A real GT??? Will the real GT please step forward???

Customer brings in a 66 Mustang for full rotisserie restoration. No GT badges, no rear valance exiting exhaust, no fog lights, no stripe on sides, has the rocker panel molding and wind splitters in place. Decoding the VIN says it's an A code engine, Date, Feb. 14, 1966, 4 speed toploader and 3 to 1 limited slip rear end.

The owner is the second owner of the car since 1976, bought it from the original owner which purchased it new in New Orleans. Has been in dry storage since 1976. Has the bench seat.

Here's where it gets weird. Upon closer inspection, clues started showing up that points me to believe that at least this car started down the line at Dearborn as a GT.

Clue 1 - Has the floor pan bracing for dual exhaust
Clue 2 - Has the hanger bracket inside the rear frame rail, close to the rear spring hanger
Clue 3 - 4 Piston Disc Brakes
Clue 4 - A Code Engine
Clue 5 - HCC-AX 16 to 1 Steering box
Clue 6 - Correct fan shroud
Clue 7 - 1 3/16" front sway bar

Interesting facts: No evidence of fog lights, no fog lights wiring hole 'punched' thru radiator support, no evidence of fog light switch 'D' hole under dash, it has rocker panel molding, it has the running horse and mustang badges on side of fenders, no evidence of valance exiting exhaust, has the bumper guards on rear.

Now I can understand people "making" a GT out of standard car, but surely someone did not "un-GT" this car. If so, it happened within the first 10 years of it's life, as it sat in a dry warehouse since 1976. No build sheet was found under the carpet or under the rear seat. Seems as if this thing started as a GT on one end of the line, and it's final designation got changed somewhere on the assembly line.

Anyone ever hear of something like this? Or was it possible to order such GT items as dual exhaust, disc brakes, limited slip rear, bigger sway bar, etc, and not get the fog lights, stripes and badging.

This is weird indeed. I spoke with Jerry Heasley and he said it was indeed odd, but if the car came that way, i should keep it that way. I'm trying to advise the owner, and he want's it all original, silver frost metallic (which also I'm told were very few numbers), and we're trying to decide whether to restore back to what it is now, or finish the GT treatment such as correct badging, fog lights, gas cap, etc.

Any help would be appriciated.

Thanks,
Tim

Sorry, typo on that sway bar, it has the 15/16 bar.

Wow, thanks for all the info. Over the years, I've been pretty good at telling what was what on early mustangs, but this one has me stumped. So would I be correct in saying that the car probably left the factory as a GT, and somewhere along the line, it got "un"-GT'd?? So if so, I would be safe advising the owner to let me give it the full GT treatment, as there is enough evidence that is was indeed a factory GT?

Thanks again!!

The car still has dual exhaust. I believe what happened was the car got the reinforcements for the exhaust by mistake.

Now, being that the car has both of the exhaust reinforcements, and has the correct HCC-AX steering box, would this car be a candidate for conversion to a "legitimate" GT?

What would you guys do?