There have always been certain classic cars that demand respect, and this 1969 Ford Mustang would have been one of those cars. With a 428 Cobra Jet under the hood, this is a beast of a vehicle that would have demolished the ¼ mile in 14.3 seconds in its prime. Those days are a long way behind it, but there’s no reason why it couldn’t recapture its former glory. The owner has decided to part with the Ford that is located in Bowie, Maryland, He has listed it for sale here on eBay, and some pretty subdues bidding has seen the price rise to a mere $11,300.
I believe that the Mustang rolled off the production line finished in Meadowlark Yellow, but somebody has commenced the restoration work on it. The passenger side rear quarter panel has some damage caused by a tire blow-out, but the rest of the panels appear to be relatively straight. There are some minor rust spots visible in some of the body’s lower areas, but none of it looks particularly bad. The owner does mention rust in the listing, but it isn’t clear how extensive it is. There is a possibility that there may be issues with areas like the floors and torque boxes, but potential buyers would need to climb under the car to confirm this. That might not be a problem because the owner does encourage potential buyers to perform a personal inspection so that they know what they’re getting themselves into. What can be seen of the glass looks promising, although there are plenty of chrome and trim pieces that will require replacement.
The owner provides this single shot of the interior and none of the engine bay. The interior is a pleasant surprise because its condition is a lot better than you might expect. It would be interesting to subject it to an intense clean because as it looks like a lot of the trim could be salvaged. The news isn’t quite so positive when it comes to the drivetrain. The original Cobra Jet V8 is gone, so this can never be a numbers-matching classic. That’s a crying shame as this will harm the car’s potential value once the restoration work has been completed. However, it might not all be bad news. The owner is including a standard bore 428 engine block and a big spline Top Loader transmission in the deal. It might be possible to return the car to some semblance of its original specifications with a bit of careful shopping around. A lot of reproduction parts are available, but searching sites like eBay could mean striking automotive gold. It might also be worth the buyer joining a few specialist forums because sometimes these can unearth some rarer original parts.
This 1969 Mustang will leave its new owner with some decisions to make. There is no doubt that it could be faithfully restored, although it will never be numbers-matching. Alternatively, the buyer might choose to transform it into the Mustang of their dreams. If a faithful restoration is completed using date-correct parts, it is a car that still has the potential to nudge $50,000 in the value stakes, although that number could go higher on a good day. If a custom build is contemplated, that can cost less, but there is also a chance that the value will also be lower. That’s an interesting one to consider, so which path would you choose?
Ford never stamped vin numbers on engine blocks, so there’s really no such thing as a “numbers matching” mustang. As long as the donor engine’s build code is within range of the body’s build date, it’s all good, no ne will know the difference!
Partial VINs were stamped on the rear of the engine block just under the cylinder head on the driver side.
@AKRunner is correct. My 71 Boss 351 has the partial VIN stamped on the back of the engine block. You have to drop the starter to see it. Of the early mustangs, I think only the K Codes (and Shelbys) got the stamp. And possibly not even all of them. Things weren’t exactly standard back then…
I have a 69 Shelby GT500 Matching no. on Motor and Trans . I bought it in LA in 1974 for $1000 Iam in Australia
When are people going to stop spreading this misinformation. The federal government mandated that manufacturers VIN stamp engines and transmissions starting during the 1968 model year. Ford followed this mandate. You might find some early 1968 production vehicles without the VIN stamp but by the 1969 model year Ford stamped them all. The only way you will not find a VIN stamp is if the component was replaced under warranty with factory replacement parts. For the record I have been parting out 1967-1973 Mercury products for close to 40 years now and I have plenty of engines and transmissions here with VIN stampings. So please everyone stop spreading this misinformation.
That statement is incorrect. By 1969 they did start putting the VIN on their engines at least in some product lines including Mustangs. Earlier years they did not except for Shelby’s as far as I can recall at the moment. My 1969 Mach 1, 390ci, 4spd, was VIN stamped on the back of the block where the bell housing bolts up.
its funny this guy has 2 ebay adds for what looks like the same car
I may be wrong it looks like the same car
The engine bay must be a disaster since he didn’t post a photo. No title can be bad if one appears later and the holder lays claim to the finished car. New Hampshire now won’t issue a title if records show an existing one in the past. anywhere in the states. They check and let you know. You have to play detective and find the old title and obtain it. Hopefully the holder can produce it or maybe they will want their car back after all these years. Stay clear of no title unless you are sure you can obtain a valid one.
Mustang Jason hit the nail on the head, so make sure you have the title. 70K resto may go to the previous owner for free leaving you dead in the water. A lot of HURRY HURRY PEOPLE will look over the law, then the law will take you down. I think anyone selling something without paperwork is sneaky, to begin with. I would love to see everyone tell this guy to go get the paperwork and come back. Chances are, he would parts it out.
At least in GA, you can buy a title bond from a property and casualty agent for about $100. This allows you to get a title issued, with no future risk.
Not sure about other states.
Just did this on a 1987 F150.
My ’68 Mercury Cougar XR-7 GT 390 four-speed built March of ’68 no partial motor block VIN.
SOLD for $11,767.77.
Wow! Wish I had the Skills!