1971 Ford Mustang FRANK CONE RAM AIR GT

[trainey]

His hole punch couldn't punch the tractor-feed holes straight either...geez

And like Paul says, that looks like its from a modern laser printer with MS Office fonts, maybe printed on the back of the original warranty card?

 

[aypsears]

His hole punch couldn't punch the tractor-feed holes straight either...geez

And like Paul says, that looks like its from a modern laser printer with MS Office fonts, maybe printed on the back of the original warranty card?

yea right and I have 1971 boss 302 in my garage sometimes this hobby really gets out of hand. ayp

 

[caspianwendell]

Regardless of the sales hype, and over pricing...it is one hell of a good looking car, and it is a rare one.

 

[Charlie Safari]

That is absolutely the worst fake paperwork I have ever seen!

This dude obviously got the Marti report and just went mental, totally inventing the "Frank Cone" sports dealer package, its not in any sort of 1971 font even!!!

I hate this kind of forgery, I dread to think what the rest of the car has hidden away beneath the shiny paint!

 

[Kit Sullivan]

so many things wrong...

The 3-gauge cluster appears to have come from a standard-trim level car: No chrome rings like the deluxe dash covers. Possibly the "chrome' has just been removed from the panel...hard to tell.

The hood paint is wrong shape, and has no hood pins..all part of ram air package.

Stripes wrong for that model

Spoilers (front and rear) wrong for that model

no "GT' model avaialable since '70.

I realize this is all supposedly done by a dealer after Ford made the car, but that does not mean a stinking thing to me. "Frank Cone", or any other dealer for that matter has NOTHING to do with Ford's production details. Thier modifications are no more "official" than if the guy who owned the local McDonalds's restaraunt did the changes.

Anything done to the car AFTER the factory assembly is to me...modified and not original.

There are a few exceptions to this for me:

Shelbys

California/ High Country/ Twister specials

These were done by Ford dealer association networks with Ford's full approval, which gives them a whiff of authenticity.

The rest are just local yokels making up thier own crap.

 

[Boss1Ray]

"The rest are just local yokels making up thier own crap"

All in the guise of selling something for more money than normal.

A local dealer in OKC took the "Boss is back" slogan from Ford Marketing and had stickers made that said "Boss" to place on the lower rocker areas of the 1982 V-8 Mustangs. We bought one new and luckily we got ours right off the truck as it was delivered. For the time it was a really fun car! THat little 2-V 5.0 would do about 128 mph. Back then that was impressive. With the long 4th (OD) gear and the 3.08 traction lock rear end it took a while to get there but sure was fun to drive. It was a well-balanced car.

Anyway - the dealer added "Cobra" stickers too. And they charged extra for these packages consisiting of stickers and the typical ultra high tech treatment to the interior fabric and the exterior paint. They (dealer) called them addendums. I called it tha rip-off.

Back to the Frankenstein Cone car...

Ray

 

[Kit Sullivan]

I too bought a brand-new "82 GT back in early '82 with the optional 5.0 liter HO engine.

Yes, the 5.0 engine was originally and extra-cost OPTION on the '82 GT...most aren't aware of this.

My early GT had the following options: The 5.0, TRX suspension, cloth seats, a/c, power windows, t-tops...and i think that's it.

Just like Ray said: 157 horse 5.0 2-V single exhaust, 4-speed, 3.08 trak-lok, pinion snubbers, TRX tires...that was THE car to have in '82 and '83. (in 83 they added the 4-barrel and 5-speed later in the year).

That was the quickest American car sold in the USA in '82. Beat all Camaros, Corvettes and what-have-you.

Ford made hay out the "Boss is back" campaign. The CHP bought a few in 82, and the advertising on TV was "Thanks to Ford, the Boss is back! And in California...he's wearing a badge!" I remember those commmercials clearly.

157 horses sounds weak, but those things were pretty damn quick...it could put the hurt-stick on plenty of older, "badder" muscle cars. Ford made a big deal out of thier "marine" cam used, as well as the HUGE free-flowing single exhaust. I also remember thier adverstising claiming the bigger-than-typical 2 barrell carb designed to perform as well as a 4-barrell but deliver better economy.

Whatever,I had that car a couple of years and spanked plenty of unsuspecting other drivers. The word on the GTs dominance had not really gotten around until about 84 or so.

I miss that damn car! (world's ugliest steering wheel, though)

 

[jb73Mach]

Wait, my Don Hunt Mach 1 is not worth $85K? Damn it...

 

[Boss1Ray]

I saw one with a Pennzoil sticker on the rear side glass - it must have been rare!

PLEASEEEEE

Ray

 

[cudak888]

I'm more curious whether the entire FC / GT thing was dreamed up by the owner, or whether the dealer actually did execute a few of these.

Not that I care about the value or the package (nil and nix!), but I'm curious how much of this was dreamed up by the seller, and how much are actual dealership sales tactics from the '70s.

-Kurt

 

[Kit Sullivan]

I suspect the dealer did it. Why?

Because its a pretty lame package! I think ANYONE could have come up with something better, and who would call a car a "Frank Cone" anything other than....Frank Cone?

Really? ....Frank?

Might as well have been called the "Schlomo Ginsberg Rally Deluxe" pkg.

 

[luxstang]

Might as well have been called the "Schlomo Ginsberg Rally Deluxe" pkg.

My uncle had one of those. It was a special order and I was with him when he picked it up at the factory.

 

[cudak888]

...and who would call a car a "Frank Cone" anything other than....Frank Cone?

The owner, who thinks that any dealer name tacked on the sides must be worth infinitely more; e.g. Yenko.

-Kurt

 

[mpbsr]

Better grab it now....big price drop to $65,000

 

[will e]

Better grab it now....big price drop to $65,000

It's a sad day for us mustangers when you practically have to give away a Frank Cone Ram Air GT mustang for that kind of money.

 

[cudak888]

With all the jokes and crap aside, let me get this straight:

The things added by Frank Cone Ford to this car - either added by the dealer or billed for twice - are:

• Functional Ram Air, not listed on the original Ford invoice. Whether the new repaint on the hood was also the case on the car as Cone prepped it may not be known, unless pre-restoration photos are available.
  
• The "Sports" interior package, which consists of the instrumentation group (which is the only thing relating to this packaged not on the Ford invoice), and the Deluxe interior w/console, which was installed and billed from the factory due to the addition of the Decor Group.
  
• Competition suspension and a sway bar, which is not listed on the Ford invoice. My bet is that the "competition suspension" package WAS the sway bar billed twice, as I doubt the dealer bothered to weld in the staggered shock upper receiver box to the bottom of the trunk.
  
• A rear spoiler, not listed on the original Ford invoice and impossible to get on a stock convertible.
  
• The Boss front valance spoiler, not listed on the original Ford invoice and impossible to get on a stock convertible.
  
• Labor costs
  

Mr. Cone forgot to bill for his decals.

That said, somewhere along the line, the following was added or deleted:

• Vinyl side stripes
  
• Two-tone NACA hood paint and "351 RAM AIR" decals
  
• Protection package trim deleted from bodyside and holes filled up
  
• White top substituted with aftermarket tan
  
• Wheel covers - no longer present due to substitution of new Magnum 500's
  
• Rear speakers
  

-Kurt

 

[trainey]

Unfortunately, no one can ask Frank...

Robert Frank Cone

Obituary

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CONE, ROBERT FRANK, age 82, born May 20, 1920, passed away at home April 2, after a lengthy illness. He had a full and active life prior to his illness. He was a bombardier pilot in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He served on the Grand Prairie City Council. Prior to his retirement he was a Ford dealer in Grand Prairie, TX. He was a member of First United Methodist Church, Grand Prairie, where he taught adult Sunday School, a 32 degree member of the Sam R. Hamilton Lodge, a member of the Scottish Rite, and Grand Prairie Rotary Club. In 1998 he moved to Phelps, TX and became an active member at Phelps Methodist Church. He loved to hunt and fish and passed on the love of the sport to each of his grandchildren. His passion was his family. He was a loving husband, Daddy and PawPaw. Frank touched many lives in his lifetime. He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Eleanor; his daughter and son-in-law: Cyndi and Tim Pitman; his grandchildren, of whom he adored: Steve Perkins, Holly Perkins, and Alex Pitman and brother Emmette Cone. He is also survived by close friend: Judy Jarmon; nephews: Frank Stilley, Sam Stilley, Jimmy Watson, James Quinn, Richard Watson, and Curtis Watson, Jr.; nieces: Dorothy Pratorious and Jan Scott; and favorite sister-in-law: Aileen Helm and her husband Frank. Memorial services will be held 11:00 am Saturday, April 5, at First United Methodist Church Grand Prairie, TX, and 12:00 pm Monday, April 7, at Phelps United Methodist Church, Phelps, TX. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to Phelps Methodist Church, c/o Carolyn Larrison, 13 Watson Lake Rd., Huntsville, TX 77340. Rest Haven Rockwall Chapel Rockwall 972-771-8641 Owned by the Cain Family www.resthavenfuneral.com

Published in Dallas Morning News on Apr. 4, 2003

- See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dallasmorningnews/obituary.aspx?n=robert-frank-cone&pid=912070&fhid=2529#sthash.GW3CCaCR.dpuf

Or his wife...

Eleanor Watson Cone-Passed away May 23, 2009 in Heath, Texas. She was born to Lee and Mollie Watson in Phelps, Texas on March 9, 1923. She was the 7th of 8 children. She and her sister Aileen were later known as the “Watson Sisters”. She and her husband of 62 years Frank Cone retired back to Phelps and owned a home at Watson Lake Estates. She spent 30 years in the real estate business in Grand Prairie Texas where she and Frank also owned Frank Cone Ford. She enjoyed being with her family especially her grandchildren and spending time each year with friends and family at Homecoming at Black Jack Cemetery.

Eleanor was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers, Eddie Watson, Elmore Watson, Ernest Watson, Joe Watson and Curtis Watson, a sister Selma Watson Quinn and her loving husband Frank Cone. She is survived by her daughter and son in law Cyndi and Tim Pitman, grandchildren Steve, Holly and Alex. Survivors also include sister Aileen Watson Helm, Judy Jarmon, nephews Richard Watson, Jimmy Watson, Curtis Watson Jr., Frank Stilley and nieces Dorothy Pratorious, Jan Scott and Terri Garland.

Memorial services will be held 12:30 p.m. Saturday May 30, 2009 at Phelps Methodist Church. The Family request that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to Phelps Methodist Church, c/o Linda Cauthen, 19 Joe Novak Rd., Huntsville, Texas 77320.

 

[cudak888]

May Mr. and Mrs. Cone rest in peace.

-Kurt

 

[mach1000]

Wait! Frank is dead!? This Mustangs value just jumped + 15%!


And not to get away from Frank Cone but reminds me of a local Mercury dealer back in 2001 or so when the new redesigned Cougar came out (edgy front wheel drive model that lasted a couple years).

He made an "Eliminator" model. Basically stuck little Eliminator decals and little stipes on the lower portion of the door. I'm sure someone is sitting on that expecting to make a buck on the "Steve Cater Cougar Eliminator"!!

 

[will e]

Well God bless Frank for fighting in the great War. Hopefully he is looking down and getting a little chuckle out of the rare 'Frank Cone' edition. Frank, no disrespect to you sir. And I hope the seller has not tried to take advantage of your good name sir.