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1968 MUSTANG GT CONV J CODE W/ALTERED VIN 8T03J194048

I am not a fan at all of coupe to fastback conversions as it has the potential to lower the value of an actual FB. Lots of folks really don't care about originality over the chance to own a FB. But if a buyer is not smart enough to quickly check a VIN stamp to make sure it is a true FB that is on them.

Most of the conversions I have seen the VIN stamps were not swapped and the coupe (now FB) still carries its original VIN stamps and are titled as a coupe. In the same vein as in the original example, if everything is swapped over and a "new" FB wasn't created, just an old one reborn, I'm OK with it. I suppose though I could have seen a FB which was really a conversion complete with VIN swap and never knew it!

I don’t see any difference of taking a clapped out fb and using a donor coupe to repair it. Wouldn’t it still not be a fb? I don’t see the problem with that. Shoot it would be more original than a dynacorn replacement sheet metal restored car.


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I don’t see any difference of taking a clapped out fb and using a donor coupe to repair it. Wouldn’t it still not be a fb? I don’t see the problem with that. Shoot it would be more original than a dynacorn replacement sheet metal restored car.
I'm not being hypocritical on this. I'm likely good with using a donor body to save an original FB. Not a fan of just swapping the roof as many do. While it doesn't create an additional FB, it is a short-cut way to bring the volume count up without the effort and expense of completely saving an original. Fine line but a line in my mind anyway.

This whole subject can be flipped back and forth rather easily. The only place I know I'm totally solid on is in the case of saving a truly special car. Something which was in limited supply to begin with and benefits the mustang story by saving. I LOVE 65/66 FBs, for instance, but there are enough around that losing one to rot doesn't cause them to fade away to memory.
 
I'm not being hypocritical on this. I'm likely good with using a donor body to save an original FB. Not a fan of just swapping the roof as many do. While it doesn't create an additional FB, it is a short-cut way to bring the volume count up without the effort and expense of completely saving an original. Fine line but a line in my mind anyway.

This whole subject can be flipped back and forth rather easily. The only place I know I'm totally solid on is in the case of saving a truly special car. Something which was in limited supply to begin with and benefits the mustang story by saving. I LOVE 65/66 FBs, for instance, but there are enough around that losing one to rot doesn't cause them to fade away to memory.

I’m not disagreeing. More like adding thoughts. It is a fine line, but imo so is a restoration where most metal is replaced. At what point isn’t it the original car anymore??


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As for the VIN being different on a FB, my 65 that I sold with all original sheet metal had no difference in the VIN that I'm aware of than a C code coupe and in Utah as with many states there is no designation at DMV on the registration for a fastback. It is listed as a coupe unless it is a vert.

So hard to tell the original from a cobbled together conversion or a dynacorn body with a donor VIN.

Mel

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As for the VIN being different on a FB, my 65 that I sold with all original sheet metal had no difference in the VIN that I'm aware of than a C code coupe and in Utah as with many states there is no designation at DMV on the registration for a fastback. It is listed as a coupe unless it is a vert.

So hard to tell the original from a cobbled together conversion or a dynacorn body with a donor VIN.

Mel

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3rd characters dictate body type. 07 is a coupe 08 is a vert 09 is a fb in 65.


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3rd characters dictate body type. 07 is a coupe 08 is a vert 09 is a fb in 65.
Well, technically it is the fourth character than defines the body type but since counting isn't most Kentuckians strong suit you get a pass. :p
 
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Well, technically it is the fourth character than defines the body type but since counting isn't most Kentuckians strong suit you get a pass. :p

Yeah, that's some funny chit right there - - -

An acquaintance of mine sold his Coupe > FB conversion early last year - nice looking and from my (un)trained conversion eye seemed to be done quite well by a previous owner - When sold he did not hide the fact it was a conversion. Sold for around $14K - well below what a true FB in the same shape would have sold for.

John
 
Yeah, that's some funny chit right there - - -

An acquaintance of mine sold his Coupe > FB conversion early last year - nice looking and from my (un)trained conversion eye seemed to be done quite well by a previous owner - When sold he did not hide the fact it was a conversion. Sold for around $14K - well below what a true FB in the same shape would have sold for.

John
That's interesting. You know somewhere along the line somebody took a bath. Just to acquire all the bits needed for such a conversion has to cost thousands. Then the cost of the car and all the other normal restoration costs on top. Good on him for his honesty.
 
I was doing a coupe to FB conversion on a 65 (and sold it to a member here). I had no intention of changing the VIN and no intention to deceive anyone. I simply had a FB roof and a fairly rust free 6 cylinder coupe for pretty price. I was in fact going to just drag race it. I thought it would be cool. Anyway, my point is I guess is that the roof doner was complete junk and VIN's were gone. The 6 cylinder coupe was bought at a swap meet and may or may not have been restored but most likely would have been stripped of good parts and scrapped. So the way I look at it, I was keeping "a" Mustang alive. I have a friend who did a 67 coupe to FB conversion and he really enjoys it. It saved again two piles of junk and he also doesn't hide that it is a conversion.
 
the roof donor was complete junk and VIN's were gone.
Hmmmm. When you say the VINs were gone, gone as in missing or rotted away? I'm assuming someone took and used the VINs on a restoration project using a donor body but maybe not.
 
Hmmmm. When you say the VINs were gone, gone as in missing or rotted away? I'm assuming someone took and used the VINs on a restoration project using a donor body but maybe not.
the fastback was in a junkyard for many years. It was clear it had already been made out of three cars. The front clip was clearly from a separate car and the rear from axle back was from yet another car. I only saved the roof and scrapped the rest. There was no title for the VIN on the front clip. Rays 65 rear day1.jpg
 
Yeah, that's some funny chit right there - - -

An acquaintance of mine sold his Coupe > FB conversion early last year - nice looking and from my (un)trained conversion eye seemed to be done quite well by a previous owner - When sold he did not hide the fact it was a conversion. Sold for around $14K - well below what a true FB in the same shape would have sold for.

John

And as an update, I just happened to see this car yesterday sitting on a used car lot - Price tag of $30K - wowzers ! ! !
 
It better be a really nice car to bring in that kind of money as a Frankenstein car! Could buy a decent, driver quality true fastback for $30k.
 
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