_FLIP_

I plan on buying a 65 or 66 Mustang Coupe.

I am 16 and a Junior in high school. Right now I have $4500. I make a little under $650 a month. I plan on buying a car in the summer of 2008. I'll have my licence in March. (Ya ya...i dont have my licence yet)

I know nothing about purchasinga used car, or pretty much anything about cars in general.

Any advice to get me started? Like specific things the car should have or thing I should know about before purchasing. I plan on finding someone on ebay who lives close and is selling their mustang. (Not sure if thats a good idea.) And after I buy the car, I want to know what is necessary to purchase for the car, and important things that I should do to the car.

Much thanks! (I know...I am a noob)

baddog671

First off, Welcome to MF!

The first thing I would do is find someone that can help you with this. Is there anyone is your family that is familiar with 60's cars (father or grandfather perhaps), that can help you? Also, if there is a mustang club in your area, sometimes the members will help you find a decent car.

If I was in your place, I would try to find a decent 289 in running condition. Not a GOOD car becuase then it will cost more, but something that is atleast somewhat mechanically sound and putts around.

Continue to save your money...

In the meantime, learn! This site has more information than you can imagine and just browing around through the threads will teach you alot.

BULLITT GT 390

Welcome!! all I can say is thatit takes "time" and "money"! there is alot you can learn on this site!!!good luckand have fun!
"old carsare the best"

dlynch

check out your local craigslist. being 17 i know what your feeling (owning a 1970 coupe) and theres nothing like rolling up in the school parking lot knowing you have the only classic ford muscle those kids probly ever seen.

theres just nothing like those classic panty droppers (least at my school)

ninteen66mustang

I'm 17, and I bought my mustang when I was about your age. It was $5000 and it ran well (the previous owner used it as a daily driver), looked pretty nice, and had a clear title. As far as I know I got fairly lucky to get one in that shape for that money, but the number one thing I would recommend is to compare different stangs, and take your time to wait for the right one to come, as in months... I think the best way to find a car is craigslist.org but it could also be helpful to use another car locator such as cars.com or autotrader.com, but I would stray away from ebay unless you just use it as a way to meet the owner and purchase the car privately. Once you find the car that you think is right take it to a local mechanic and have them look the car over. They can usually tell you what will need to be done to the car and if it has been in any accidents or something. This is helpful to know what you are getting, and a good negotiating tool with the seller ("it will need ____ soon, so i would offer you $____"). After that, its pretty much a per-car basis to know what it needs. You should prolly start with the easy stuff like air cleaner, oil change and filter, spark plugs, etc.

After that you just have to decide what you want to do with it and what needs to be fixed. This forum is really helpful, especially if you dont have someone who know a lot about cars helping you out.

Lastly, dont always trust the seller of a car. Most ppl will tell you anything to make a buck. If they say 'it will only need a carb rebuild' to make it run, they are most likely lying. Never buy a car that doesnt run unless you have the knowledge and money to bring it back to life.

sanjosebass

Welcome to the forums!

I guess the main thing I was looking for was rust. Most items you can fix easily but rust takes some work. Try to get something rust-free that has a good engine. For $5K you could get something pretty nice.... And I agree about the eBay thing, go with something local like craigslist. Also, look in your local paper and compare, compare, compare.

Since you have some time on your hands, you should look through some catalogues and get an idea for prices on parts etc.... This way, if you do find something you like, you can quickly put together an estimate as to how much the repairs will cost you.

andrewmp6

Id find the closet mustang club to you and talk to them maybe have one of them go with you to look over the car.Also have a mechanic look at it good luck.

voipguy

A very common problem with65 & 66 Mustangs isrusted out floorboards. When you start looking at carscheck underneath the carfor cracked metal and holes. You'll want to look right where your feet would be while sitting in the car.Make sure you check both sides of the car and the backseat area.
This can be an expensive fix. The parts are cheap....the labor expensive.If you know how to weld then it's mostly time consuming.

gibsonxplayer88

haha i hear you there. being one of the only two kids with muscle cars (the other kid has a 69 camaro) its great getting the head turns when you roll into school.


but i was in the same boat as you. i just got my lisence about a month ago. but i really lucked out finding my 67, theres a guy in my town who restores and build a lot of hot rods and muscle cars and his buddy happend to have this car with a freshly rebuild motor and trans that he only wanted 15,000. and i ended up talking him down to 8,500. so just look arround see what you can find.

if you have any friends or relatives who know what theyre talking about take the cars you find to them and have them look the car over and see if everything is solid. no rust, doors and hood line up, straight body ect.

welcome to the forums and good luck in finding a car!

fast65

Like somebody else said, check for rust. Pour a pitcher of water into the cowl (the vents right below the windshield) and see if the water ends up on the floor board, if it does then pass that one up. Try to find someone you know that has a good knowledge of cars and take them with you to check out the mechanical condition (engine, transmission, etc...) of the car.

I know what you guys are saying, I love driving into my school every morning and seeing the looks on a parents face in a BMW or Mercedes when I drive by them in my '65. Priceless.

Welcome to the forums and good luck!