I'm Jeff
The story behind Mustang Jeff
jeffsmustang.com also works!
"Mr. Mustang" is what my barber calls me. When I initially started going to my barber, he didn't know my name, but he noticed that I pulled up in a Ford Mustang. To grab my attention, he addressed me as "Mr. Mustang." When I introduced myself as Jeff, he started calling me "Mustang Jeff." I liked it, so I borrowed it as my pseudonym for my Instagram and website.
I was originally going to go with jeffsmustang.com but I couldn't get the Instagram handle to coincide with it, and I wanted brand continuity throughout my digital presence so I went with Mustang Jeff because it was available! Plus, people were typing my website address as jeff'smustang.com and not finding the site...
Logo
I like putting in details whenever I can. The car in the center is a front profile of a 1968 Mustang. Not just any Mustang, specifically a 1968 Mustang.
Advertisements & Misc
Advertisements & Rare Paperwork
I am a bit of a Mustang historian and while researching my car I found old advertising campaigns, forms that were used during the manufacturing process, and delivery of the car. In this gallery I have:
1968 Owner’s Manual
1968 Ford Mustang Cougar Safer Ride & Autolite Warranty Booklet.
1968 Ford Lincoln Mercury Service Specifications Manual.
1968 Owner’s Manual Safety Brochure OEM
Original Dealership mailer from 1968.
Original 1972 Ford 6000 Mile Super Premium Motor Oil Advertising Brochure
Ford Motorcraft Service Reminder Oil Change Door Stickers Tags
1968 Ford Better Ideas Various Models Dealer Sales Brochure
1968 Ford Accessories Sales Brochure Mustang, Thunderbird, Truck, Bronco
Tower Ford Baltimore, MD chrome dealership emblem
1968 Ford Galaxie, Thunderbird, Mustang, Fairlane & Falcon Dealer Sales Brochure
The Mustang Pledge
Pre-Delivery Service Sheet
Ford Safety Kit
AMA Forms
1964 Avon Mustang Car with Original Box cologne bottle
1964 World Fair Ford New York hard plastic badge glow in the dark
1964 World Fair Ford New Jersey hard plastic badge glow in the dark
1968 AAA National Award Winner grill badge
1970 AAA National Award Winner grill badge
AAA School Safety Patrol Badge Combo Set
AAA Automobile Club Of New York Honor Member License Plate Topper Badge
AAA Floating Dial Dashboard Auto Compass in Original Box - New Old Stock
AMA Forms were provided by all the U.S. manufacturers from 1955 to 1984. These multi-page forms were submitted each year for each model produced and included detailed technical information of every component that made up that specific car or truck. Forms typically were from 10-30 pages in length and I have a full set for all the models of the 1968 Ford Mustang.
More about the Mustang
The Mustang's
Tires
I have two sets of wheels for the car. One set is the original 6.95” x 14” bias ply black sidewall tires with hubcaps that I use for Concour shows to complete the original look and feel of the car. The second set are 15” X 7” Legendary Wheels Styled Alloy Charcoal Machined Wheels, also known as the Legendary Wheel L 20. Legendary Wheels are licensed by Ford for First Generation Mustangs.
I prefer the Legendary Wheels. It’s a stylish, aggressive, looking rim that makes the car look like it’s doing 100 miles per hour while parked. They also give the car a smoother and safer ride.
It came from the factory this way
Yes, its true. No fender and side markers
One of the features that made the 1968 model unique from the previous years was that it was the first Mustang to have front and rear side lights and/or reflector markers. In 1968 newly introduced Federal regulation required cars to have front and back side lights and/or reflectors on the car.
My Mustang doesn’t have them. The inserts for the lights exist but factory never installed them. When I restored the car, I wanted to preserve the car’s history and not install them so I replicated what the factory did.
There was also a labor strike in 1968 as well as a part shortage. According to the Marti Report my car was scheduled to be built on June 4th and was built a day earlier. The factory must have run out of parts because not only did they not install the front side lights and rear side markers but they also put on a gas cap that was specific to 67. The Ford factories were known for throwing on whatever they had laying around the factory just to get the car out the door.
I also met several 1968 Mustang owners with missing side markers whose cars were also made in the Metuchen Plant on the same day as mine.
Preserving the history of the car
Side Markers are there
When I was restoring the car I worked very hard to preserve the history of the car. In 1968 newly introduce legislation required cars to have front indicator lights and rear side lights or reflectors. My car came without the front lights and rear side markers but the indentations were there for them. The factory must have ran out of parts and they covered them just to get the car out the door.
When I had to replace my rear quarter panels I tracked down Ford NOS panels that were exactly like my car’s and I covered them like the factory did to preserve the history of the car. Most people won’t see what I did but its there.
She's not the only one
21 Jump Street
A lot of times when I take my car to shows a lot of people don’t believe me when I tell them that my car came without side lights and markers. They think I removed them. There is actually a well known 68 Mustang without side lights. It’s the Mustang Johnny Depp drove in 21 Jump Street.
Here is the article Hagerty wrote on the car…
“In 1987, 21 Jump Street introduced Johnny Depp to the world, behind the wheel of a blue 1968 Mustang fastback. Aside from the incorrect side mirror, the car appears to be stock down to its hubcaps and white wall tires, but it is missing its corner lights, which Mustangs first wore in 1968. Without them, this car is often mistaken for a 1967 model.”
Came from factory with this
Yep, that's '67 standard gap cap
There was also a labor strike in 1968 as well as a part shortage. According to the Marti Report my car was scheduled to be built on June 4th and was built a day earlier. The factory must have run out of parts because not only did they not install the front side lights and rear side markers but they also put on a gas cap that was specific to 67. The Ford factories were known for throwing on whatever they had laying around the factory just to get the car out the door.
In 1968
They sold a lot of Mustangs
Throughout the years I have met several 68 Mustang owners who are missing the side lights and markers. Some 68 Mustangs just have the front indicator lights and no rear lights, some have the rear but no front, and some 68 owners just have the driver side. This is one of those things that if you didn't own a car without the lights you wouldn't think this would exist but it does. It's interesting to see how the manufacturing process and quality control has changed in 50 years. If you read the press and advertising from that era you will see that Ford was more concerned about how many Mustangs they sold vs how many were made well. Plus, they used paper build sheets and mine disintergrated so I don't have documentation.
The 68 Mustangs without side lights are rare but we’re out there. I get very weird and passionate responses from "Tech Spec" community over the fact that my car came without side lights so I will apologize in advance if this information discombobulates you. I have done my homework on the car and I met with John Clor from Ford who has seen the car and referred to it as, "One of those builds". In short, sometimes cars leave the factory not as intended.
I created this site and I go to car shows to tell this car's story and my story with the car. I have owned the car a very long and it brings me nothing but joy.