This '68 Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Is a One-of-One Numbers-Matching Time Machine

“Well, I feel like I’m 18 again. I really do.” (Gene Leopold, July 2023). Chances are high against you knowing who Gene Leopold is, but anonymity is hardly a deterrent to worthiness. The gentleman who made that statement is 81 years old, and what reverses the digits on that number is an automobile. Particularly, driving it is the rejuvenator for the very distinguished gearhead.

The car in question is a Ford, a Mustang, a Fastback, a Cobra Jet, a Four-Speed, and an icon. Gene Leopold – seen in the video describing and driving his big-block idol, which he rebuilt – definitely doesn’t look like an octogenarian any more than his car looks like a 55-year-old Ford.

Ask any Blue Oval fundamentalist to name the quickest bone-stock, pure-production Mustang of the muscle car golden age. Unanimously, the answer will include three numbers, four words, and a confidence that could carve all the U.S. Presidents on Mount Rushmore. 428 Cobra Jet Four-Speed is the correct phrase that every single FoMoCo radical will recite.

But even at that rarified height of automotive greatness, one can find differences, as not all of those icons are equal. At least, not anymore. Of the 317,423 Mustangs assembled for the 1968 model year, 42,582 were fastbacks. Only 1,044 came with a 428 cubic-inch Cobra Jet engine - 706 of which linked to Top Loader four-speed manual transmission.

If we narrow it down further, we find out that just nine of them were painted Brittany Blue, but only one had an AM/FM Stereo radio – the car in this story. Purists will raise their voices to amend the statistics with one extra detail. Just like the first-year Mustang, the Cobra Jet is referred to – in certain V8 circles – as a 1968-and-a-half.

This particularity is because the wild stallion was introduced on April 1, 1968 – but it was no joke, fools’ or wise men’s. In fact, the 428 CID (7.0-liter) Cobra Jet big-block made its debut during the Winternationals of that year. And what a debut that was! The Fords beat everyone and took home the trophy.

Thanks to its 428-cube big-block with oversized valve heads, the race-borrowed intake manifold from a 427, and Ram Air induction – via a functional hood scoop – the Cobra Jet put the HEMIs in their place. And whatever General Motors threw at it, it wasn’t a match.

Ford cautiously rated its high-performance V8 at only 335 hp (389 PS). The dyno-backed fact was that the reptilian eponym of a powerplant was good for anything between 410 and 430 hp (416 – 436 PS). Torque-wise, the 428 delivered 440 lb-ft (597 Nm).

The scoop on the hood fed air to a special cleaner with a vacuum-actuated butterfly valve that funneled air directly into the 735 CFM Holley four-barrel carburetor. All 1968 Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jets received beefed-up front shock towers and F70x14 tires, but the four-speeds also got staggered rear shocks.

The rowdy Mustang was good for mid-to-low 12s over the standing quarter, crossing the line and firing a 120-mph (193 kph) broadside. Ford Motor Company never addressed its cars by the `fastback` names. Still, Ford employees – like the rest of the piston-addict society – didn’t shy away from the designation.

Take Gene Leopold as an example – he used to work for Ford when the Mustang came around. He bought an all-original Cobra Jet some 14 years ago and restored it with maniacal accuracy and attention to detail. Every part is date-coded to ensure a factory-like stance, demeanor, attitude, and character.

It took several years to accomplish the feat since Gene and his son only sourced period-correct parts – mostly NOS, whenever possible. But it was worthwhile – their Brittany Blue Mustang won the Cobra Jet jubilee in 2018 at a national car show dedicated to the legendary motor.

The ’68 fastback Mustang gained immortal fame when it co-starred with Steve McQueen in ‘Bullit.’ However, the movie star drove a 390 GT with a 6.4-liter engine. Still a respectable Mustang but not a match for the antagonistic Charger. Legend has it that The King of Cool himself asked for the 428 Cobra Jet, but his request was denied.

The silver screen honchos feared the mighty Ford would have rendered their cinematographic efforts useless by simply passing the Charger without batting an eyelid. As big a star as McQueen might have been, the famous high-speed chase scene would have been a good portion shorter if the overpowering Mustang had been cast.

Nonetheless, the real-deal Cobra Jet in this article has all the goodies to take the go-fast factor to the extreme. A 3:50 locking differential, a heavy-duty handling package, lower shock tower bracing, power front discs, power steering, and the 8,000 RPM tach make a very clear point. This is a car that could fulfill any proper gearhead’s poster-magic dreams.

Here’s a perspective about the car’s real-world performance, as told by one fan who witnessed the 428 Cobra Jet firsthand. ‘The fastest car I ever sat in was a ‘68 Mustang GT with a High-Performance 428 four-speed. The owner sat a hundred-dollar bill on the dash and told me if I could reach it between gears, the $100 was mine. Needless to say, I never touched it.’