Mustang Opinions and Advice
Discussion
Hello all,
It has been a long time since I posted in a PH forum. In fact it has been ten years and in those days I was posting in the TVR forums... I have not had a decent car since selling the Chimaera and have been longing for something to proud of for a few years now.
Well, I have now moved to the USA which means that I in am the fortunate position of being able to choose from many wonderful Mustangs. Good looking as the newer models are, it is the older ones that really appeal to me - first generation cars 1964-1970; fastback for preference, but also really like the coupe and convertibles.
Essentially, I am keen to hear anyone's opinions on which years/models are especially appealing as I am finding it rather daunting deciding what to start looking for. I am intending to run the car in the USA and then ship back to the UK when I come home in three years time. For this reason, I have more-or-less discounted the convertible option due to the constant rain. Although I have no idea if it would leak as much as my TVR did!
On a related issue, I was chatting to the owner of this ('Redback'') Mustang today - a rather splendid example of the marque.
http://www.mustangandfords.com/featuredvehicles/19...
Naturally, I have been through all 50 pages on this forum and picked up some good hints and tips. If I missed one dealing with specifically the issue of deciding which one to go for and what makes each model unique then please accept my apologies.
If I didn't miss it then I really look forward to hearing from you all.
Many thanks,
KH.
It has been a long time since I posted in a PH forum. In fact it has been ten years and in those days I was posting in the TVR forums... I have not had a decent car since selling the Chimaera and have been longing for something to proud of for a few years now.
Well, I have now moved to the USA which means that I in am the fortunate position of being able to choose from many wonderful Mustangs. Good looking as the newer models are, it is the older ones that really appeal to me - first generation cars 1964-1970; fastback for preference, but also really like the coupe and convertibles.
Essentially, I am keen to hear anyone's opinions on which years/models are especially appealing as I am finding it rather daunting deciding what to start looking for. I am intending to run the car in the USA and then ship back to the UK when I come home in three years time. For this reason, I have more-or-less discounted the convertible option due to the constant rain. Although I have no idea if it would leak as much as my TVR did!
On a related issue, I was chatting to the owner of this ('Redback'') Mustang today - a rather splendid example of the marque.
http://www.mustangandfords.com/featuredvehicles/19...
Naturally, I have been through all 50 pages on this forum and picked up some good hints and tips. If I missed one dealing with specifically the issue of deciding which one to go for and what makes each model unique then please accept my apologies.
If I didn't miss it then I really look forward to hearing from you all.
Many thanks,
KH.
Welcome
I recall reading about the "Redback" in that mag recently. Built as a tribute to his son if I recall correctly.
With regards the most desirable classic? Best advice would be to join www.mocgb.net/forums as there's plenty of experience over there. Buy with your head, not your heart (difficult with Mustangs!) and buy from a dry state if possible. Rust is your enemy and it's probably easier to replace/repair the mechanicals than it is to rebuild the body. That being said, EVERYTHING is available for these cars.
There's a plethora of engine codes and options and I guess it depends on how much you want to spend. My, my dream classic would be a '68 Fastback or a cloned '69/'70 Boss in a Grabber colour.
I recall reading about the "Redback" in that mag recently. Built as a tribute to his son if I recall correctly.
With regards the most desirable classic? Best advice would be to join www.mocgb.net/forums as there's plenty of experience over there. Buy with your head, not your heart (difficult with Mustangs!) and buy from a dry state if possible. Rust is your enemy and it's probably easier to replace/repair the mechanicals than it is to rebuild the body. That being said, EVERYTHING is available for these cars.
There's a plethora of engine codes and options and I guess it depends on how much you want to spend. My, my dream classic would be a '68 Fastback or a cloned '69/'70 Boss in a Grabber colour.
In your position I would put quality right to the top of the list and a lot less emphasis on spec, modifications, colour etc.
There are a LOT of crappy restorations and bodged up/hacked about cars around. What looks awesome in photos often does not stand up to close scrutiny. Get something that's been carefully (rather than cheaply) built/restored and try to avoid anything too extreme. If you spend your first year with the car undoing bodges and finding rust you'll hate the experience and want rid of it. If you can find the body style you want that's been restored very well then don't worry too much about the rest of the spec.
What you want to do is buy a car you can drive and decide how you want to make it yours. You may find you like it 'period' and want to change very little but if you have a really solid base car there's a wide choice of upgrades and modifications that in most cases are not mega money. A lot of people end up fitting improved PAS, brakes, AC, stereo etc.
Take a well restored car and make some tasteful upgrades you'll enhance your enjoyment of it and with prices the way there are be adding value in the process. A restomod/pro-touring type car is far more a matter of taste and a lot are a bit of a mish/mash of parts that do not add up to a complete package.
There are a LOT of crappy restorations and bodged up/hacked about cars around. What looks awesome in photos often does not stand up to close scrutiny. Get something that's been carefully (rather than cheaply) built/restored and try to avoid anything too extreme. If you spend your first year with the car undoing bodges and finding rust you'll hate the experience and want rid of it. If you can find the body style you want that's been restored very well then don't worry too much about the rest of the spec.
What you want to do is buy a car you can drive and decide how you want to make it yours. You may find you like it 'period' and want to change very little but if you have a really solid base car there's a wide choice of upgrades and modifications that in most cases are not mega money. A lot of people end up fitting improved PAS, brakes, AC, stereo etc.
Take a well restored car and make some tasteful upgrades you'll enhance your enjoyment of it and with prices the way there are be adding value in the process. A restomod/pro-touring type car is far more a matter of taste and a lot are a bit of a mish/mash of parts that do not add up to a complete package.
I was in a similar position to you a couple of years ago, when I started to look into buying a classic Mustang. Long story short, I am now (finally) the proud owner of a '67 Fastback which is the product of a long restoration (not by me, I hasten to add - I have a distinct shortage of talent in that respect), and has also been discreetly modified in a few areas.
I may be biased, but I think it's fair to say that the '67-'68 models are perhaps the most sought after, and in terms of values the Coupes tend to be cheapest, followed by Convertibles then Fastbacks. And of course the big-block engines will attract a higher price than the small-block versions (although are arguably less easy to live with), manuals are worth more than autos (I think), and by the time you get into the Shelby models you're into serious money. Would be interesting to see what prices are like in the States: although these cars are more plentiful over there, the Americans tend to be more aware of their pedigree and the importance of "matching numbers" than we are in the UK, and prices may reflect that. Happy to be proved wrong on this though...
A good book to buy is "Ford Mustang - First Generation 1964 to 1973: Essential Buyers Guide", which you can get on Amazon. Written by a British guy, it has some valuable tips on what to look for when buying one of these classic Mustangs.
Still fairly early in the ownership experience for me, but the car was a pig to drive when I first got it, so it's now having some additional work done to it, including having a rack & pinion steering system fitted which I am assured will transform the car. Certainly parts are plentiful, cheap and easy to get hold of (particularly in the US) so if the car you buy does need work it shouldn't break the bank... unless of course you have a rust problem, or need major bodywork. Hence the advice to buy a dry state car if possible, and check the body and chassis. Mine came from California, and the body is fairly good, but even on mine there's hidden areas like the scuttle which rust and are expensive to fix.
Good luck with your search, and I hope you find a good 'un!
I may be biased, but I think it's fair to say that the '67-'68 models are perhaps the most sought after, and in terms of values the Coupes tend to be cheapest, followed by Convertibles then Fastbacks. And of course the big-block engines will attract a higher price than the small-block versions (although are arguably less easy to live with), manuals are worth more than autos (I think), and by the time you get into the Shelby models you're into serious money. Would be interesting to see what prices are like in the States: although these cars are more plentiful over there, the Americans tend to be more aware of their pedigree and the importance of "matching numbers" than we are in the UK, and prices may reflect that. Happy to be proved wrong on this though...
A good book to buy is "Ford Mustang - First Generation 1964 to 1973: Essential Buyers Guide", which you can get on Amazon. Written by a British guy, it has some valuable tips on what to look for when buying one of these classic Mustangs.
Still fairly early in the ownership experience for me, but the car was a pig to drive when I first got it, so it's now having some additional work done to it, including having a rack & pinion steering system fitted which I am assured will transform the car. Certainly parts are plentiful, cheap and easy to get hold of (particularly in the US) so if the car you buy does need work it shouldn't break the bank... unless of course you have a rust problem, or need major bodywork. Hence the advice to buy a dry state car if possible, and check the body and chassis. Mine came from California, and the body is fairly good, but even on mine there's hidden areas like the scuttle which rust and are expensive to fix.
Good luck with your search, and I hope you find a good 'un!
I spent 6 years restoring and modifying a 67 fastback. I started out with a rusted out shell and did everything bar welding and bodywork myself. I wouldn't recommend it unless you have plenty of time and money on your hands.
I drove a factory spec 65 fastback before I bought mine and I have to admit the ride and handling were not to my liking. Some guys will enjoy the vintage driving/handling but I wanted something that felt a bit more modern.
Some of the upgrades I installed included
Power assisted big disk brakes
Rack and pinion power steering
Coil over adjustable suspension up front
Modern 5 spd gear box with hydraulic clutch
Upgraded shocks and springs with traction bars/anti roll bar at rear
Chassis strengthening
Leather bucket seats with 5 point belts
LED amber indicators
Heated windscreen
Multi speed wipers
Like buying any car you get what you pay for....I haven't been following the US values lately but IIRC about $15k would get you a pretty standard driver and if you want something with upgrades then you will be into the $20s
The one thing I have seen countless times is covered up rust...it's not uncommon for serious rust/damage to be just covered in filler and painted..I have seen cars that look ok but once they are stripped and sand blasted they resemble Swiss cheese.
Hope this helps and feel free to ask more questions
I drove a factory spec 65 fastback before I bought mine and I have to admit the ride and handling were not to my liking. Some guys will enjoy the vintage driving/handling but I wanted something that felt a bit more modern.
Some of the upgrades I installed included
Power assisted big disk brakes
Rack and pinion power steering
Coil over adjustable suspension up front
Modern 5 spd gear box with hydraulic clutch
Upgraded shocks and springs with traction bars/anti roll bar at rear
Chassis strengthening
Leather bucket seats with 5 point belts
LED amber indicators
Heated windscreen
Multi speed wipers
Like buying any car you get what you pay for....I haven't been following the US values lately but IIRC about $15k would get you a pretty standard driver and if you want something with upgrades then you will be into the $20s
The one thing I have seen countless times is covered up rust...it's not uncommon for serious rust/damage to be just covered in filler and painted..I have seen cars that look ok but once they are stripped and sand blasted they resemble Swiss cheese.
Hope this helps and feel free to ask more questions
Thank you all very much for the advice so far. The book has been ordered and I have been in touch with Pony Works in Albuquerque regarding cars. The garage seems great and the owner (Chris) had a long chat with me about Mustangs. Hopefully either I will find one and he will check it our for me or he will come across one that is to my liking.
Kev.
Kev.
I've got 2 66 mustangs and have owned probably 30 + old musclecars in the last 30 yrs. Tbh if i was to keep one for the road long term, it would be a compact,a small block with performance mods to make it quick but not drag car quick. I would modify the suspension, steering and brakes, to handle more like a modern car but keep everything else old school ( i.e no low profile tyres etc ).
Mick
Mick
Gassing Station | Mustangs | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff