Mid 60s Mustangs? Living with one?
Discussion
Had a crazy thought over the last 48 hours and have been looking at 65/66 Mustang coupes and fastbacks for sale in the States and there are a lot of very nice 289 V8 cars at 'affordable' prices (say 20k taking in import/duty).
Admitedly not so many fastbacks, but some lovely coupes.
Never been a fan of American cars, (but love the engines power/sound), but the early Mustangs look so right without being too big and have got me thinking, could I live with one?
Most of the V8s have the 3 speed auto, so wondering how that works in modern UK traffic.
Parts are no problem and upgrades are plentiful.
Any owners with any advice?
To give you some context, I totally fell in love with beauty:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1965-Ford-Mustang-/114537...
Thinking about my London ULEZ V8 fix when that comes in next year.
Admitedly not so many fastbacks, but some lovely coupes.
Never been a fan of American cars, (but love the engines power/sound), but the early Mustangs look so right without being too big and have got me thinking, could I live with one?
Most of the V8s have the 3 speed auto, so wondering how that works in modern UK traffic.
Parts are no problem and upgrades are plentiful.
Any owners with any advice?
To give you some context, I totally fell in love with beauty:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1965-Ford-Mustang-/114537...
Thinking about my London ULEZ V8 fix when that comes in next year.
I have a 68 coupe, C4 (3 sp auto) 289ci and it's bloody lovely. Currently running 14.0 but have rebuilt the trans with a shift kit so be 13's next time.
Parts are easy, everything can get to you via Rockauto in the States in a few days - or there are UK stocks if you are desperate for next day and can afford UK prices. Insurance £100 approx, it's the perfect classic if you like old school V8's on a budget.
Parts are easy, everything can get to you via Rockauto in the States in a few days - or there are UK stocks if you are desperate for next day and can afford UK prices. Insurance £100 approx, it's the perfect classic if you like old school V8's on a budget.
IMO. super cool.
I don't have a Mustang, I have a 69 Roadrunner.
It depends what you're going to be using it for.
Occasional shows & cruising around is great fun.
As a daily driver, not so much.
It's not going to drive, stop, go round corners or be as economical as a modern car.
I've upgraded mine with Hotchkis suspension & Willwood 4 pot brakes & all this & more is available for the Mustang if you need it.
I don't have a Mustang, I have a 69 Roadrunner.
It depends what you're going to be using it for.
Occasional shows & cruising around is great fun.
As a daily driver, not so much.
It's not going to drive, stop, go round corners or be as economical as a modern car.
I've upgraded mine with Hotchkis suspension & Willwood 4 pot brakes & all this & more is available for the Mustang if you need it.
Dan_The_Man said:
I have a 68 coupe, C4 (3 sp auto) 289ci and it's bloody lovely. Currently running 14.0 but have rebuilt the trans with a shift kit so be 13's next time.
Parts are easy, everything can get to you via Rockauto in the States in a few days - or there are UK stocks if you are desperate for next day and can afford UK prices. Insurance £100 approx, it's the perfect classic if you like old school V8's on a budget.
That's the nice thing about these, you can go from stock like the one I linked, to full on drag racer and everything in between. Parts are easy, everything can get to you via Rockauto in the States in a few days - or there are UK stocks if you are desperate for next day and can afford UK prices. Insurance £100 approx, it's the perfect classic if you like old school V8's on a budget.
Another one that caught my eye was this with a 302 V8:
https://classics.autotrader.com/classic-cars/1966/...
Check you know what you're getting as mix and match parts might be harder to specify if a non-original engine is fitted.
The current exchange rate is 1.32 but of course you won't get that, you'll get a lower rate. Using a company like Transferwise can reduce the costs of money transfers.
DIY ro-ro (roll on, roll off) shipping is going to be around $1000 and marine insurance will be needed.
You'll pay import duty this end at 5% and will need to do a few mods to register and MOT it.
The process is explained here if you do it the lazy way, this is just a random site on the internet and other companies are available - https://www.shipmycar.co.uk/importing-a-classic-ca...
My own view of Mustangs is that they are like...you know whats, every you know what has one and there are far more interesting Yanks out there which don't carry that "Mustang tax" which I would have over this - Camaros, Novas and there is a nice Falcon on ebay (on which the Mustang was based, of course).
I would be more inclined to buy a UK car and look at something like a Corvette C3 before they start appreciating considerably. There's one on ebay under £16k and I wouldn't look twice at a Mustang when that was available.
The current exchange rate is 1.32 but of course you won't get that, you'll get a lower rate. Using a company like Transferwise can reduce the costs of money transfers.
DIY ro-ro (roll on, roll off) shipping is going to be around $1000 and marine insurance will be needed.
You'll pay import duty this end at 5% and will need to do a few mods to register and MOT it.
The process is explained here if you do it the lazy way, this is just a random site on the internet and other companies are available - https://www.shipmycar.co.uk/importing-a-classic-ca...
My own view of Mustangs is that they are like...you know whats, every you know what has one and there are far more interesting Yanks out there which don't carry that "Mustang tax" which I would have over this - Camaros, Novas and there is a nice Falcon on ebay (on which the Mustang was based, of course).
I would be more inclined to buy a UK car and look at something like a Corvette C3 before they start appreciating considerably. There's one on ebay under £16k and I wouldn't look twice at a Mustang when that was available.
Edited by LuS1fer on Monday 14th December 12:11
I’ve bought and sold quite a few American classics and wouldn’t have a problem using an old Mustang as a daily driver. In fact I used the one below as a daily a few years back.[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/Dxo7wtSX[/url]
An early mustang with an auto keeps up well with modern traffic and isn’t a large car. Fuel consumption isn’t great obviously and of course you have the usual LHD ‘problems’ here.
As a previous poster said, Rock Auto is great for spares (and cheap) and they are easy cars to work on.
Of the two cars for sale the o/p linked to, it’s difficult to make a judgement as the information is limited. The second one with the wrong engine and drum brakes certainly isn’t cheap.
|https://thumbsnap.com/Dxo7wtSX[/url]An early mustang with an auto keeps up well with modern traffic and isn’t a large car. Fuel consumption isn’t great obviously and of course you have the usual LHD ‘problems’ here.
As a previous poster said, Rock Auto is great for spares (and cheap) and they are easy cars to work on.
Of the two cars for sale the o/p linked to, it’s difficult to make a judgement as the information is limited. The second one with the wrong engine and drum brakes certainly isn’t cheap.
Had my 67 coupe for 17 years now, easy to drive and has a 302 with the 3 speed so nice and easy cruiser. Parts are cheap, electrical issues are rare or easy to fix (it only has about 6 fuses). I have never run as a daily, all I would say is that I have noticed over the years since the ethanol content of fuel is increasing and fuel evaporation is more common so sitting in traffic in the summer is not ideal as although the engine temp will be fine, the fuel in the carb might not be. This can rectified with carb heat shields, avoiding the use of headers and also hot air being sucked in by the chrome air cleaners.
I went in a beauty 18 months ago in California. It looked and sounded fantastic but it's slow and wallowy compared to modern cars, noisy inside in the V8 way but also in the wrong way, and just felt like what it was - a 50 year old car.
Cars have really moved on and I dont think it would work as anything other than a hobby car.
Cars have really moved on and I dont think it would work as anything other than a hobby car.
This is my '67 Fastback which I've had for about five years now. It was professionally restored and lightly modified with power steering, better brakes, overdrive automatic, etc. to make it easier to live with. But I still wouldn't want to use it as a daily driver! It's loud, thirsty, not terribly comfortable and with the relatively poor headlights, wipers, ventilation and so on, you never forget you're driving a 50+ year old car. Rust would also be a major concern if it was being used in all weathers. On the plus side, the left-hand drive has never bothered me, it is surprisingly compact and, as previously stated, reliability is good with excellent parts availability.
I love my Mustang, but am content to keep it for occasional outings when conditions are right, with something more prosaic on the driveway for daily use.
I love my Mustang, but am content to keep it for occasional outings when conditions are right, with something more prosaic on the driveway for daily use.
I imported my 67 fastback 17 years ago, if you decide to import make sure you get an independent appraisal carried out. There are lots of classics with shiny paintwork hiding a multitude of sins.
As has been said, it won't corner, brake or accelerate like a new one, but has so much more character and presence. It will fit in standard UK garage aswell.
If you get one you wont regret it!
As has been said, it won't corner, brake or accelerate like a new one, but has so much more character and presence. It will fit in standard UK garage aswell.
If you get one you wont regret it!
I am a big Mustang fan, but they are over hyped, Lots of them here and way over £££ priced.
If you have always wanted one, then great, but my choice all day long, would be a Gen 1 Camaro, or a Mopar.
A Stingray 68 - 72, would also be High on my list.
We shipped this absolutely gorgeous 68 Big Block SS427 Camaro over from LA @ the beginning of the year.
It’s previous owner spent an absolute $$$ fortune on it, from 1999 - 2005, it’s pro speed shop $$ engine build, Crank, Rods, Pistons, Comp Cams Cam - excluding some Very desirable performance / upgraded parts - Edelbrock Performer RPM alloy cylinder heads, Hooker competition Jet coated headers, Edelbrock Victor Junior intake manifold, Comp Cams cam, MSD ignition, Alloy flywheel, Competition Clutch, Hurst shifter, Milloden big sump pan, Be Cool, alloy radiator, custom built Holley 930 cfm carb, Hi Torque starter motor and more ) was $ 8,000 Dollars alone, without the above parts.
We bought the car blind, with just photos and 2 short videos, taking a big chance, but I could see from the photos, that the Beast had some Very trick / desirable parts fitted, but it was an Absolute $$$ Bargain, compared to what a 67 / 68 Fast Back 390GT Mustang was going to cost us.
Plus the Mustangs 390 GT motor, is not a good design, hard to get decent power from and it’s a Very heavy lump.
The Trade sellers twice told me, that there was Zero paper work with it. But OMG, after a week of it arriving, I was emptying out the “ two boxes “ of crystals, that the shippers put in to absorb moisture and was stunned to see that one of the boxes was rammed full of invoices a book and two shop manuals !
Camaros have lagged behind Mustang $ £ values, for years, but at last they are rising.
Huge following and parts back up for them. And a Hi Po Small Block Chevy motor, can be built / bought @ very $$ reasonable cost. Hi Power Big Blocks, however, are far more $$$ expensive to buy and build.
You will get Way more bang for your buck, verses a Muzzie. Plus the Camaro is not a long / big / wide car, like a Challenger or Charger is, etc etc.
If you have always wanted one, then great, but my choice all day long, would be a Gen 1 Camaro, or a Mopar.
A Stingray 68 - 72, would also be High on my list.
We shipped this absolutely gorgeous 68 Big Block SS427 Camaro over from LA @ the beginning of the year.
It’s previous owner spent an absolute $$$ fortune on it, from 1999 - 2005, it’s pro speed shop $$ engine build, Crank, Rods, Pistons, Comp Cams Cam - excluding some Very desirable performance / upgraded parts - Edelbrock Performer RPM alloy cylinder heads, Hooker competition Jet coated headers, Edelbrock Victor Junior intake manifold, Comp Cams cam, MSD ignition, Alloy flywheel, Competition Clutch, Hurst shifter, Milloden big sump pan, Be Cool, alloy radiator, custom built Holley 930 cfm carb, Hi Torque starter motor and more ) was $ 8,000 Dollars alone, without the above parts.
We bought the car blind, with just photos and 2 short videos, taking a big chance, but I could see from the photos, that the Beast had some Very trick / desirable parts fitted, but it was an Absolute $$$ Bargain, compared to what a 67 / 68 Fast Back 390GT Mustang was going to cost us.
Plus the Mustangs 390 GT motor, is not a good design, hard to get decent power from and it’s a Very heavy lump.
The Trade sellers twice told me, that there was Zero paper work with it. But OMG, after a week of it arriving, I was emptying out the “ two boxes “ of crystals, that the shippers put in to absorb moisture and was stunned to see that one of the boxes was rammed full of invoices a book and two shop manuals !
Camaros have lagged behind Mustang $ £ values, for years, but at last they are rising.
Huge following and parts back up for them. And a Hi Po Small Block Chevy motor, can be built / bought @ very $$ reasonable cost. Hi Power Big Blocks, however, are far more $$$ expensive to buy and build.
You will get Way more bang for your buck, verses a Muzzie. Plus the Camaro is not a long / big / wide car, like a Challenger or Charger is, etc etc.
Edited by neutral 3 on Monday 14th December 18:33
Edited by neutral 3 on Monday 14th December 18:35
Edited by neutral 3 on Monday 14th December 18:39
Edited by neutral 3 on Monday 14th December 18:43
neutral 3 said:
I am a big Mustang fan, but they are over hyped, Lots of them here and way over £££ priced.
If you have always wanted one, then great, but my choice all day long, would be a Gen 1 Camaro, or a Mopar.
A Stingray 68 - 72, would also be High on my list.
We shipped this absolutely gorgeous 68 Big Block SS427 Camaro over from LA @ the beginning of the year.
It’s previous owner spent an absolute $$$ fortune on it, from 1999 - 2005, it’s pro speed shop $$ engine build, Crank, Rods, Pistons, Comp Cams Cam - excluding some Very desirable performance / upgraded parts - Edelbrock Performer RPM alloy cylinder heads, Hooker competition Jet coated headers, Edelbrock Victor Junior intake manifold, Comp Cams cam, MSD ignition, Alloy flywheel, Competition Clutch, Hurst shifter, Milloden big sump pan, Be Cool, alloy radiator, custom built Holley 930 cfm carb, Hi Torque starter motor and more ) was $ 8,000 Dollars alone, without the above parts.
We bought the car blind, with just photos and 2 short videos, taking a big chance, but I could see from the photos, that the Beast had some Very trick / desirable parts fitted, but it was an Absolute $$$ Bargain, compared to what a 67 / 68 Fast Back 390GT Mustang was going to cost us.
Plus the Mustangs 390 GT motor, is not a good design, hard to get decent power from and it’s a Very heavy lump.
The Trade sellers twice told me, that there was Zero paper work with it. But OMG, after a week of it arriving, I was emptying out the “ two boxes “ of crystals, that the shippers put in to absorb moisture and was stunned to see that one of the boxes was rammed full of invoices a book and two shop manuals !
Camaros have lagged behind Mustang $ £ values, for years, but at last they are rising.
Huge following and parts back up for them. And a Hi Po Small Block Chevy motor, can be built / bought @ very $$ reasonable cost. Hi Power Big Blocks, however, are far more $$$ expensive to buy and build.
You will get Way more bang for your buck, verses a Muzzie. Plus the Camaro is not a long / big / wide car, like a Challenger or Charger is, etc etc.
Plus the Camaro and Mopar models especially B body's better looking cars and I would rather a BB Chevy over a BB Ford any day far more versatile and easier to make big power as your well aware If you have always wanted one, then great, but my choice all day long, would be a Gen 1 Camaro, or a Mopar.
A Stingray 68 - 72, would also be High on my list.
We shipped this absolutely gorgeous 68 Big Block SS427 Camaro over from LA @ the beginning of the year.
It’s previous owner spent an absolute $$$ fortune on it, from 1999 - 2005, it’s pro speed shop $$ engine build, Crank, Rods, Pistons, Comp Cams Cam - excluding some Very desirable performance / upgraded parts - Edelbrock Performer RPM alloy cylinder heads, Hooker competition Jet coated headers, Edelbrock Victor Junior intake manifold, Comp Cams cam, MSD ignition, Alloy flywheel, Competition Clutch, Hurst shifter, Milloden big sump pan, Be Cool, alloy radiator, custom built Holley 930 cfm carb, Hi Torque starter motor and more ) was $ 8,000 Dollars alone, without the above parts.
We bought the car blind, with just photos and 2 short videos, taking a big chance, but I could see from the photos, that the Beast had some Very trick / desirable parts fitted, but it was an Absolute $$$ Bargain, compared to what a 67 / 68 Fast Back 390GT Mustang was going to cost us.
Plus the Mustangs 390 GT motor, is not a good design, hard to get decent power from and it’s a Very heavy lump.
The Trade sellers twice told me, that there was Zero paper work with it. But OMG, after a week of it arriving, I was emptying out the “ two boxes “ of crystals, that the shippers put in to absorb moisture and was stunned to see that one of the boxes was rammed full of invoices a book and two shop manuals !
Camaros have lagged behind Mustang $ £ values, for years, but at last they are rising.
Huge following and parts back up for them. And a Hi Po Small Block Chevy motor, can be built / bought @ very $$ reasonable cost. Hi Power Big Blocks, however, are far more $$$ expensive to buy and build.
You will get Way more bang for your buck, verses a Muzzie. Plus the Camaro is not a long / big / wide car, like a Challenger or Charger is, etc etc.
Edited by neutral 3 on Monday 14th December 18:33
Edited by neutral 3 on Monday 14th December 18:35
Edited by neutral 3 on Monday 14th December 18:39
Edited by neutral 3 on Monday 14th December 18:43
I daily drove a 66 K Code coupe (auto) in California for several months in the early 1980s. At the time it was just a used car. I would hop in it and go and not be thinking about reliability or "old fashioned" feel. It did the job, rather nicely as I recall (though not as nicely as the Silver Shadow I also got to drive on one occasion). Got me from A to B. Easy to park. Cruised quite happily at 100. 700 mile trip in a day perfectly comfortably. Of course, cars have moved on in leaps and bounds since the 60s (or 80s) so you will have to adjust your expectations. But if people in the 1960s (or early 1980s) were quite happy driving 1960s cars and thought nothing of it, you should be able to do the same today, unless we have become so spoiled as a result of technological change.....
Not a Mustang, but I daily drive a truck with a 302 engine and C4 transmission (think that's the same as the Mustang transmissions?) and in terms of drivetrain reliability, it's pretty solid. The C4 honestly is no harder to live with in traffic than most 90s-early 2000s transmissions I've driven, and it will cruise at 70/80 happily. The only time it failed to start was due to an electrical issue with the wiring to the starter, which I honestly should have noticed and replaced long before. Obviously, it's noisier, more rattly, and less comfortable than a modern car, but in terms of getting around I can't fault it really.
OP, as Bish and Geekman say above, if you want a Mustang, then go for it !
Cruising around daily, in a sixties space race icon, like a Mustang, would be fantastic. Zero depreciation, peanut cheap classic insurance, cheap parts availability, every part is available, basic and easy to work on.
A 65 or 66 coupe is a gorgeous looking car. And is very good value for money, but we did see a few nice looking fast backs @ reasonable prices / looked @ a fair few, before stumbling upon our 68 Camaro.
Many Mustangs were autos, with a low spec, ie no console or Rev counter, but you could always add options / upgrades to it, as you go along. The 289 is a nice engine. Like wise the auto box.
If you are on a $$ budget, don’t dismiss a six cylinder car, many were bought by “ Grandma “ and led very sheltered lives, but I personally, would go for a V-8 car.
Check the build codes to see if the car was originally a V-8.
V-8 cars have 5 stud rims, but these aren’t hard to swap over.
If you can, try to get a “ Dry state “ car, generally they have way less rot. A Mustang can rot very badly. Take a look @ some You Tube Mustang restoration guides, you will get a good idea of where to look for rot.
We Very nearly bought a totally original, factory black 68 4 speed 390GT. It had a fair amount of rot though and it sold for £20,000.
Incidentally, a Gen 1 Camaro, is an easier car to repair, than a Mopar or Mustang, as its whole front end, unbolts.
Through the early to mid 1980s, a guy in Chingford, daily drove a white 66 289 Convertible. I recall the roof being down more often than it was up.
I do have a Trade contact in the States, who buys / sells Lots of Mustangs, no doubt he could find you a suitable car.
Cruising around daily, in a sixties space race icon, like a Mustang, would be fantastic. Zero depreciation, peanut cheap classic insurance, cheap parts availability, every part is available, basic and easy to work on.
A 65 or 66 coupe is a gorgeous looking car. And is very good value for money, but we did see a few nice looking fast backs @ reasonable prices / looked @ a fair few, before stumbling upon our 68 Camaro.
Many Mustangs were autos, with a low spec, ie no console or Rev counter, but you could always add options / upgrades to it, as you go along. The 289 is a nice engine. Like wise the auto box.
If you are on a $$ budget, don’t dismiss a six cylinder car, many were bought by “ Grandma “ and led very sheltered lives, but I personally, would go for a V-8 car.
Check the build codes to see if the car was originally a V-8.
V-8 cars have 5 stud rims, but these aren’t hard to swap over.
If you can, try to get a “ Dry state “ car, generally they have way less rot. A Mustang can rot very badly. Take a look @ some You Tube Mustang restoration guides, you will get a good idea of where to look for rot.
We Very nearly bought a totally original, factory black 68 4 speed 390GT. It had a fair amount of rot though and it sold for £20,000.
Incidentally, a Gen 1 Camaro, is an easier car to repair, than a Mopar or Mustang, as its whole front end, unbolts.
Through the early to mid 1980s, a guy in Chingford, daily drove a white 66 289 Convertible. I recall the roof being down more often than it was up.
I do have a Trade contact in the States, who buys / sells Lots of Mustangs, no doubt he could find you a suitable car.
Edited by neutral 3 on Tuesday 15th December 06:52
aeropilot said:
And there's a reason for that 
A '69 Camaro COPO clone would be the only Camaro I'd want (and even then I still have issues with the naff interior
)
The interiors are much of a muchness.A '69 Camaro COPO clone would be the only Camaro I'd want (and even then I still have issues with the naff interior
)I would have a Camaro over a Mustang but that's a matter of taste
Historically, the Camaro/Firebird sister cars have been better than Ford's pony car, more so in later generations.
The Mustang has always had the sales though, always captured the public imagination, no matter how bad it got, no matter how much slower it was.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.caranddriver.com/...
LuS1fer said:
aeropilot said:
And there's a reason for that
A '69 Camaro COPO clone would be the only Camaro I'd want (and even then I still have issues with the naff interior)
The interiors are much of a muchness.A '69 Camaro COPO clone would be the only Camaro I'd want (and even then I still have issues with the naff interior
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