thinkfloyd

So I'm about to purchase a 69' Mustang Coupe that's been partially restored (meaning all is as it should be save for the engine). The engine is a Hyundai diesel one, and of course, I plan to replace this... anyway, the price for the car is $4000. Is this fair? The seller says he has an original V6 engine that needs work and he'll sell it to me for cheap if I get the car... how much is fair for the engine (that needs work)? I dunno yet what kind exactly...

Am I getting a fair deal? Or should I just get one from the junk shop for about $500-$800 (without engine and depending on condition) and work on it from the ground up?

As for the engine, can it still be repaired to spec? Or should I not bother and just look for another one that's working?

Thanks and I'm sorry for the noobish way to ask. I'm new to this... just want to realize my dream car ever since I was 14.

rtintwo

Well a desiel conversion is one i have never hear of before, so i am not sure just exactly what has been modified i can only guess at. I would say there has been alot of fuelsystem mods and that best case the coil lead wire has been tucked to the side, hopefully not cut off.

I know pricing for in the states and i would say that is a high price for here, considering the odd bal mods done. But for PI i dont know if that would be a fair price. Pictures would be a big help so that we know what stage the car is at and what work has been done.

thinkfloyd

Yeah, I thought about the mods done to make it run on diesel... I'm thinking of paying it a visit next weekend to see exactly what's been done and take lots of pictures... I've a feeling $4000 is kinda high. I've also been told by a cousin who's into restoring (he owns a car repair shop) to just get the $500-$800 ones and he could help me work on it from the ground up. So my next question is, for a junked car without engine and most likely would need work all around, is $500-800 a good price? (Though I live a good hour or so drive from the cars, all of them - from the semi-restored one to the junked ones - are close to each other so I can probably visit them all in one day)...

Nabster

The engine he says is original isn't, if it's a V6. Originally it will have had an I6 or a V8. Keep in mind, if the car was originally an I6, in order to safely put a V8 in you need to more or less replace the suspension with a beefier one all around.

If you want a buy a $5-800 69 and do that fully up, expect to spend upwards of $20 or $25000 to make it presentable and in good driving shape if you aren't doing all the work yourself. If this diesel conversion is in good shape aside from the diesel drivetrain it would well be worth the money if you can source another engine (perhaps from a $500 basketcase). I'm not completely sure what all was changed to make it a diesel, but think worse case scenario you'll need a new gas tank, fuel lines, transmission and engine, and maybe a bit of fab work to fix any weird bits of the car that were changed to accommodate the diesel stuff- that's the easy part of these old cars since so many engines and transmissions are compatible. The expensive part is all the cosmetic stuff, body work and paint is expensive, parts for a 69 are a bit harder to find and a bit more expensive than other years.

Ideally you could find a car that's already in running condition and just needs a basic restoration and a fresh coat of paint and some new interior bits, but those cars are harder to find and will run you anywhere from $5-15000.

I think you should go look at these cars you're thinking about to get an idea of what's out there, take pictures and inspect them really well, but don't commit to anything just yet.

67t5ponycoupe

Kumosta ka na Floyd. Are you Philippino or an expat? Glad you are interested in getting into an old Mustang. It must be very hard to do where you are at. Where in the Philippines are you? The price of Mustangs in the US is not going to have much to do with the price there in the Philippines because they are so rare there. I would say get it as cheap as you can and feel good about the price. The original engine for the 69 would be a V8 or a straight 6. It would be nice to have either one in your case since finding another one would be difficult. The suspension upgrade mentioned earlier would not really be needed if the car has 5 lug wheels now. It might be interesting to keep the diesel and just make to rest of the car really nice if the the diesel conversion was done well. I will bet you will have one of the only diesel Mustangs in the world! Keep us posted I'm very interested in your project. I have a soft spot in my heart for the Philippines.

thinkfloyd

@Nabster: Thanks for the insight... I'll be sure to take a look at them first before jumping the gun Who knows, maybe the ones in the junk shop are in good shape!

@67t5ponycoupe: Kamusta? I'm Filipino who is a newbie in all things cars (not just Mustangs) so I hope you guys would bear with me You're right, I guess I shouldn't compare prices since they are pretty rare here. Took me two years to find what I've found... will check if the car has 5 lug wheels. Really? No diesel Mustangs yet? I may give keeping the diesel engine a thought, with an original engine on standby, given the high gasoline prices... Thanks again! Btw, are you Filipino too? Or expat who lived here?

67t5ponycoupe

Sorry you are right it is Kamusta ka na, not kumosta ka na. I guess I spell Tagalog as well as I speak it. Not very well. I'm a retired Navy Chief who spent many a happy hour in Subic when it was still open and made a few visits to Manila, the latest in 2008. I love the Philippines and would love it a lot more if it was not so dang hot. I wish you all the luck in your seach for a Mustang and am happy to help when you find one. I like the 65 or 66 much better than the 69's but I know your selection is very limited there. Come back a see us often here at the forum, the guys here can be a big help to you. I guess I should have said Mabuhay for a correct greeting welcoming you to the forum.

thinkfloyd

2008 was not that long ago Too bad there are no bases left in Subic, otherwise, I'd take you up on your offer and have parts shipped through Subic's duty free port haha Nice to meet you sir and hope to meet you next time you visit

thinkfloyd

Ok, so the 69 mustang coupe I was about to purchase didn't turn out so well... I went to the guy's place and discovered why he wouldn't send me pics. It wasn't a '69, but a '66 coupe, converted to diesel... he said it was restored and when I took a look, after some quick math, the work needed to be done will be over $2000. He was selling it for $4000... not a good deal.

On the other hand, I found another guy who's selling his '69 Grande coupe for about 1700. Says it's in good condition except for one crucial thing, it has no engine. I think I'll go with the Grande. 1700 and, say, an additional $2000 to restore is better than the previous deal right?

andrewmp6

Hyundia are fwd a mustang is rwd how are you going to make that engine work on a rwd trans ?A diesel out of a truck with a turbo is the only way to do it and have power to it.