I found this little car, and I was wondering what people thought.



In case you can't tell (I have no idea what one can tell from looking at them):
1968
200 straight 6
3 Speed
94K original miles
all original except wheels & steering wheel (which the guy has, and will install)
Rear air-shocks
dual exhaust

We drove out to see it / test drive it, and my car savvy friend says the clutch linkage and steering are very smooth and tight. It started right up when we got there, and the guy claimed he hadn't had it running. It has some SLIIIGHT rust under the back bumper, but it's really spotty and superficial. The paint is also a little chipped and then touched up on the front. The guy is asking $5500 for it, and I want to know whether or not that is a good deal.

Tomorrow we are going to take it to a mechanic for the once-over. What are some red flags to look for specific to mustangs? What kind of damage would make you walk away? How much should I offer the guy?

I am 18 and live in the country, but soon I will be moving away for college, and hopefully taking the car. I am pretty fast at learning technical things, and I am hoping to learn how to do maintenance etc. myself. Is it stupid for an 18 year old girl to take off into the sunset with a '68 mustang?

Thanks!

 

wow nice car (comparred to my two, but there not much to look at). well you won't have too worry about a twisted chassis as long as that is the original motor and didn't have a V8 in it at one time it looks clean but get some pics of it from underneath and in the engine bay then we can tell you more
here are my two hunks o' junk i call stangs

 

air shock are a huge read huge no no when it comes to mustangs they will literally push thru the floor of the car. the scocks are not supposed to support any weight air shock are just the slackers way of making the car ride level since it has worn out springs

 

You need to look for undercarriage rust and possible patches - you also need to check the coil area for rust - also check the bottom corner of the doors very typical area for rust - it is really the big thing to look at... also check the body for bondo

Then you will need to get the brakes, clutch, transmission and electrical system checked - if it is going to be your daily driver make sure it is reliable and safe!

Concerningthe price, it varies from east to west coast, but with these pictures 5.5 k$ does not sound too bad, you may want to start negotiating in the low 4 k$ and go from there.

Also, you should aks him history about the car and documentation of any previous maintenance - another thing is that you should run the numbers to validate it is as original as said.

Last point ... an 18 years old girl in a 68 mustang ... sounds pretty good to me

 

hhhmmmm i gess your right , didn't see that little bit o' info, must of skipped it

 

I think I speak for everyone when I say we will also need a picture of the 18 year old lady considering this buy..you know, for official mustang purposes only of course...

 

lol ya i can concur we need to have her phone # for "our records"

 

Now dont scare her away Boss[8D]

 

*in a babyish voice* ok i shorrry just want the pretty ladies numa hahahaha

 

Welcome Amelia,
Looks like a great little car. If it checks out mechanically, then that's a great price.

Asa dad tho, I would be ahesitant to send my 18 year old daughter off to college in a 40+ year old car, on which she is 'hoping to learn' maintenance. Nothing meant as a derogatory comment against you....you seem quitelevel headedand no doubth could pick up the technical part ofit pretty quickly

However, these old cars, especially ones that haven't been preemptively gone through and thoroughly inspected/restored, aremuch moreunreliable as daily drivers than a modern car. They tend to break down more often, and will leave you stranded.... not something I'd feel comfortable about as a dad of an away from home college daughter.

I have a good friend who built a 65 with his daughter during her high school years and she took it off to college. As expected...things wear out and break, and she did not have the facilities, tools, or time to work on it. She'd end up having to take it to garages that were not familiar with old cars, or expecially ones that had been modified. The dad had to drive across state several times to go work on it after the shop messed it up. He ended up selling it and buying her a 2003 Mustang because of the reliability issue.