pan465

Well, I'm pretty excited since I got to check out 2 cars for sale this weekend. First was a '67 coupe, and today I just got back from checking out a '65 coupe. With this, both cars were in pretty good shape but I had some questions about things that would need to be done with the '65 since it looked to be in slightly better shape and was about $2k cheaper asking price.

First off, I look (and the owner told me) that it would probably need to get a new battery tray. Looking under the car there was a rough hole (maybe 4" or so) under the battery that was rusting out. It wasn't terrible, but I would want to get it fixed ASAP if I get the car. Any idea as to what that might cost?

Second, the needle on the speedometer has a bit of a wiggle at slower speeds. Nothing major and the owner said it probably just needs a new cable. It's even something I could live with, but still, estimated cost?

Next, the heat/blower wasn't on. He said that he believes it needs just a new fuse because he had a new blower installed in the car. Once again, I haven't determined if I'd want to try to drive it year round, so it's not a necessity, but estimates?

Last isn't as much a cost question as a car condition question. I noticed on the rear leaf springs that there is surface rust. They're not pitted, it's mostly just a slight coating in some spots of orange/red/brown rust. Is this common or something I should be concerned about. He said surface rust like that isn't that big of an issue, but I wanted to get advice.

Just for reference, I'm in central NJ, so depending on if I go with it, can anyone recommend a good car shop around to go for work? Also, I mentioned to him that I wanted something that could POSSIBLY be a daily driver (I have yet to determine if I'd want to use the car year round) and he said he's only used it as a weekend car and as long as he's had it, it's never seen the rain. The car appears to be in good shape, no rust aside from what I saw/mentioned here, rebuilt engine with about 10k miles on it, tons of new parts. Is this something that I could use daily or am I going a bit too far to think I could drive an approximately 45 year old car every day? And just out of curiosity, what is the blue book price range on a mid-late '60s Mustang coupe, good condition?

Thanks all so much for the advice that I get here. It really gave me some confidence to take a look at these cars and have a good idea of what to look for, what to ask, and just have a general knowledge.

ninteen66mustang

Lots of questions there. First off, how much was he asking? What condition was the rest of the car in?

As for the rust, the battery tray shouldnt be a big deal to fix. However, if there is a rust hole there, chances are there are rust other places that you cant see. The owner is mostly correct about surface rust. It is not a big deal if it is only surface rust and you fix it before it becomes anything more, it isnt that bad. There is prolly rust elsewhere in the car though. The cowl is a very common spot, along with the quarter panels and the floors. Rust will be the most expensive, time consuming, and frustrating thing to fix on the car.

The speedo cable itself is not that expensive, but installing it is a pain, so if you dont do it yourself it will be pricey. That said, it is prolly normal to wiggle at normal speeds and if I were you, I would just live with it cuz it wont be perfect anyways.

The heater is not that much to replace even everything. If it is only the fuse it will be really cheap, but I would be sure there isnt a significant wiring problem in the car because that is also expensive and annoying to fix.

You will have no problem driving an old car as a daily driver, depending on how picky you are. Chances are, it will break down on you sometimes, and most of it will depend on how much money you put in the car. You may want to consider doing a 'restomod' where you restore the car while adding modern conveniences: electronic ignition, fuel injection (if you can afford it), disc brakes, upgraded suspension and steering, more comfortable seats, 3 point seatbelts, a good stereo, AC, etc.

for values use nada.com and just type in what the car you are looking at is. The question you asked is kind of impossible to answer. There are so many factors going in to the price so its hard to answer. I would consider my car to be in good condition, but it doesnt run well, the paint is a little chipped, and has some other problems, but most ppl would want a car as it rolled off the showroom floor. Also, a lot depends on the location of the car, and all the small parts of the condition that add up.

Good luck finding a car!

Adrenolin

Best thing you can do is go to the mustang vendor websites and order their catalogs. The best I've found is the NPD (National Parts Depot) catalog for searching out what I need. There is also California Mustang, Virginia Classic Mustang and others. Some of these companies also have catalogs available for download in pdf format and most have online stores which you can browse and order directly from.

Order all the printed catalogs to help you out away from the PC and view their websites while there. Once you decide on which you are going to buy the first thing you should buy is a copy of the original Shop Manual. Each year has its own Shop Manual and these are what were used back in the day on the assembly lines.

The inner fender apron (battery tray) would run about 30.00 and the same for a speedo cable I think. The heater is a completely different beast. If its not the fuse it could be wiring, the core or any number of other related items. Some are cheap while others are not.

I'm in South Jersey myself (just south or Cherry Hill) and currently in the process of doing a 67 coupe. It'll be a year round daily driver for the wife once completed. However we're ripped the car down to the shell and doing a complete ground up job on it and everything is being rebuilt. I'm pretty much new to all this myself however have my father and a few others helping me quite a bit on it as well.

Good luck!

HGC

I paid to have my speedometer cable replaced on a 65 coupe and it was $30 for the part and $50 for the labor.