YouTuber and car hunter Dennis Collins is supposed to be a Jeep guy. But we swear he’s found some of the most amazing Mustangs in America, unique and rich with racing history. His latest find is a 1968.5 Ford Mustang R-Code sharing its green color with one of the most iconic movie cars of all time.
Collins says he doesn’t want to use the word “holy grail” all the time, even though it’s clearly a good description of any R-Code Mustang. Super-desirable collectibles like this are getting harder to find just sitting there neglected in a garage all covered in dust. Such a special pony deserves to be driven to every local car show, where it will undoubtedly get a lot of attention.
But before that can happen, this Mustang needs to be rescued. The video takes us to scenic Germantown, Tennessee, where the vehicle has been in storage since 1993. The rare Ford muscle car spent most of its time in the Memphis area and has been with the same family since 1976.
One of the main reason people appreciate Collins’ barn finds are the human interactions. He’s just so considerate and nice to people, plus the personal stories of these legendary cars are great. In this case, we get to see pictures of the R-Code Mustang competing in the Dixie Nationals in the 1970s. That’s what it was built for after all – the R stands for racing.
The R-Code puts specific Fords on the fast track to obtaining the biggest and baddest engines Ford offered. In this case, it means a 428 cubic-inch (7.0-liter) Cobra Jet V8 should reside under the hood. Unfortunately, the original motor threw a rod and was replaced many years ago with a replacement from the 69 or 70 model year.
Even if it’s not numbers-matching, this is still a great Mustang. Out of the 317,424 examples made by Ford in 1968, only 2,097 were R-Code models. This one also comes with a special color, Highland Green, nicknamed Steve McQueen Green because it’s the same one as on the Bullitt Mustang. Only 131 Mustangs share this color for that year.
Factory-fitted with the GT package, Traction-Lok rear axle, power steering, and AM radio – it basically becomes a 1-of-2 Mustang configuration according to the Marti report.
