1968 Shelby GT-500 Fastback White True Original Survivor #1663

1968 Shelby GT-500 Fastback White True Original Survivor #1663

VIN: 8T02S143521-01663

72,889 original miles (69,700 miles in 1976 when stored away after the husband suddenly passed Harold Brewer 1975.)

Discovered in Greenville, Ohio barn in 2014 by the original family after it had been parked and forgotten there since 1976. The widow (Betty Brewer) placed the Shelby and two other cars in the back of a newly constructed large shop on the property in 1976 and forgot about the cars after five decades of storing her collectables in the shop. The Shelby and the two other cars were re-discovered in 2014 by the family while examining the estate. Betty passed away in 2016 at the age of 90. Car was then sold to Gas Monkey Garage in 2017 and filmed on an episode of Discovery’s Fast N Loud.

History

Harold and Betty Brewer owned Brewer Motor Mart, a used car lot, in Union City Indiana and Greenville, Ohio, from 1949 to 1975 plus a farm and residential properties. In the late 1960’s Harold purchased a slightly used 1968 Shelby GT-500 for a gentleman from Indianapolis who ordered the Shelby from Ed Martin Ford, a well-known Indiana dealer and the nearest Shelby dealer.

In 1974 Harold placed his Shelby for sale on his used car lot in Greenville Ohio. He sold the car to a local family located on the other side of the state-line in Indiana. George and Barbara Dillon bought the Shelby and drove it around with their kids for a couple of months and had it registered on Indiana license plate 68C 786, last renewed in February of 1974 and the last license plate that this Shelby ever displayed on the road. Unfortunately George lost his Job and the Dillon’s returned the GT500 back to Harold on a $50 deposit hold and never got the car back but it is rumored that their grandson still has the second set of original keys in his possession. The short ownership of the Dillon’s was very important with this Shelby’s history as they took photographs of the car that you can still see the same details in the car as it stands today. Take note to the same tires bought at Sears in 1974 and the paint blemish in the bottom right passenger door in the photographs with the car today. The original cardboard early 1970’s floormats from Greenville Bank when the car was for sale on Harold’s lot are still in the car today!

Harold drove the Shelby around again in the end of 1974 but died from a coronary in 1975 the same year he and Betty were building a new house and large barn. “He never got to work in his brand-new barn or live in the brand-new brick home” that he and Betty were in the midst of building, Gene Weyant said of his uncle. Someone, probably Betty, took the Shelby to have its oil changed before the car was put into permanent storage. Between 1976 and 2016, only about 2,000 miles were added to the car’s odometer.

More than two years before she passed away, Betty produced a shoebox of skeleton keys to the barn. “I’d always suspected there might be cars in there,” Gene said. It took him and his wife, Wanda, a long time to locate the proper key to open the barn, which was chock full of items his aunt and uncle collected over the decades. The barn was built with a secondary, windowless smaller space within, which is what Gene went to check first. After moving several items and cardboard pieces in his way, Gene found himself staring at the nose of a car he did not immediately recognize.

“I got a cardboard corner up and saw the grill of a Shelby but didn’t know what it was at first,” he clarified. “I’d seen Shelbys on the road but not up close. I’d never seen a front end like that.”

After doing some Internet research, Gene learned the car’s identity. “It’s in absolutely original condition – white with black seats. I thought, ‘We really have something like this?’” At that time that’s all Gene could see. He and Wanda still needed to find a way to unlock the door to the separate space.

Gene wasn’t the only who suspected the barn might have cars in it. Mark Wolf, who lived across the street, said he had seen Betty open the barn garage doors for years to get out and put away a lawnmower but he couldn’t see any cars because of the other items inside. “It was rumored there was a Mustang in there but not a Shelby,” Wolf said.

Once the couple finally located the second key, they found the Shelby wasn’t alone. A 1929 Model A Ford and a 1940 Ford Deluxe two-door convertible shared the space.

“Uncle Howard invested his money into real estate and cars,” Gene recalled.

Betty lived until September 2016. Gene and Wanda had the task of liquidating not only Betty’s household belongings but the barn cars they found. A local auctioneer handled the household sale and he called some contacts at automobile auction houses about the three vehicles. Enthusiasts got wind of the find and expressed interest, one of those being Gas Monkey Garage’s Richard Rawlings, who visited the Greenville, Ohio area in the summer of 2017 to buy the cars.

Current Condition

Not much has changed with this Shelby since it was parked in the Brewer’s shop in 1976 and completely sat dormant and preserved until 2018. The car was sold to us as non running and that possibly that the original date code correct numbers matching 360 horsepower 428-4V CID police interceptor V-8 engine (S-code) with the original Holley 4-bbl could be locked up. Fortunately, we were able to get the motor free without much trouble and had the engine running in no time with new plugs, wires, points, starter, coil and fuel line but the original replaced parts are included with the sale. The brakes were also completely rebuilt with new brake lines. The exhaust from the original X pipe back, is all new and sounds much like when this Shelby was new.

The exterior Wimbledon White paint is 98% factory original in exception of some touch ups around the car from the early 70’s and the rear underside of the trunk lid has been repainted. Still retains all original Ford steel and Shelby A.O. Smith fiberglass pieces with factory marking underside of the hood – 9 S-14. All the trim and chrome pieces are still original and the Marchal 656/322 fog lights still function but one of the bulbs are burnt out. You will still find an original FordMoCo headlight and one period correct replacement. The passenger side GT500 rocker stripe was missing some letters and numbers so those were replaced with reproduction pieces. All the glass is still original and contain their correct stampings, the original dealer installed Shelby hubcaps mounted on original steel wheels still are on the car along with the tires from Sears that the Dillon’s purchased in 1974.

Interior is 100% original and still retains its original Shelby Deluxe belts, interior pillar pads, factory handmade rubber roll bar cover and when you open the glove box you will find the original double stacked Ford and Shelby glove box stickers! Almost everything inside still works except for the horn and the original radio but all the interior lights and gauges function as they should. In the rear trunk you will find the original Goodyear spare tire, size G78-14, original burtex trunk mat and the very hard to find “firecracker” sequential taillights!

The original fender tag, door tag, and buck tag and rivets are still factory mounted. Included genuine paperwork are the original factory line ticket from under the dash and all three original factory order invoices and a Deluxe Marti Report.

Build Facts

One of 1,140 Shelby Mustang GT-500 Fastbacks made in 1968

360 horsepower 428-4V CID police interceptor V-8 engine (S-code) with Holley 4-bbl. Carburetor and 10.5:1 compression ratio, C-6 Select Shift automatic transmission (code U) and 3.50:1 rear end (code 8)

Built on January 31, 1968 at Ford’s Metuchen, New Jersey factory.

Shelby two-door fastback in Wimbledon White paint (code M) with Black Knit vinyl luxury bucket seats (code 5A); the interior is 100 percent original

This car left the factory with the following options – shoulder harness, extra cooling package, visibility group, wheel lip moldings, sport deck rear seat, power disc brakes, power steering, Tilt-Away steering wheel, AM radio, interior décor group and tachometer and trip odometer.

This car is currently located at our facility in St. Louis, Missouri. Current mileage on the odometer shows 72,889 miles. It is sold as is, where is, on a clean and clear, mileage exempt title. GET OUT AND DRIVE!!!

VIN: 8T02S143521-01663

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