65 mustang convertible

[spankythedog]

I have always wanted a classic muscle car, and i found a 65 mustang not to far away. Its red with a white cloth top, the interior is well restored with a supposedly rare bench seat in the front., the body is in good condition, (a little rust in the dark hard to see parts ie, trunk, tucked under the folds of the body) And the engine is a 289 with the 4 barrel carb 3 speed. It starts and runs. everything seems in good working order, i know ill need to replace the coolant reservior, and the engine makes a ticking noise, the guy said it was something ill need to replace in the engine. He wants 8500 for it. Is this as good a deal as it seems to me, or am i young and naive? Im only 22 so i dont claim to be an expert on classic cars, but ive always wanted one, especially a 65-70 mustang. any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

[Racer#27]

Wow, what a tough question, could be the deal of a lifetime or the heartbreak, hard to tell without seeing it or anything. Good luck and hope it works out for the best for you. Do yourself a favor, find a reputable mechanic in your town that works on and is familiar with old stuff, take it to them and let them tell you what they think.

[spankythedog]

thanks. the guy im buying it from seems fairly upfront and honest, about the pros and cons of the vehicle. but yeah, second opinions are always good.

[AllStangs]

Yeah, a second opinion from someone knowledgeable on Mustangs is key. If you're new to Mustangs (and classics in general) there are too many things you could miss.

Also, get the VIN and door data tag info and post back so we can help you decode how the car was originally equipped. You said it has a 289-4v, so the 5th character in the VIN should be A or K if it's original. The A would be a nice desirable engine. The K would be a "buy it right now before someone else does" scenario. :D

If it's not an A or K then the engine/carb/intake has been changed or the owner is incorrect about it being a 4v.

[spankythedog]

well, i bought one. Its a black 65 coupe, with a 289 bored to 302 and a 4 barrel carb, the vin is 6f07c207214 and it cost me 9k. i assume the engine isnt stock, and obviously the carbs not, but i dont really care all that much, itll just make it easier for me to convince my dad to help me drop a 351 or something like that in her one of these days. shes beautiful and i love her :) Shes pretty well restored, but theres a few places she needs some love. but i do enjoy tinkering. The exhaust needs to be redone from the manifold back one of these days, but its not urgent, the trunks a lil rusty, and id really like to reconnect the breather filters to the intake again so i dont smell like fumes after driving her. and a few minor interior details. but thats it. most of it i could do in a day, which i will as soon as i have one free.

[Racer#27]

Good on ya. Nice looking ride. Tinkering is what makes having a car like that so special. Good luck with it and I hope you enjoy it for many years to come. Ed