Crapwagon Poll: 1967 Ford Mustang Vs. 1968 Oldsmobile Cutlass

Chris Tonn
by Chris Tonn

Mark’s look today at a couple of late Sixties’ performance icons has inspired me. Yes, my automotive ADD kicked in and off I went to eBay in search of affordable Cutlass and Mustang projects.

And, really, I’m still searching. The majority of what I’ve found are either total basketcases, poorly-done “customs,” or pristine show cars with prices to match. I’d love to find a car that has needs, but could be driven away and worked on over time.

To the car nuts of the internet, please stop it with the “Eleanor” clones. Yes, even this import fanatic drooled over the fiberglass-clad Mustang in the Gone in Sixty Seconds remake, but it’s over now.

On the Mustang end of things, I really dig this ’67 notchback in a polarizing shade of green. Said to be a factory 390 big-block car, it will drive quite differently than a lighter, small-block-equipped Mustang — more like a muscle car than a sports car. The interior looks absolutely perfect on this example and it appears mechanically sound as well. The catch here is the paint. On closer inspection, the paint is quite faded and will need a respray if a show car quality shine is desired. A couple weeks ago, it had a reserve around $17,000, which seems a bit much considering the work needed, but short of rusted-out six cylinder cars, there aren’t many this cheap.

Regarding your father’s Oldsmobile, this ’68 fastback will probably sell around $7,500, if I had to guess. The base steel wheels with dog-dish hubcaps are disappointing. The car really needs a set of color-matched Olds Rallye wheels. It needs some metalwork, and some attention to the interior, but this could be a nice, easy project.

It’s not quite to the level of the Ford and Chevy rivalry — I don’t believe I’ve ever seen Calvin pissing on an Olds emblem — but these two cars have rather similar target collectors.

Best & Brightest, which would you rather?

This poll has been removed.

Chris Tonn
Chris Tonn

Some enthusiasts say they were born with gasoline in their veins. Chris Tonn, on the other hand, had rust flakes in his eyes nearly since birth. Living in salty Ohio and being hopelessly addicted to vintage British and Japanese steel will do that to you. His work has appeared in eBay Motors, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars, Reader's Digest, AutoGuide, Family Handyman, and Jalopnik. He is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association, and he's currently looking for the safety glasses he just set down somewhere.

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  • CobraJet CobraJet on Sep 30, 2015

    I guess I lean toward the Mustang since I have been driving my 69 Mach I weekly for 26 years. It's been reliable and a lot of fun. But I have also owned two GM A bodies in the past: a 69 Lemans coupe and a 72 Cutlass convertible. The GM cars handled better.

  • Redav Redav on Oct 01, 2015

    From the right angle & in the right light, that green on the Mustang is very nice. Green seems to be a color that is really hard to do well.

  • 3-On-The-Tree I’m sure they are good vehicles but you can’t base that on who is buying them. Land Rovers, Bentley’ are bought by Robin Leaches’s “The Rich and Famous” but they have terrible reliability.
  • SCE to AUX The fix sounds like a bandaid. Kia's not going to address the defective shaft assemblies because it's hard and expensive - not cool.
  • Analoggrotto I am sick and tired of every little Hyundai Kia Genesis flaw being blown out of proportion. Why doesn't TTAC talk about the Tundra iForce Max problems, Toyota V35A engine problems or the Lexus 500H Hybrid problems? Here's why: education. Most of America is illiterate, as are the people who bash Hyundai Kia Genesis. Surveys conducted by credible sources have observed a high concentration of Hyundai Kia Genesis models at elite ivy league universities, you know those places where students earn degrees which earn more than $100K per year? Get with the program TTAC.
  • Analoggrotto NoooooooO!
  • Ted “the model is going to be almost 4 inches longer and 2 inches wider than its predecessor”Size matters. In this case there is 6” too much.
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