R&T ad from 1974

Another

The letter from McQueen trying to buy it was classic too, not sure if anyone has it to post.

Letters

Had to LOL when I read the add and it described the Mustang as "mint"! The letter struck me as being a bit cold and impersonal.From what I've ever read about McQueen he wasn't very warm and fussy.Also he didn't offer much for the return of his Mustang.Thanks for the pics TRACKER!!!

Have to agree with that statement; he didn't seem all that kind or however you want to term it, but more of a matter-of-fact and if you don't take my deal then ____ you, lol.

Honey gets more bees thank vinegar and maybe the owner didn't care for his attitude.

Like money really mattered to Steve.

Call it weird, call it odd, or whatever, but this car's clutch gave out - it essentially died, and was left in that condition - in 1980. Same year McQueen passed away.

Fir those in Northern Michigan and Southern Ontario that want to see the car, it's at Hagerty's home office in Traverse City.

https://www.traverseticker.com/news/...traverse-city/

I saw it Saturday. Imgur link because I took 45 pictures of it. I talked to Sean, the owner, for a minute. Nice guy, super glad he unveiled it.
https://imgur.com/gallery/SeSuv

For those that have seen the car, I see the hood is down, but does anyone know if it has a 390, or 427 engine? It supposedly came from the factory with a 390, but in a You Tube video I was watching recently, Steve's son said it had a 427. If so, it would have had to have an engine swap because Kevin Marti says there were no factory W code 427's. 428's yes, but no 427's. Apparently there were quite a few modifications to make it chase ready, but was an engine swap one of them?

390 with modifications:

https://s26.postimg.org/gwi12chex/screenshot_5897.png

http://www.mustangtek.com/Library3/CL_69-08.html

Just a trivia note . . .

When the Producers met with San Fran. city officials to get the necessary permits that would allow them to film on the streets along with blocking certain cross streets, they promised that the cars would not exceed 45 MPH.

One the first day of filming city officials were, along with SFPD, bombarded with telephone calls from concerned citizens that cars were racing through the streets at 100 MPH.

This gave way to the old adage . . .

"It is better to ask for forgiveness than permission."

Here's the link to the video where his son Chad references the 427 at the 2:39 mark.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YC0cFQGLVJY

Not sure if that was intentional, he forgot, or just didn't know which motor it had.
He did get the guy's name right that made the modifications to the 390 motor.

There was no 427 in either of the BULLITT Mustangs . . . and if there was one - it definitely would not have been in the "hero car" which is what was presented by Ford. They were both 390s.

Chad McQueen was 8 years old when BULLITT hit theaters.

Read the entire article that I linked in the August 1968 Motor Trend

This should stir things up . . . From an interview with Loren Janes who drove in BULLITT:

"We had three identical green 1968 Ford Mustang fastbacks and three black Dodge Chargers in the movie. Many writers have said two, but there were three of each. We needed the extra cars in case one was damaged. The movie's shooting schedule can't be slowed for dents and things like that. Fortunately we only had to use a second Mustang once when the first Mustang had to go in to be fixed up.

https://jalopnik.com/5744523/the-rea...ene-in-bullitt

Now the hunt's on for the third Mustang!

So out of curiosity which mustang is the one that he drove into the ditch?

Think it's this one 'cause they mention the body work done on one side.

Oh the one that just came out of hiding? ...

The "jumper." The front suspension was heavily damaged.

If I remember correctly, McQueen wanted to do the slide. Unfortunately after three takes - he couldn't do it. So Loren Janes jumped in the car and did it on his first take. There is a big difference between a good race car driver, which McQueen was and a Hollywood stunt driver which McQueen wasn't. He only did 10% of the driving in BULLITT.

One of the most incredible things about BULLITT is that at the time of it's filming there were 4 top stunt drivers in Hollywood:

Bud Elkins
Carey Loftin
Loren Janes
Bill Hickman

All 4 drove in BULLITT.

Now all we need is to find someone with info on Jim Morrison's Shelby...

LOL - the Mary Celeste of muscle cars. So many claim to know where it is but it has never surfaced. Some experts claim that while driving drunk Morrison totaled it and simply walked away from it. The car was then sent to a junkyard and destroyed.

What I would like to see appear is one of the two remaining 1970 Hemi Road Runner Convertibles. Plymouth built 3 of them - 1 was sent to Canada, the other two for the USA. One of the USA cars is definitely known to have been destroyed. So where are the other two?

It wasn't destroyed that day.

Correct. Many say the police had the car towed to a junkyard where eventually it was crushed and sold as scrap.

One of the things that Morrison did which has been documented was . . . he would drive drunk, get into an accident (not too serious). Walk away then report the car stolen so his insurance would be on the hook to repair it. But the last time he supposedly ran into a telephone pole.

And we can't forget the rumor that he parked it at LAX long term on his way to the DOORS touring overseas, forgot about the car which was eventually seized and sold at auction which would mean the car MAY exist.

It wasn't towed to a junkyard either. Don't believe what you've read online. What is true is it hasn't been titled since Morrison's ownership.

I know someone that says he knows who has it and has been trying to buy it for years. He has come up with some very rare cars so I have no reason to doubt him.

I have a customer that may own it. Years ago he bought a 68 GT390 Mustang from a movie car lot and had it shipped back east. He said that while fixing it up to paint red (early 80's) that it had a bullet hole and right front suspension damage similar to what is seen in the movie. I will tell you - HE HAS NO INTEREST IN FINDING OUT IF IT IS A BULLIT CAR! Seriously! I have asked him many times for the vin number. He just chuckles and turns a little red in the face. He is tired of hearing about it. May have to drive the Runner to his place this summer just to see it. I have only ever seen pictures he has brought over to the shop.

I have a customer that may own it. Years ago he bought a 68 GT390 Mustang from a movie car lot and had it shipped back east. He said that while fixing it up to paint red (early 80's and still green) that it had a bullet hole and right front suspension damage similar to what is seen in the movie. I will tell you - HE HAS NO INTEREST IN FINDING OUT IF IT IS A BULLIT CAR! Seriously! I have asked him many times for the vin number. He just chuckles and turns a little red in the face. He is tired of hearing about it. May have to drive the Runner to his place this summer just to see it. I have only ever seen pictures he has brought over to the shop.

It would be rather easy to validate, considering the VIN was made public. Though it hasn't shown up in any active records department through the government or insurance companies.

Which begs the question, why wouldn't you insure a very, very valuable Shelby Mustang? The owner would potentially be out millions if an accident occurred. Hence, I'd like to see more proof than beyond the rumor.

The owner knows he has a Shelby that he has owned for years and has been sitting for years. He does not know the history of it. I doubt that it is insured. I doubt it is worth millions. I put far more value on the Bullitt Mustang than I do on a Shelby owned by Morrison.

I could see a deep pocket Doors fan going close to a million for it, maybe, but thats about it.
Cool car to see if it's still around though.

Bullitt is an Icon car. Not many people know or cared that Jim Morrison had a Shelby Mustang.

Janis Joplin's 356 Porsche went for $1.76 million three years ago when it was expected to go for a quarter to a third of that amount. I could easily see a similar scenario for Morrison's Shelby, if it was still out there and in a similar state.

Janis'car was all painted up with psychedelic images.Like something you might see on an LSD trip!

Not as visually iconic or well known as Janis' Porsche but one of my very favorite muscle cars in the best color combination owned new by one of my favorite rock stars? I'd pay way too much for that. So would a number of other people.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDAmweqwMSM

Its more desirable to ME, just because it dovetails my car and music geek tendencies in one vehicle. I love the Bullitt Mustang and chase, and I like Steve McQueen, but I find the rest of the Bullitt movie tedious. I've never been able to sit through the whole thing.

Agreed. I can easily imagine north of 1 million.

I would like to make a motion to ban Tom406 on the grounds of not liking Bullitt.

'

Others please speak up w/ better info but as much as I've ever understood, the last confirmed sightings of Morrison's Shelby was sometime in 1969?
:beers:
~ Pete

.

Neat info. Morrison moved to Paris, France in March 1971 and died in July of that year. It appears he got rid of the car before going overseas.