mike1972

Ok gyus here is the deal,
I just sold my new (2003) Ford Focus and even though I did not want to by another Ford product.. I just like the 60's Mustangs (from the looks).

I want to invest about $8000 in a VERY nice condition 65-68 200 cu inch 3 spd. The car must not have any rust or body patches, and preferably should be all original. I intend to use that car as a dayli driver. The ride should not be boat like, rather controlled, performance is not an issue at all... not lookiing for a quick car. The car must not drip ANY oil, should feel tight and solid.
Is that to much I imagine here for $8k? Or are there plenty of cars out there for that money? The car must be reliable... I was thinking that on old cars there are less parts.. thus less can break...? Does that hold true for the Mustang?

I have never driven one... do they drive decent? Considering I would do a suspension upgrade? How is the steering on an old car like that?

Alternatively there would be : 61-63 Corvair, 76-82 Mercedes 450SLC

Thanks for your input :-)

68GEETEE

Not trying to be funny here, but all old cars drip oil and need repairs. If it still has some original parts, they are going to be tired and worn, and will most likely need replacement. Even one thats been restored may have some issues to deal with.

You cant expect a 35-40 year old car to handle well or drive like newer models. Mustang steering is old style recirculating ball, it has play and alot of understeer. There are upgrades that you can do to a 60s Mustang to make it handle / perform better, lots of available parts online and in catalogs.

As far as reliabilty, the 200 cu in engine was flawless, but you are most likely going to have to do some work to it to make it reliable as an everyday driver.

Good luck in your search.

bob emmerich

I'd have to agree with David on this one. A classic steers/handles/brakes different than a newer car. One problem is with the braking-on a 6 cylinder the brakes will most likely be non-powered drums all around. Until you get used to it, stopping will be a bear. the other problem with what you want is the 3 speed transmission- On th 6 cylinders you MUST be at a complete stop before downshifting to 1st gear to start again(unless someone upgraded to the beefier V-8 transmission).
Now, once you get used to all the little quirks like those, it's a very enjoyable ride.

For the money you have to spend, there is a plethora of good, reliable Mustangs out there. Around here, a reliable 6 cylinder driver will be about 5-6K(unless it's a total nut&bolt restoration). The combo of the virtually indestructible 200 and 3 speed will yield you excellent gas milage and much driving pleasure. Good Luck in your search.
BTW-Might I suggest you do some research on websites such as this one and to get an idea of prices, go to www.hemmings.com or www.traderonline.com or do a general search of Ford Mustang or classic car dealers.

treymoran

I have a 68 200 with a c4 tranny. Its not the best looking car at this moment but in 3 years I have never had any issues like stalling, being stranded, etc... I do the usual standard maintenance and restore when I can. I love my car. Its not a hot rod, but a nice cruiser. Decent gas mileage too.

I did install a petronix kit on the ignition. It just runs so much smoother than with points and was a simple 10 minute install.

NeoTokyo

I have a 68' 200ci Mustang I am trying to sell. The front end is being rebuilt on her and the whole car has a little over 300,000 miles and still runs great. Its still points ignition and has a new 1bbl carb on it with under 500mi. There is no cancer holes on this car that I have found and very light body rust. She needs paint and the interior could use a little attention to be perfect. She is an automatic but still gets good gas economy, about 20mpg or so. She has always been there for me as a daily driver but I want something newer now. I have been trying to find someone to trade right accross for a 94-98 Mustang V6 or V8 but I havnt been doing that long and havnt found any takers yet.

The car does run great and just needs cosmetic work. The engine has always been taken care of and the oil changed every 3000 miles. She has new plugs and plug wires, less then 100mi on those.

If your interested then send Eric a pm and I will give you my e-mail. Oh thats right, Im April, im using Erics account right now

Sincerely April