An extended SU(3) shell model that for the first time explicitly includes unique-parity levels is introduced. Shell-model calculations for the isotopes of 64 Ge and 68 Se are performed where valence nucleons beyond the N=28=Z core occupy levels of the normal parity upper-f p shell (f 5/2 , p 3/2 , p 1/2 ) and the unique parity g 9/2 intruder configuration. The levels of the upper-f p shell are handled within the framework of an m-scheme basis as well as its pseudo-SU(3) counterpart, and respectively, the g 9/2 as a single level and as a member for the complete gds shell. It is demonstrated that the extended SU(3) approach allows one to better probe the effects of deformation and to account for many key properties of the system by using a highly truncated model space.