meats and waves a $100.00 bill at my Dad, he chuckled and he ain't got a motor to turn them tires! My brother and me were with and my dad didnt bite....pissed me right off! Bad! I was 9 . Lol!
The '68 Hemi Dart & Barracuda would like to have a word...
Thank you Rick
still had k code in 67 and 68 4 BBL 302
Strange why they chose the 428 not the 427 side oiler.
I think it's because they were already using the 428 in the Galaxie so it was easy to expand production.
The 428 was Ford's answer to building a cheaper 427.. like Lee iacocca said the 428 was a boat anchor compared to the 427.. if they had a 4:27 in a mustang it would scare the hell out of you. . the 427 was a hand built pure race engine.. that cost for a lot of money.. but they got a lot of advertisement that helped... General motors 427 was nothing close to what a Ford 427 would do...😊
@timr31908
Seems to confirm what I always thought about the lack of a factory 427 Mustang.
There seems to be some club racer specials been built with some impressive on board video on YT.
@@timr31908 How do you explain how Mercury got to put the 427 in the 1968 Cougar, yet Ford could not put it in the Mustang?
I have a Red 68-1/2 CJ Hardtop (non fastback). Her name is 'Red Jet'. Just remember, it doesn't have to be a fastback to be fast.
The best looking car ever built the mustang Ford power forever baby a real Chevy and dodge killer the best never rest they just keep getting better has a Ford blu by you later come get some
I really wish they had put the 427 in the mustang. I think quarter mile times would have been better.
1968 Hemi Roadrunner with comparable gearing would walk this Mustang...! and I love Ford's.😮😊
68' l023 dart with the 426 hemi..
Fastest 1/4 mile till 2018 demon
Thats what i said
It's my big dream in life to own this car, it's a pity that this dream will remain😢😢😢
You can always get a 302 and work your way up!
I live in Azerbaijan, it is very expensive to bring to our country😢😢😢
Anumber of them were sold in Jamaica.
Traction was the go to to go fast with what ever engine
The Dodge L023 Hemi Dart was the fastest factory offering in 1968. There were only 80 made, and they were specifically engineered for drag racing in the super stock class. They had specially built 426 hemis and drivetrains to handle the extra power, and stress of drag racing. They weren't street legal from the factory, but they were the most powerful factory built car you could buy back then.
Well actually the L88/ZL1 Corvette/Camaro were vastly faster than any other car! And a factory option in the standard sales literature...
??? In fact, they were NOT factory built - they were outsourced! You’re right - not street legal and no warranty. They were built for and distributed to established drag racers. So if they’re non-street legal race cars why would you consider them a “factory offering”? That doesn’t even make sense! And, BTW, Al Joniec in his ‘68 Mustang 428 Cobra Jet beat 32 cars at the ‘68 NHRA Winternationals to win Super Stock Eliminator. That included 21 Chrysler Hemis, some of which were Hemi Darts - the “fastest factory offering” according to you…Hmmm
@ not all factory built cars are street legal. Some were factory built specifically for drag racing or NASCAR. Ford made several cars that were not street legal. Any car that is factory built can be outsourced for a crate motor, custom headers, beefed up transmission, and more. Street legal cars can be made illegal for street use, and vice versa.
@@Mbartel500 Still have no idea what you’re talking about. Again, Hemi Darts were not factory built and you couldn’t buy one because they were program cars that were only sold to established drag racers. I also pointed out that they weren’t “the fastest factory offering” because they were getting beaten by Cobra Jet Mustangs in NHRA Super Stock.
1968 L88 would give it a run for its money
Both of them were less than 6 seconds 0-60 mph.
1968 is seemingly the finest year for the Ford Mustang, period. Cars like that ate too much gas. That got costly by 1973.
Street racing was big.
😍🐎💪🇺🇸👊🏁
He says the 428 CJ had a lot more hp than 335 then why doesn't say the actual hp then? I'm starting to think it was only the 335hp and no more.
I can’t figure out why the 428 CJ is still kicking ass and taking names in B and C Stock in NHRA. I have a friend running in B/SA and can blow the index all to hell. Best of 10.44. Factory Stock. I won’t say that they could be the fastest, but mine never got beat. I must have had a unicorn. From all of the comments I have read that they weren’t that fast, but I street raced and I did well with it.
ruclips.net/video/EuvQZhlEX8w/видео.htmlsi=SHN8oBQxU8GC7C8T
She is a beauty, love the cobra jets
Noooo. The 68.5 CJ Cougar was! 😁
Was not the Cougar top model 7:29 faster? Talkin' Fo Mo Co here. Any var with the Ford 427 is faster and I'm sure of it. Factory spec.
There are the fastest cars made and the fastest to ever be seen on the road. If only 10 or 20 were made does it matter how fast they are.
It is the most beautiful car in the world😢😢😢
The 428 Cobra Jet in 1968 was ok. it wasnt particularly competitive with offerings from GM or MOPAR.
Had it been running a 427 sideoiler it would have been quire competitive.
And yet a 428 Cobra Jet Mustang won Super Stock Eliminator at the ‘68 NHRA Winternationals beating 32 cars including 21 Chrysler Hemis - Hmmm! Also, you should google the differences between the 427’s, 428 CJ’s and Boss 429’s.
Al Joniec
The 1968 Winter Nationals Super Stock winner was Al Joniec in his 1968 Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet1
See, people need to understand the difference between Fastest, (meaning TOP Speed) and Quickest, (acceleration rate). It's very simple
BOTH true for the L88/ZL1 Corvette/Camaro were vastly faster than any other car! And a factory option in the standard sales literature...
@buzzwaldron6195 Yea the L88 has always been the KING of the BBC and that means you LS6 guys also.
Quickest or fastest? Obviously there's a difference.
So would you like the Super Cobra Jet for $300 more sir ?
Na I'll take the 8 track stereo option instead 🙄
My current 17' Super Sport Camaro 6spd has a back seat that folds down giving me access to the trunk in case I need to hall something long like skis or 2x4s.
Dude, you are sooo wrong! He called the 71 a fat pig, get ur facts rt.
My research showed both cars. Honestly, the comment would make more sense for the 71. But when I ran it by my Mustang expert he said 67.
That "400 HP" figure isn't remotely accurate.
@@AtropalArbaal-dk8jv On what? The 428CJ put down 400 in tune. They had many inherent advantages in their design. Good physics and engineering. I wish Ford would make them today for “off-road” and vintage use instead of the 427 Windsor.
edgemar!
Bullshit those dam things were terrible see how many they sold
68' Vette. 427 3X2 bbl carbs, 4 spd. 3:23 posi.
Both ran sub-6 second 0-60 times. It all came down to your foot and reaction times.
A Shelby 427 cobra was way waaayyy faster!!
Yes... but they didn't sell them in 1968!
@ I was under the impression they sold the 66 model for several years. As they didn’t exactly sell quickly.
Quick maybe, but not the fastest. I would think a 68 BB vette would be faster.
Fastest? Quickest? Need-ta define the question. Compare it to a 68 Hemi Dart. A 68 S/S AMX. A RAII firebird. 68 W-30. A 68 427 Vette.All rare, and all quick. But no doubt, the 68 CJ Muscrat, in the Ford promo at the drags is a cool commecial. :) Oh, and the RA scoop (?) was generally useless. Much like the 65-70 GTOs, and 67-69 Fbirds. Didn't accomplish much. Too low. But they sure looked wicked, when showing it off. They did help by isolating the hot underhood air tho.
There were 80 Hemi Darts produced in ‘68. They were not factory built - they were outsourced. They were limited production race cars sold with no warranty to established drag racers. Why would we compare Mustangs and other pedestrian muscle cars of the day to something like that?
No a 68 cobra jet wasn't the fastest car in 68 anything with a hemi was
I dislike the 67-69 Mustang. The original car was way much nicer looking. I'll take a 1966 271 HP Mustang over most versions that came later. The dash is almost a clone of my 2005 Mustang.
Mustang II was best looking!
I don't think so. I owned a Firebird 400 Ram Air with close ratio 4-speed and 4:33 gears. No mustang came close, except for Shelby with a 427 side Oiler.
No. I’ve restored fords since 2001. 428 cj was not faster than a good 390 with the right gear. Honestly. They’re way overrated. Besides. You could get a W code 427 in a cougar. Which is a lot more engine in several ways. The 428 cj had many warranty issues. Valve guides being chief. They ate heads when new.
And yet, from everything I’ve read, 428 Cobra Jets were dominating the NHRA Stock and Super Stock classes back then and I never saw a single reference to a Ford team running a 390 after the CJs were introduced to drag racing in 12/68.
@ those drag cars were heavily modified FE versions. Not box stock 428cjs. Look. I’m not dogging them. I’ve had the pleasure of restoring 12 cj mustangs and cougars. 3 of which were scj drag pack cars. As long as you go through them and change the valve guides to modern versions , upgrade the rocker shafts IF you’re putting a larger cam and stiffer springs in it you’re good. Look up the records on the ford warranty claims for them when new. My father in law and his brother both bought new 428cj Torino s in 69. Both had heads replaced under warranty. The brother 3 sets. I own those heads. They were tossing them out , and installing new. So he loaded them up and brought them home. Stayed just his basement for years. Valve guides are trash. They both sold those cars because of that issue, and bought 70 cougar and a 70 Mk3 Lincoln to replace them. If I’m lying I’m dying. So yes. Ford was fast. But I’m speaking to longevity and stock for stock power. You can take an S code 68 mustang sided by side with an R code 68 and if the 390 has a good deep gear , they’ll run fender to fender. I say that because ford has a habit of putting 3.00 gears in 390 cars unless ordered differently. Which made them a hair more pedestrian and tame. Driveable. Etc. Which the 428 is going to get 3.90 or 4.30 gears a lot of the time.
most people put chevy engines in their old fords. not the other way around
Bull shit.
Most?
SBC engines fit easily into most things...
pinto.
Corvette 427 eats its lunch
Nah… for those of us that were there nothing was faster than a well tuned 440 6 pack roadrunner…😊
The answer to your question as the title of this video… Not even close !
It was definitely close...
Modern honda accord will give a run for its money.
The Accord would definitely win in the turns, but the Cobra Jet would win in a straight line.
So many faster cars, Yenko/ motion Everything, 68 Buick GS 68 olds 442, 68 firebird ram air II, the Mustang was the second slowest car made, next to the AMX
GTO ram air 4 ,396/375 chevelle, 66 nova L79, many faster cars
I agree with all of the above.
@@garyhull5617 obviously you are as old are you, lmao
Especially the motion performance stuff , you’re showing our age CARS magazine
@JerryM-p2v I'll be kickin' 81 next June. I was present when every one of these great cars were born. Just sold my '74 Nova last month to a local boy. 383 stroker sbc. Still riding a '98 Shadow 1100. I lived during the golden age of fast cars that had what is long gone from modern cars: SOUL.
These are fast, fun cars but not the fastest. I had a '69 428 SCJ 'R' Code plus drag pack. Also fun. In 68 Hemi's, 440's, 427's were all faster depending on gears and such. Cheers.
Yessir, the L88/ZL1 Corvette/Camaro were vastly faster than any other car! And a factory option in the standard sales literature...
Both could run sub-6 second 0-60 times, so it probably came down to the driver!
though I luv the new for ‘68 1/2 cobra jet 428 mustang originated by Tasca Ford, it was certainly NOT the fastest car in that year. My vote would go to the 1968 L88 427 Vette. Hemi roadrunners needed worked on to be fast.
It was already in the Galaxie so it was easy to expand its production.
1968 Yenco Camaro 427😮
no. not even close. Nice though.
It was close enough that reaction time and a quick foot would make the difference.
@@rickdebruhlcars This was not even Fords fastest mustang in 1968. Shelby KR500's were more powerful and faster even if most are considered paper cars. NHRA classed these 428 scj mustangs in C/S as were the 351 Cleveland mustangs if that tells you anything. A Boss 429 mustang was something to brag about but this one is kinda eh........
Bollocks, the big block Camaro would eat it alive.
😂🤣Not on any day. Step away from the crack pipe.
1968 Camaro SS with 427 package would argue who is the fastest? I believe the Camaro was a bit faster quarter mile half mile
I would have to say the Super rare 1968 Yenko Camaro 417 were probably faster.
A. No!
Video is should be 5 or 6 mins.