Note: We want to thank Karen Rose for sending in this great story about her "Special Paint" 1968 Mustang Coupe. The paint code on the original data plate is blank. It is believed that the original color is the Madagascar Orange that is mentioned in her story. These stories always start with the car, but they are really about people.
When my grandmother retired from driving at the age of 89 (she's a
lively 97 now!), I bought her 1968 Mustang. It was in very good
condition as she bought it off the lot and only drove around San
Francisco and kept it garaged in her Victorian. I commuted to work in
it for a few years and when I moved to Raleigh, NC from California, I
shipped it out here. The flamboyant color reflects my grandmother's
sense of style, art and fashion which have been singularly
influential in my life. A few years ago I researched the unusual
color and came up with the following information: In the 1960's Ford
produced some limited edition Mustangs as promotions. In 1968 and
1969 the Rainbow Color Mustangs were sold in the San Jose and Los
Angeles districts. Rainbow Mustangs were well-advertised and listed
colors such as Madagascar Orange, Whipped Cream, Spanish Gold,
Dandelion Yellow, Hot Pink, Caribbean Coral, Forest Green, Sierra
Blue, and Moss Green.
lively 97 now!), I bought her 1968 Mustang. It was in very good
condition as she bought it off the lot and only drove around San
Francisco and kept it garaged in her Victorian. I commuted to work in
it for a few years and when I moved to Raleigh, NC from California, I
shipped it out here. The flamboyant color reflects my grandmother's
sense of style, art and fashion which have been singularly
influential in my life. A few years ago I researched the unusual
color and came up with the following information: In the 1960's Ford
produced some limited edition Mustangs as promotions. In 1968 and
1969 the Rainbow Color Mustangs were sold in the San Jose and Los
Angeles districts. Rainbow Mustangs were well-advertised and listed
colors such as Madagascar Orange, Whipped Cream, Spanish Gold,
Dandelion Yellow, Hot Pink, Caribbean Coral, Forest Green, Sierra
Blue, and Moss Green.
Bit by bit I have restored areas as required: the front end, the
entire cooling system, the upholstery, and my current task is the
roof situation. I call it a situation because when we removed the
vinyl top which was bubbling up from the rust underneath, we found
many holes and tons of rust. The body shops won't touch it with sand
blasting. Their solution was to cut the roof off and replace it with
another Mustang roof in better condition - this to the tune of
several thousand dollars. It is not my goal to restore the car to a
showpiece, but to enjoy as many more years out of it as possible
(without going broke in the process!). I researched at great length
and am fixing the roof with Rust Bullet and fiberglass patch and
having an upholsterer install the vinyl roof I just purchased from
Virginia Classic Mustang. I hope to tackle the rotted carpet next
and, with a few other minor fixes, will again be enjoying the
attention I've always received driving my grandmother's cool car.
entire cooling system, the upholstery, and my current task is the
roof situation. I call it a situation because when we removed the
vinyl top which was bubbling up from the rust underneath, we found
many holes and tons of rust. The body shops won't touch it with sand
blasting. Their solution was to cut the roof off and replace it with
another Mustang roof in better condition - this to the tune of
several thousand dollars. It is not my goal to restore the car to a
showpiece, but to enjoy as many more years out of it as possible
(without going broke in the process!). I researched at great length
and am fixing the roof with Rust Bullet and fiberglass patch and
having an upholsterer install the vinyl roof I just purchased from
Virginia Classic Mustang. I hope to tackle the rotted carpet next
and, with a few other minor fixes, will again be enjoying the
attention I've always received driving my grandmother's cool car.
I don't believe the Rainbow Colors promotion appeared until 1969. 1968 Mustangs and Shelbys were produced as special paint cars, but the colors do not have names, just "WT" code numbers.
ReplyDeleteHello Everyone,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Jeremy Kelley.I am the founder of www.pinkmustangs.com were I am trying to document and catagorize these rare and barley known mustangs. I would like your help, the average mustang owner who owns the special cars and would like to help me document yours. I will post a story every month of a new Pink Mustang, or "Special Paint" Mustang. Enjoy and thank you for your time.
I have articles on some of thes special paint cars. I will post them also.
Jeremy
Founder
www.PinkMustangs.com