It takes a leap of faith to purchase a freshly restored classic because time hasn’t allowed any potential shortcomings to rear their ugly head. I’m not stating that would be the case with this 1966 Mustang Convertible because the supplied photos show promise. It features a few cosmetic upgrades and would undoubtedly turn heads wherever it goes. Where it needs to go is to a new home, with the seller listing it here on eBay in Gray Court, South Carolina. They set their BIN at $30,000 but will entertain offers.
The First Generation Mustang was at the height of its power in 1966, with 607,568 buyers parking one in their driveway. Interestingly, the Convertible outsold the Fastback by 72,119 to 35,698. This ’66 presents superbly in Signal Flare Red with a new Tan soft-top. The paint holds a mirror shine with no signs of chips or marks. The panels are laser straight, and the seller’s impression is that it hasn’t seen active service since they applied the paint. They added a set of GT foglights to the grille, while the remaining trim and chrome are flawless. The wheels are a slight mystery, with the seller describing them as Magnum 500s. I question that because, unless they have changed them since taking the supplied photos, they look like the chrome styled factory wheels from that era. The glass is spotless, and first impressions are extremely positive.
Okay, I can hear a collective sigh from some of our readers as we lift this Mustang’s hood to reveal a T-Code 200ci six occupying the engine bay. It seems the original owner desired a relaxed driving experience, selecting a three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. This combination was the most conservative in the Mustang armory, with this car taking a relatively leisurely 19.4 seconds to wander down the ¼ mile. Many potential buyers will also be disappointed with a top speed of 98mph, although with an open-road fuel consumption figure above 20mpg, it would make a practical long-distance cruiser. The seller indicates this classic is in excellent mechanical health courtesy of a recent engine rebuild and new tires. With that thought in mind, I find the engine bay appearance disappointing. With the engine out for the rebuild, it was the ideal opportunity to detail everything to a high level. Considering the rest of this car’s presentation, it represents a lost opportunity.
The seller indicates they still have some painting and trim work to complete on this Mustang’s interior, but they say everything is new. The interior shots are limited but show White vinyl upholstery. The fit of the seatcover on the back seat is a bit odd, but we don’t see the rest of the seats to determine if it is an isolated problem. They fitted an aftermarket retro stereo, but the factory air conditioning system is complete. They indicate they will add additional photos to their listing, but with less than four days remaining, time is running short. Situations like this motivate me to suggest interested parties contact the seller to gain access to extra shots that would provide a clearer picture of the interior fit and finish.
This 1966 Mustang Convertible could prove an excellent alternative for someone seeking a turnkey classic. There are a couple of minor details that may require attention, but some potential buyers may believe its drivetrain combination is a sticking point. It is possible to easily locate tidy and rust-free ’66 Convertibles with a V8 under the hood for a similar price, which is a factor worth considering if this car is viewed as a long-term investment. Some buyers may throw caution to the wind and pull the six in favor of a V8. Would that be your plan, or would you retain it untouched?
Seems like the seller is a bit optimistic on his price. He’s asking a V8 price for a six-cylinder Mustang. Under the hood looks terrible and it does have some interior needs. Granted, it looks good, but it disappoints overall. For that kind of money, I’d skip this one and hold out for a 289 equipped pony.
The exterior looks pretty good for the pictures provided, but I am with FordGuy on this: too little for too much. I’d also need to see the vehicle from underneath; it should look well above average at that point.
FordGuy said it first, for a 6cyl.? The seller has 620 items listed.
This seller always uses the same sleazy used car spiel and consistently over prices his cars. Buyer beware applies here
This car is a bit confusing to me as it is a hodge podge of parts from various trim levels. The chrome air cleaner seems to be from a Sprint version of the 200 C.I. engine, but on a Sprint, there would have been no chrome “fingers” at the back of the side “cove”, but there would have been a contrasting color pinstripe along the entire edge of the “cove”, and the wheels would have been four lug as with all other six cylinder ‘Stangs of this era but these wheels seem to be the factory styled steel ones which only came as five lug items and on V-8 cars. The grill insert is obviously from a GT version of the ‘Stang and that model’s base engine was the 225 H.P. version of the 289 engine (unless you opted for the high performance version which was conservatively rated at 271 horsepower so, was this originally a V-8 car, converted to a six, or was it a six which had the wheels, etc. upgraded to V-8 spec items and was the front end damaged at one time and the grill “upgraded” during repair or was it just “upgraded” to enhance the appearance? My first new car, as a junior in high school, was a 1966 Mustang Sprint with the 200 engine and a three speed manual tranny and that car would top out at 115 MPH but the three speed used was the one from the Falcon and was not synchro down to first gear so you had to stop to put it into first…needless to say, I went through four trannys in three years because of trying to force a downshift to first as some one “challenged” me as I had just casually upshifted to second from a stoplight. Kids can be so stupid!
If you read the sellers description he says that they changed the car from the original 4 lug to the current 5 lug wheels. They also say that they added the GT grille to the car.
Interior has waaay too many issues for a $30K 6-cylinder/auto car. Missing door insert, missing rear seat side trim, missing handles… I could go on and on, and that is from what few photos are included. May be a thought at half that price.
Anyone else notice the paint colors on the front shock towers? The driver’s side is blue, while the passenger side is silver! That suggests the possibility both inner front fenders might be from 2 different cars.
Nope. Nope. And nope.
Buyer beware.
Don’t walk away from this car.
Run.
That’s EXACTLY what I did (SIGH) as soon as I saw the six. That’s large scratch for a 200ci car!
Aside from all the issues mentioned above, the tan top looks plain ugly on a red car.