Purchasing a Classic Mustang - Advice??

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’m just starting to research getting my 60’s Mustang once and for all. I’m looking for a ’65 to ’69, preferably fastback. I want it to be nice, but it will be my daily driver and my only vehicle, so it can’t be showroom quality or I’ll want to kill myself when it gets scratched. I live in Los Angeles, which is a great place to find one. I’m looking to spend $10k to $15k.

Any advice? I know NOTHING about cars, and I don’t want to buy a POS. What is customary when buying a car of this vintage? Would a seller be willing to let me take it to a mechanic shop to get a professional opinion? How much would a mechanic shop charge for this service? Where does one take a classic car for servicing?

Any tips and suggestions will be much appreciated. I can’t believe I’m actually going to get my Mustang!

2

Hmmm…good luck. My husband has a '67 fastback and it was valued at $25K when it wasn’t even running (still isn’t) and he hadn’t done any hot rod work to it. It’s a complete car; he just had it bored out to a 428 which is why it was down. The body was slightly scratched and the bumpers were slightly pitted.

He’s the original owner and it has 20K miles on it, which makes some difference. Here are some for sale. Some are in the $15K zone, but most are more:

http://www.mustangclassifieds.com/index.php?page=search&cid=12&s_res=AND

3

A friend of mine bought a '65 convertible last year, very nice shape. (I forget how they’re rated, but it looked pretty damn nice to me.) He spent about 20,000. Let me try to find some links of ones for sale.

In my opinion, which is second hand at best, you should have no problem finding a decent one in that price range.

I’ll see if I can get some info out of him.

4

The only suggestion I have is, take me for a ride in it once you get it? I love the '67 fastbacks sigh

Good luck finding a nice one!

5

Slight hijack, if you like 60’s fastback Mustangs, you might like the latest Fast and the Furious movie, though the car in question doesn’t show up until pretty much the very last race.

6

I have a 65 convertible - found it by shopping around online and in the Hemmings classified mag. My dad got so into the thrill of the chase that he actually went into the business with the guy we had do some work on it! (www.oswaltsmustangs.com - they’ll happily ship to California if you like.) There’s tons and tons and tons of good driving fastbacks out there.

The great thing is you can take it just about anywhere for basic servicing because they’re easy to work on. Parts aren’t too hard to come by, particularly if you’re not looking for a showroom car. When you consider the cost of the car also consider if you’re going to want to do things like convert to disc brakes or so it will take unleaded gas. (I forget what that was called, but for the first year I had mine I had to put an additive into it when I gassed up, and then Bob got around to fixing it for me. They actually card you for the additive at Wal-Mart!)

I love the car, although I don’t get much of a chance to drive it these days. They’re fun to drive and a car in good shape can definately be a daily driver, if you’re accustomed to what to expect with it. You will need to develop a good relationship with a good mechanic, however.

7

PS - things you’d be looking for if you were looking for a showpiece include original color, original seats, original engine, etc. Since you don’t really want these things, know enough about them to argue people down about it.

You’ll know a really good one when you drive it, probably. CHECK FOR RUST. Check for Bondo. Ideally, find a good Mustang guy who works on and restores classic cars to have a look at it before you buy it; most of them would be glad to do that for you. You can look them up in the phone book and take a field trip to their shop. They should be super-friendly and really excited about what they do; these guys are almost always really nice and really eager to talk cars with you. Keep an eye on the market and see what they’re selling for so you don’t get ripped off.

8

http://www.classicmustang.com/includes/Mustangs%20for%20sale_rev.htm#Mustangs%20for%20Sale

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/AFM_Top_List/

I also remember he looked at Ebay and Yahoo.

9

I thought at first this might be a hijack, but decided that, since you didn’t ask for specific advice, I’d offer what I know about Mustang ownership.

There is something about a Mustang that makes a woman jealous. The same is not true of a Corvette, MG, Camero or any other sporty car or even real sports car. Women love to go riding in pretty cars. But a Mustang? Makes a woman jealous. Be prepared to prove to your lady over and over that you love her more than the car.

Many years ago, before I had even met the woman who became my bride, I was a member of an unorganized group of Mustang owners – all we had in common was our cars. And every one of us experienced this phenomenon. The first three women I dated after I got my Mustang eventually moved on (one at my request after she accidentally dumped the clutch while trying to learn how to drive it). The fourth – well, she still lives with me, but the Mustang is a distant memory. Maybe someday, when she’s more secure …

10

Just checking in to say- run a magnet over the car, especially where rust generally accumulates. The magnet will stick to metal but not to Bondo, and you can feel when the pull exists and when it does not.

11

If you get a '65 Mustang and you want to use it for your daily driver, find out if it has a dual or single brake master cylinder. If it has a single master cylinder have it changed out with a dual one before you drive it regularly!!! With a single master cylinder, a leak or break in any of the brake lines or related components will quickly deprive you of all stopping ability. This is not fun. Trust me, I speak from experience.

Finding spare parts should be no problem as there’s oodles of them out there since 'stangs are popular cars, many of them will also correct known flaws in the original parts. Also, track down the local Classic Mustang club in your area and join. It shouldn’t cost very much for a membership, but the folks in the club will have tons of advice about the cars (and may even have one that they’d be willing to sell you at a good price). They’ll know the best places to find parts in your area, the best shops, and the best scrapyards. All of which you’ll need to know about.

Also, be prepared for a “shakedown” period right after you get your car. No doubt the car will have a few problems that will develop after you buy the car, so be prepared to find yourself walking until you get them all sorted out. Ideally, what you should do after you get the car, but before you make it your daily driver is change all fluids, belts, hoses, plugs and plug wires, points, and the battery. That will reduce the chances of you getting stranded. Pick up a copy of the factory service manual (as well as a mass market book on your year Mustang that has technical information in it), some basic hand tools (which should be all you’ll ever need to work on the car, for the most part), a small hydraulic jack, fire extinguisher, fuses, and spare fluids. Those things will enable you to get home if there’s ever a problem (unless, of course, your transmission decides to die on you).

Then, get ready to enjoy your car and the people you’ll meet because of it. There’s something about driving around in an old car that attracts people. Even die hard Chevy and Mopar guys will come over to take a look at your car. They’re a helluvalot of fun to own.

12

It’s true. I check my husband’s collar for axle grease every Saturday. He’s been through three wives, but he’s still got that '67 Fastback.

13

Yep – I had to make a choice between a new shifter fork (not sure what that is, but when it’s broken the shifter just sort of flops around in your hand) and an engagement ring. The ring still sparkles, though, so I have that.

14

Awesome . . . thanks for the advice. I’m getting more excited every minute. The fastbacks are generally harder to find, but I’m in no rush. I found a beauty 1964 1/2 coup for $12,500, haven’t heard back from the owner yet (craigslist), but I don’t care if I don’t hear back. I’ll might just wait for a fastback.

15

Speaking as someone who has driven both a '67 Coupe and '69 Grande about, here are a few random notes on 'Stangs. Some of the suggestions are if you don’t mind doing some restro-modding and not having everything stock, but they’ll make the car much nicer to have as a daily driver.

*Hit some of the classic car shows/classic car drive-ins in your area, and ask around for who they take their cars to.

*Seriously consider upgrading to at least disc brakes up front if it doesn’t already have them. It’s amazing the difference in stopping distance/power between the '67 (drums) and the '69 (disc/drums).

*Ignition: points or electronic? Both have their (dis)advantages, but the conversion from points to electronic made both the '67 and '69 less fussy to start up.

*Both the '67 and '69 we have had problems with running hot/overheating, especially in Summer stop-n-go traffic. Shoving in the best radiator that would fit and putting a shroud on the fan solved this.

*Check to see if/when the engine has been rebuilt, and if so, has it been tinkered with to make it run better on unleaded gasoline. We did this to the '67, and so far this car has been bullet-proof (knocks on wood) when it comes to gas. Crappy gas, winterized gas, gas with varying amounts of ethanol in it (not that 85% stuff though): the only difference has been lowered MPG and ‘oomf’ with occasional rough idle with sub-par gas. No problems with decent quality regular grade gas, higher octane isn’t worth it. YMMV! :wink:

*Radio and sound system: if the one you find has the stock radio, you may be stuck with AM only unless you upgrade this. There are radios being made that replicate the look/feel of OEM ones and will fit in the dash without much difficulty.

*AC: does the car have it, and has it been converted to 134a refrigerant?

*Cup holders, or the lack thereof.

*About having a mechanic inspect the car… At the very least, you’ll want to have it done just after buying the car: this is the route you’ll have to go if buying the car remotely (seller out of area). And I’m not sure what the going rate for this is. Having one done before buying the car is a good thing: it can warn you of problems lurking in the wings and give you something to negotiate with. The fun part is negotiating who to take the car to, etc. I’d be leery of a seller who flat-out refuses to let the car be inspected under any circumstances: what are they hiding?

*And as Tuckerfan alludes to, be prepared to have a lot of random people comment on your car. And offer to buy it from you, no matter the shape its in.

On preview: wow, this is turning out longer than I thought. Better cut it off here before everyone falls asleep. (I know, too late!)

<< No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too seriously. >>

16

Craigslist in LA is full of old mustangs. Beware of scams, they abound on CL (eBay too)
What kind of mustang do you want?
A good original driver?
A restored driver?
Matching numbers?
A modified driver?
All have different values.
As far as checking it out goes, you are in Venice, I am in the valley. If you ask nice, I could be persuaded to look at a car for you.
If you want me to look at a car, my email is in my profile.

17

What kind of mustang do you want?

Classic 60’s Mustang, preferably fastback, ’65 to ’68.

**A good original driver? **

Not too concerned about whether the current owner was the original owner.

**A restored driver? **

I claim full ignorance on car repair/modification, so the more “modified” the car is to make it a practical daily driver (i.e. disc brakes, etc.) the better. I would prefer the stock motor and original color. If not the original color, at least an authentic color. No rust.

**Matching numbers? **

Not too concerned.

**A modified driver? **

Not above it by any means.

Overall, I want a classic Mustang in good driving condition, as close to stock as possible with the “convenience” modifications already performed. I really have no interest in taking on any major modifications like new paint or new wheels (well . . . those aren’t “major,” but I’d just assume wait until I find one that I’m happy with as it is).

**As far as checking it out goes, you are in Venice, I am in the valley. If you ask nice, I could be persuaded to look at a car for you. **

I intend to ask as nicely as one can. Thank you so much for your interest, will be e-mailing you forthwith.

18

A random question, when buying a car from an individual, would I still be able to get a car loan to pay for it, or would I have to get $15,000 or whatever piled up in one place?

19

Assuming you have good credit, the bank really does not care where the car is coming from as long as the tittle is good (not from Nigeria)
An original car is does not refer to how many owners, but rather how original it is compared to the way it came from the factory.
A 66 Mustang with a 289 is original, a 66 with a 5.0 fuel injected engine is not. If you hope to sell the car at some point in the future, the more original it is the more it is worth.

20

Ahh, so I should ignore this email from a fellow in Nigeria who needs help getting a Shelby GT500 out of the country?