'65 mustang...worth it?

[TheSiege]

http://www.ksl.com/auto/listing/1811852?ad_cid=4

I am going to look at it tomorrow. It looks like something I, an amature, at best, could restore piece by piece and over time to fit within my spending limits. Thoughts?

 

[DaTT]

I'd say go for it if that is what you are looking for. It's not break bank money and if you decide you don't/can't go through with the repairs, you could sell it and get all of or more of your money back.

 

[halik]

That's gotta be rotting like no other for $2800; still though super cool. If it's not structural, just layer it with POR 15 and call it a day.

 

[fleshconsumed]

You can see the exterior paint bulging and rust around wheel wells. You can also see the interior trashed behind the back seat. Just an FYI. The only point of buying this is for a nice restoration project.

 

[drbrock]

I had the 66 about 5 years ago in better condition. If I could do it all over again I would get the fastback. The coupe just does not look that good all dressed up. I still loved the car and enjoyed it for what it is worth. It turned heads. If you are willing to do all the restore work yourself then it is a no brainer to get the fastback.

For 2800 I would not touch this car. If you could talk him down to 2k I might pull the trigger. This mustang needs A LOT of work. It is the V-6 200 and you will be regretting you did not get the 289. A Prius will be smoking you off the line. I paid 2k for mine and it did not need any body work. Interior was in pretty good condition with A/C too. Mine had stick shift though. See if this car has matching VINs for the engine and car.

If you do end up purchasing the car, immediately change the fuel tank and lines. They are known to go bad and they will wreck your carb. Cost you around 4-500.

If you have the cash you might want to look into a large auction and see if you can get one already done up with the 289 or 5.0 cammer. It will cost more up front but will save you a lot of headaches and cash in the end.

My goal is to get a restomod 66 Shelby GT-H style. I don't care about original parts, I couldn't afford one anyway. Modern tech with classic styling is my deal. IMHO the 67 Shelby does look better but then it would just be another Gone in 60 seconds car.

If you pm me I will send you pics of what mine looked like for 2k.

 

[Billb2]

It's always cheaper to buy one that already "done" than to do it yourself.
And when you are done, you've got a car with 50 year old technology.
That one looks like a rust bucket with repairs. Who knows if it was done properly.

Your operative phrase should be "Structurally sound, but cosmetically unacceptable". That one isn't, it's a $500 beater, at best.

 

[TheSiege]

There is this one '66
http://www.ksl.com/auto/listing/1737058?ad_cid=3
and this one with a 302 '68
http://www.ksl.com/auto/listing/1795498?ad_cid=9

 

[rommelrommel]

Rust bucket.

I would look for a non-running one that's better structurally and rebuild it slowly if you really want a project like this.

 

[MongGrel]

Rust bucket.

I would look for a non-running one that's better structurally and rebuild it slowly if you really want a project like this.

+1

And a Fastback I'd agree on , if you're going that route.

 

[thedarkwolf]

fastbacks are a HELL of a lot more expensive.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Probably the least desirable Mustang of that era. :thumbsdown:

Check for rust and walk away if you find it... and you probably will at that price.

 

[Zenmervolt]

What stood out to me in that first ad:

one floor panel and rear fenders need bondo,

Floor pans never get bondo. Bondo is filler for small dents and dings, or, in a pinch, it can be used as a very cheap (and crappy) way of rebuilding rust holes in non-structural areas.

The floor pan on a unibody car (and the Mustang has always been unibody) is a structural component. It needs metal. If there's a hole in it, you need to cut the hole out and weld in new metal. Using bondo in a car's floor pan is a very good way to end up with a car that folds in half one day while you're driving down the road.

The fact that the previous owner thinks bondo is an acceptable repair material for the floor pan of a unibody vehicle makes me think the poor car is just full of similarly crap-tastic repairs.

Wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole.

As for what to get as an amateur, my recommendation is to find something with a clean body and interior but a blown engine/transmission. Bodywork and interior work are more difficult to deal with without specialized tools and knowledge.

ZV