steed8950

This is my first post, and I'm looking for some information. I've found a nice looking 65 Ford Mustang Conv. w/ a 289 3 speed. What would should problem areas on this car should I be looking at during the prebuy inspection.

Thanks for the help

steed8950

sorry thats a 4 speed.

rmodel65

rust rust rust !get a stud finder and chek out the metal esp under the car all the floors the frame rails, and also pour water in the cowl(the area in front of the windsheild) also check out the faq and welcome to the forums

Ste7of1

...and when you pore the water in the cowl, check for wet carpet on the floorboards where your feet go. This can be a very expensive repair. Verify title availability. There have been many posts on this forum asking the same question. Do a search and browse through the replys.

Good luck

Ste7of1

blane17

Rust is your number one concern as mentioned before. Cowl, rockers, floorpans are typical rust areas. I would suggest contacting your local mustang club and seeing if someone from there would go with you.... or someone here may be able to if they live close. Unexpected rust repairs can easily eat up your budget. IMHO, rust repairs are not the fun part, even if u do it yourself. Sure they can be rewarding if u do it yourself, but they are expensive and very time consuming. Fun stuff? Upgrading brakes, new suspension, performance mods....

Mechanical issues can be taken care of much easier and are generally cheaper. Also, much easier to tell if there are major mechanical issues and what their respective repair cost are.

Besides rust, I would do a compression test, road test if it drives , checking brakes and also testing all lights. Lots of people have run into problems tracking down electrical gremlins with these 40 year old wiring harnesses. Rust can be a deal breaker. Mechanical issues just dictate what u will pay for it.

Good luck. Buying this car is best thing I have done. Just don't tell my wife I said that.

RGH69

Before you buy it take someone with you that knows the Mustangs. If you don't know anyone, I am sure there are plenty of folks on this forum in the NY area that would be willing to help. Also, what are you looking for? A daily driver, show car, race car, project car, or an investment. The answer to this question will affect what you should be looking for.

JamesW

Welcome to the board Mitch.

All good advice above. I would also suggest searching the web for tips on buying classic mustangs. Here's one from the Mustang Monthly Magazine website.

http://www.mustangmonthly.com/howto/...ngs/index.html

steed8950

Thanks for all the advice, I've owned 2 Mustangs previously, a 90GT Conv and a 89GT conv. both with a good amount of bolt on mods. Finally paid off the college loans and came across the 65 it looks in great condition from the pics, but with a price to match. I'm looking for something as a weekend cruiser, my only major concern is that the only access to a garage I'll have is during the winter time, but most of the year it will just be covered. I'm concerned about purchasing it and then having is rust away because it's not garaged year round.