There are Mustang widows and widowers-and then there are Mustang couples and families. The former tend to lead separate lives, especially if the four-wheeled home-wrecker becomes a bitter bone of contention. Couples and families who share a passionate interest in classic Mustangs are a lot more fun to watch because their mutual insanity becomes contagious. Everyone gets on board and it becomes "a family that cruises together, stays together." Shaunda and Brian Jarrett have been passionate about each other and their Mustangs for a long time, ironclad proof that this theory works.
Shaunda and Brian call the Mustang Wranglers of Oregon car club home. They understand the benefit of membership because the club has become a way of life-almost like going to church. But their place of worship is the world of internal
combustion and the genuine good looks found in a classic Mustang fastback.
Shaunda bought her DuPont Blueberry Metallic Pearl '68 fastback from fellow club member Scott Cutler. When Scott found the car, it was in pretty good shape but it needed a full-scale restoration, which he performed with help from friend Kevin Lohse. These two gentlemen turned this Mustang into an award-winning restomod.
Pay dirt for the Jarretts was finding a turnkey Mustang project they could drive immediately. So they drove it-making upgrades as needed, such as front disc brakes for safety, a new battery tray, and so on. Shaunda says Scott had to strip the car down to bare steel because it had so many layers of paint. Underneath it all was a rust-free body ready for fresh primer and paint at the hands of Bruce's Auto Body of Clackamas, Oregon.
Shaunda says she likes the car the way it is. Underhood is the original 289 mill with an Edelbrock Performer 289 and 600-cfm carburetor. The objective was to keep the car streetable and able to drive just about anywhere. They focused on mild street performance and reliability with an MSD ignition system, a PerTronix Ignitor, Hedman headers through MagnaFlow mufflers, a mild flat-tappet hydraulic cam for good low-end torque, a Flex-a-lite cooling fan, and more to complement the balanced and blueprinted 289. Ford's venerable C4 transmission still gets the job done, along with those 2.79 cogs mentioned earlier. Shelby underride traction bars keep the rearend stable when Shaunda mashes the gas.
During Scott's restoration efforts, the entire suspension system was replaced, including five-leaf rear springs and 620 coils in front. Scott ran into ride-height problems and had to re-arc the rear springs to get the car's rake just right.
Gary's Mustangs transformed the interior from red vinyl to black to tie in with the Blueberry theme going on outside. Scott's efforts on the car have paid off with a lot of nice awards from shows where the car has been admired and appreciated.
'68 Mustang Fastback
Owner: Shaunda Jarrett, Hillsboro, OR
Engine
289 ci
4.030-inch bore, 2.870-inch stroke
Nodular iron 1M crankshaft with C3OE rod forgings
Edelbrock Performer 289 dual-plane low-rise manifold
Edelbrock 600-cfm carburetor
Mild hydraulic flat-tappet camshaft
Flex-a-lite fan
Factory iron heads
PerTronix Ignitor
MSD Blaster coil
Transmission
C4 Select-Shift Automatic
Rearend
8-inch
2.79 gears
Exhaust
Hedman long-tube headers
MagnaFlow mufflers
Suspension
Front: 620 coils
Rear: five-leaf rear springsBrakes
Front: Stock disc
Rear: Stock drum
Wheels
Front: American Racing 200S, 14x7-inch
Rear: American Racing 200S, 14x7-inch
Tires
Front: BFGoodrich Radial T/A, P235/60R14
Rear: BFGoodrich Radial T/A, P235/60R14
Interior
Stock in black standard vinyl
Grant wood steering wheel
AM/FM stereo sound system
Exterior
Blueberry Metallic Basecoat/Clearcoat by Bruce's Auto Body