When it came to selling popular cars in the 1960s, Ford was hard to beat with its all-new Mustang. From 1964 to 1966, nearly 1.3 million copies flooded the market, meaning the company’s factories worked overtime to keep up with demand. This little-changed 1966 edition has been in the same family for 50 years but off the road for at least 35 years. It’s lived in the barn since the 1980s and has only been treated to a wash job before being put up for sale.
From all indications, this Mustang was one of the more commonly ordered versions. It’s the coupe that dominated sales and has a 289 cubic inch V8 and a 3-speed automatic transmission. No power steering or brakes. We assume the 289 is the 2-barrel edition which was rated at 200 hp, so it had plenty of zip when new and would be somewhat gentle on fuel consumption (by standards of the day(.
This Ford joined the current family when it was only five or so years old and never left the fold. It isn’t known how or why it ended up in the barn, but time and Mother Nature have taken their toll. Since the seller says it needs floor pans that equates to there being corrosion that could be problematic for a unibody car like the Mustang. The body is otherwise dented and dinged, and we assume that what’s left of the blue paint is original.
The interior will need to be redone, too, and the ancient tires may hold air long enough for it to get onto the buyer’s trailer. From the woods in Apison, Tennessee, this first-generation ‘Stang is available here on craigslist for $3,500. You may end up spending more to restore this one than what it would cost to buy another ’66 Mustang that’s seen better days. Too bad there are no photos of the car when it was in seclusion and with the car jacked up to see underneath.
WHOA!!! This little Pony was put up wet & not brushed out!!! Complete restoration after which you would have Mustang worth maybe $8K or so! The restoration would exceed that amount quickly! As they say in Texas, “El Paso” quickly!
Pretty rough, a bit beat up. I think it would take a lot to get it back to just good condition.
Might be better to remove all the bright bits, the good glass (windshield might be cracked and/or milky) and sell those as a package. Perhaps someone might want the block or transmission to rebuild, but the rest of it just seems like too much to overcome.
A lot of money to spend getting this one ready for the show. One of my brothers bought a 66 back in the early 21st century that needed about the same amount of work. He told me he spent over $40,000.00 having it professionally built to factory except for the very expensive paint which was the biggest cost. It was for his daughters high school graduation present. She seldom drives it and it sits forlorn in a barn on the family farm in Georgia.
You’d have to buy this car for about $1500.00 just to get it to legal driving status and not break the bank. My suggestion; buy one already restored, you’ll be money ahead.
God Bless America
Every part is available at NPD
$2000, if the engine turns over, and everything underneath isn’t complete swiss cheese.