Kitten Tooth

Hello everyone. Im new here and im in desperate need of information on this old beast i found on craigslist. I just went to look at a 1966 Ford Mustang with my dad and when i sat in the seat and put my hands on the wheel i fell in love. The bad-
- Front driver side seat has a few tears.
- Rear quarter panels are shot and the trunk floor is gone i think.
- There is some bondo right underneath the rear window on the driver side
where the line of the body swoops towards that back of the car.
- Bondo also on the rear quarter panel on the driver side.
- More bondo on the driver door i think.
- Dash looks kinda saggy above the gauges.
- Driver door has a crack in it for some reason.
- Its missing the rear view mirror on the driver door.
The good-
- Car is totally complete minus the rear view mirror i mentioned.
- Brand new floor pans were recently installed.
- Car has all its paperwork and its up to date.
- All the rest of the seats are is great shape.
- good tread on tires.
- Original hub caps.
- Everything is original except the Motor and Tranny.
- New rear wheel cylinders, pads, lines, and splitter.
- Car runs great and drives.


The engine that is currently in it is a 200ci Straight six with an Automatic Transmission. The motor and tranny were swapped previously. You can still see the clutch pedal bolted up in there but the transmission is automatic.
He wants 1200 dollars for it. Heres the add--

http://siouxcity.craigslist.org/cto/2686073483.html

I want to know if this is a good deal that i could either make money on or keep. also curious If its worth putting money into (i dont want to completely restore it or anything). If its not worth restoring do you guys think i could get my cash back by parting it out?

I really need help guys, there are other people with their eyes on it and i need to know if its worth it soon. I appreciate you guys even looking at this thread. Thank you.

Kitten Tooth

Also i plan on dropping a 302 in it if i can find one. I found a comet that might be a good candidate.

Kirklandkie

that's a project no doubt, its value depends on how much you love it and how much work you can do yourself. Whatever you do, don't let him see how much you love or want it
(restored coupe is worth in the vicinity of 9k, keep this in mind)

-kirk

mr_velocity

You say the motor was swapped at some point, if it was never a v8 you'll have to upgrade the front suspension while you're at it. How much to do you have spend on the resto?

RC65

I guess it depends on how much you are doing yourself vs. having it done. Looks like alot of sheet metal needs to be replaced. If your planning to drop in a V8, you'll need to replace the suspension, rearend, trans., etc. You may want to keep looking at least for a car with a V8/5 lug setup. There are alot of 65/66 coupes out there.

Kitten Tooth

I like the simplicity of the Straight six. EVERYTHING is right there. But... i also REALLY like power and speed. My grandpa's chevy pickup has a 4.1 straight six in it and he can roast the tires if he feels like it. I know the motor thats in this is no wuss but i want something that roars like my dad's crown vic police car Honestly, im just looking for something to putt around in thats ok on gas and has a little bit of power to show off to the ladies. Not to mention the car im looking at is a mustang. Im more into old motorcycles so i dont really have that much knowledge about cars. Motorcycle carburetors are kind of easy to tear apart but the carburetor on this mustang scares me to death (if i ever had to pull it apart). I'm thinking i might just keep the straight six and get the replacement panels for the trunk and rear quarters. The front driver side fender is dinged up pretty bad but there are no creases so i think i can just pound them out. I have very little experience with an arc welder... how tough is it to put in replacement panels? I wouldnt mind just having a ratty looking flat black mustang to drive around in but i dont want it to rust itself to death while im driving it.

Kirklandkie

don't think arc welder, think mig welder. I personally think body work is the most challenging part of a car. That's why i won't do it myself.
the main question here you need to answer is: how far do you want to go with this restoration? do you want a nice looking daily driver, or a show car? something in between? tell us

-kirk

Kitten Tooth

I want a daily driver that turns heads. I just want to know that if we got this car, do you guys think we could make it worth more that 1200 dollars with like a 300 dollar budget? Dont consider labor for installing repair panels or anything like that in your opinion, i do know someone that is good with body work that would probably help for a case of beer honestly. Could we make our money back by parting it out if i couldnt get the cash up to buy it off my dad?

hightower2011

$300 to turn it around? I don't see that happening....

If you wanna do body work yourself, including panel work, priming, painting, etc., then maybe you'll get somewhere with that budget. But what's the interior like?

AscolA

I was in the same boat as you several years ago. I loved classic mustangs and wanted a project. I have always been handy with cars, but not a mechanic, and had zero welding skills. I spent $2200 on a 68 straight six. Over the course of 4 years it's become awesome driver. I put in a t5, 8 inch rear end, disk brakes, dual exhaust and the list goes on. The minimal body work I thought I could get done for $1k turned into a $10k in bodywork/paint job. My original plan was to buy it, put a couple of grand into it and have a great classic. I have at least $18k into the car now.

My advice:
1. If you want a v8 buy one, you'll save money in the long run
2. Don't buy a car to flip it. You'll never make your money back trying to flip a classic in this economy.
3. Body work usually turns into twice as much work- due to the fact that once you start taking panels off, you usually find a lot more rot and rust than anticipated.

Just my two cents. I'm no expert. Hope this helps.