65-66 Fastback. Where do I start?

[Mr Noble]

Hi chaps,

I have been thinking about getting one of thse as a project for a few years and think now is a good time.

I have found a few websites in the US that have some for sale, but would like some more advice about what to do and who to trust.


Do any of you on here have older cars?

What is the best one to go for (engine and 'box etc) and what year? (like the look of the 65-66 best)


Sorry if this is a common post, but I couldn't find any others.


Regards
Greg


ps. Would love to see pics of yours if you have similar.

[MikeyT]

Mr Noble said:

Hi chaps, I have been thinking about getting one of thse as a project for a few years and think now is a good time. I have found a few websites in the US that have some for sale, but would like some more advice about what to do and who to trust. Do any of you on here have older cars? What is the best one to go for (engine and 'box etc) and what year? (like the look of the 65-66 best) Sorry if this is a common post, but I couldn't find any others. Regards Greg ps. Would love to see pics of yours if you have similar.

Greg, you're making a good decision ...

The prices of these have gone up a lot in the last year - you can see the prices being asked on ebay in the US are now a lot more than some garages are asking. If you want one - you're best off importing one. I imported my coupe and the value for money you get from buying one in the States is a no brainer, really. For a start you get the complete choice of colour and options plus interior finish.

I'm also in the same frame of mind as you in that I want one and I'm undecided whether to buy one in the US, import and do the work here, or buy one already done.

Anyway, my choice would be a 65 (I prefer the grille) with manual four-speed box. I have an automatic at the moment but if I had the choice, I'd try a manual. As you no doubt know, they came extremely basic when new and you added your own extras - larger engine, interior finish etc.

The 289 with the 2 barrel carb was the basic V8 and this is the 'C' in the VIN No. whereas the 'A' denotes a 4-barrel carb and therefore more horsepower. The fabled 'K' code cars are for the Hi-Po engine option - and they're quite rare and therfore expensive. If you could have a choice, you'd get one with disc brakes which like everything else, was an option. Mine has drums all round and to be honest, they're not great.

The basic front suspension set up suffers from basically being a 40+ year-old design but when refurbished is acceptable. The other quirky part is the steering which is not rack and pinion - and if you get power steering is VERY light ... great when doing three point turns but again, if I had the choice now, I'd maybe go for an unassisted set-up.

Of course, all these parts can be updated, changed etc, I could name three different types of R&P steering you can get fitted. The upgrades by Flaming River and Randalls are the best. Totally transforms the car according to people in the club who've done it.

If you go to the owners; club website: www.mocgb.net - you can look back at past Annual Shows where every car is photographed and get ideas on spec and colour.

As I said in the other thread, www.reenmachine.com is a favourite haunt of mine for seeing how they do it in the States. The MustangII coil over suspension they do, which comes together with the rack and pinion steering and front disks is a bargain at $1900 - mind you, it's another $2000 to fit it as the shock towers have to be removed but for the equivalent of about £2700 you get a car with new, modern components capable of holding its own in any situation.

What I aim to do is to get a rust-free (as much as possible) example in the States and ship it down to them for the installation.

Getting back to your car though, I'd browse US ebay keeping your eyes peeled for possible cars in your budget. Buying from a dealer gives the peace of mind you may need (I did.

What are the addresses of the sites you've been looking at?

www.justmusclecars.com had two red ones on there a few weeks back but they've gone now. They were both priced at $14900 - which I think from memory (I worked it out at the time) was about £12k to your front door.

www.fordmustangsales.com is a good site and has some nice cars.

www.billsclassiccars is another.

www.fraserdante.com is another

I edit the club's magazine so if you want a couple of recent copies putting in the post to whet your appetite further, then let me know. I have to say though that in the six or so issues I've done, we've not had ONE 65-66 fastback in the mag for sale. People just don't get rid of 'em!

Cheers

Mike

[Mr Noble]

Wow! Thanks for all the help Mike. You know your stuff.

I definatly thought I only wanted the 65-66 fastback. But the coupe's seem to be half the price! I assume that the only difference is the fast-back and nothing else.

Whats wrong with the coups that make them worth so much less?

I actually am quite tempted to just go for a nice coup and go to work on the enging and running gear to make a V8 car that handles and performs like a moderd car can on track.

What do you think?

Greg

[MikeyT]

Greg, you're right - the only difference is the actual 'fastback' as opposed to the more square back of the coupe ... you end up with a smaller boot but you get a folding rear seat and a 'trapdoor' through to the boot ...

You would think that in value order, it would bo coupe, fastback then convertible but the fastback prices are more than the equivalent convertible in a lot of cases ...

It's all purely down to the production figures, way more coupes were built than the other two body styles.

1965 MUSTANG

TYPE TOTAL PRODUCED
63A FASTBACK 71,303
63B FASTBACK WITH PONY INTERIOR 5,776
65A COUPE 372,123
65B COUPE WITH PONY INTERIOR 22,232
65C COUPE WITH BENCH SEAT 14,905
76A CONVERTIBLE 65,663
76B CONVERTIBLE WITH PONY INTERIOR 5,338
76C CONVERTIBLE WITH BENCH SEAT 2,111
GRAND TOTAL 559,451

See the production figures for all years here: www.mustangers.com/prod.html

So only about 77,000 fastbacks were built in '65 at all - less than a quarter of the coupe numbers built.

The '66 ones are even rarer ... not sure they're any more money though to buy now.

You pays your money and takes your choice!

If you wanted to get a bodily sound coupe and ship it over to have work done here, you'd get a great bargain as the choice is infinite! As regards shippng costs, there are companies who advertise in Classic American mags who do the whole thing you just tell them where the car is and they do everything from then on in - pick it up, ship to the port, arrange the paperwork for export, ship over, sort the paperwork and the taxes out this end and even deliver to your door.

Depends whether the car can be driven as to the method used - mine came Ro-Ro and it was fine. Shocked when I went to pick it up at Bristol docks that there was about half an inch of dust on it - but it had been sitting in Long Island for a month waiting to be shipped ... quick cut and polish though soon restored the look!

Costs: shipping by Ro-Ro boat is about £850 - £1000 - container about £1500. Try and get one close to a port - buying from say, Kansas in the centre of the US just adds to the costs - it's about $1 a mile to transport to the docks ... may be more after the recent US gas price increases. R code cars were cars built at San Jose, California so hopefully will have spent much of their life in dry states and have less rust, F code cars were built in Dearborn, Michigan and the T code cars in Metuchen, New Jersey, so cars built in these last two plants may have spent ife in the wetter States up north ... but also may have been chosen when cars were ordered from say, Florida, or any of the southern States near the east coast. There are other numbers on the VIN plate which tell you the interior style and colour, exterior colour, back axle, and the DSO (District Sales Office) wherer the car was delivered to.

Good explanation here: http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/stude ... just click on the relevant year.

Mike

>> Edited by MikeyT on Sunday 30th April 10:15

[huffy]

Mr Noble said:

Do any of you on here have older cars? What is the best one to go for (engine and 'box etc) and what year? (like the look of the 65-66 best)

Edited cos I managed to post without saying anything!!!

Don't own one anymore but up until about 5 years ago had a 1965 289 fastback - four barrel carb, 4 speed manual and drum brakes! Personal circumstances meant it had to go but it is the one car I truly wish I had kept. Even against modern cars it was comfortable, quick and entertaining, and with the twin exhaust set up sounded superb. With the hatch through to the boot, it was even practical and in the 5 years or so I owned it almost totally reliable apart from the sort of niggles you expect from a car of that age. Apart from a respray before I got it it was pretty much original. If I had somewhere to keep it and the money, I would buy another tomorrow!!

>> Edited by huffy on Thursday 4th May 13:36