The seller of this Mustang states that it is an authentic one owner barn find. In reality, it appears to have been parked in a lean-to and the seller is actually the second owner, but that’s alright this looks like a great find! It’s been off the road since 1973, presumably after the shifter linkage came apart. It’s going to need plenty of work, but is complete and could be a fun project. You can find it here on eBay in Baton Rouge, Louisiana with a BIN of $5,000 and the option to make an offer.
History sure could have turned out differently for the Mustang. One of the early concepts for the Mustang was a mid-engine design, although that car didn’t resemble the final product all that much. The grille badge went through several designs before they finally decided on the running pony. And at one point there was discussion of calling it Cougar rather than Mustang. Thankfully, we ended up with the iconic design, badging and name that we did!
This particular Pony isn’t a high trim car, rather it’s an inline 6 and 3-speed equipped car. While the 289 V8 offers quite a bit more performance, the 170 cui inline 6 provides decent amounts of torque and is incredibly smooth. We get one blurry photo of the engine bay, but it looks like everything is there. The seller hasn’t tried to start it, or even attempted to clean it. It sure would be great to know the engine’s condition, especially with a $5k asking price!
It might be a barn find with one previous owner, but I think the seller is dreaming with their asking price. You can buy an already running and driving car for only a little more than this one’s asking price. They do provide the option to make an offer though, so perhaps you could get it cheap enough to justify making it into a driver. So, would you take this one on? And do you think the Mustang would have been such a success had they built it as a mid-engine sports car?
If this was a fastback Mustang, maybe…this is a 2K piece at best….you can go and find a running Mustang for the money they want for this one…pass…
I agree. 2000 would be tops. Shop just sold one 289 c code automatic for 3800 and it look 10 times better.
There is enough mold on the interior to make me think the floors need to be checked. There is the typical rust at the top of the shock towers and behind the front wheels that shouldn’t be too hard to correct. I agree that $5K may be a little high for this. Maybe you could stay above water by getting it for around $1K and getting it back in driving condition.
If you could get it for $500 you could make one of these out of it.
You COULD…but why would anyone want to?
Because it’s a basic inline six car and even restored not worth much, ask me how I know. I did a 67 basic inline six coupe for my wife and couldn’t give the car away so I gave it to my son who traded it to a friend for a 80 Bronco 4×4 to play in the mud with.
My point actually was that it’s butt ugly. I like T-buckets, too, and I’ve been a Mustang nut since I was a kid, but I’d never graft them together and create a mongrel like the one in your photo.
Jett I value your opinion and respect it, I actually like the Musbucket in the photo. My point being 6 cylinder coupes are everywhere and cheap so looking at the one featured it would make a better donor for something like what I posted then go find a better one for not much more.
I’ve had no problem selling inline 6 Mustangs. Buy low, do the work yourself, sell. I’ve not lost money on one yet. There are people out there who want them.
I guess you figured your time was valued at what per hour? How many hours did you add up having in to it? I’m trying to keep track of my time on my project so I can get an idea of the up or down money wise…even though sometimes, it’s not just about the money.
It’s a valid point Bob. I honestly do not keep track of my time because for me working on old cars is a hobby/fun time for me…..a break from my monotonous day-time office job. I can tell you that on Mustangs, I do almost all the work myself other than the paint. I do try to grab fairly complete, running and driving examples (unlike the Mustang featured here). There are still plenty of I-6 Mustangs out there available for $2500-$4000 which are driver quality and do not need a lot of time and effort to make into nice cars.
That’s quite a nice wee car as it is with the six. I like them in dark colours.
I also very much doubt that the price is anywhere near what the seller paid for it… add a zero, maybe.
Louisiana flood car with algae?
Either way it’s a sprint six with four lug wheels and low gears requiring upgrades if engine is upgraded 😞
Someone take this pony home and offer the owner 2000!
All early ponies are good mustangs!
In Baton Rouge..Red Stick……. its a hundred per cent humidity when its not raining………6 months a year.
I get allergic asthma just looking at the pix. Too bad someone didnt care enough to store it inside.
Goner.
But is it an actual Sprint 200 car, or just another inline six? My guess is the latter—I don’t see the chrome air cleaner, air cleaner “Sprint 200” decal, or body side stripes. It is sans the tri-prong quarter panel trim, though, although given the condition of the REST of the car, it may just be broken and missing…
But is it an actual Sprint 200 car, or just another inline six? My guess is the latter—I don’t see the chrome air cleaner, air cleaner “Sprint 200” decal, or body side stripes. It is sans the tri-prong quarter panel trim, though, although given the condition of the REST of the car, it may just be broken and missing…. Never mind, I just noticed it’s a ‘64 1/2 or ‘65 (depending on the build date). The Sprint 200 was brought out in the spring of ‘66.
I made 2 offers: 1250 and 1300, but they were both automatically declined. I think that means the flipper will never see the offers. And of course, he won’t be seeing it hit $5K either
Almost bought one off a kid I worked with
in the early ’90’s. My wife had seen the car and asked me to buy it for her. As I
look at this car, I recall just how plain that
Mustang really was. It was tan with a black interior, with a 3-speed floor shift.
It ran a 170 CID 6-cylinder engine breathing through a 1 barrel carb. Why,
it didn’t even have the chrome trimming
on the rear quarter panels! But my wife
had to have it and so I made a deal with
him to buy it for $300.00! Just hours
before I was to take delivery, the car was
totalled in a 3-car accident not far from
my store. Thankfully, no one was hurt,
but the car became an instant accordian.
I was never able to find another Mustang
that cheap again. As for this car, its way
too overpriced for the shape it’s in. Some
poor fool and their money will soon part.
If it is a 170 six, that means it was manufactured up until September 24, 1964. After that, they used the 200. Same goes for the 260 v8 switching to the 289. This one could technically be a 64 and a half.
No, it would “technically” be an early production 1965. 1964 1/2 is something that was invented by the Mustang community to differentiate early production cars. They are all titled as 1965. Semantics, I know but it bugs the hell out of me.
Flood/Hurricane car???
Probably…there are a few hundred thousand of them still evaporating and oxidizing all over the south.
Ask the seller for the vin and a photo of said vin easy to find on drivers door . Also good running in fair codition in the North East are running from 8,000 up so it might be a buy at 3,500 to 4,000. They are getting hard to find as a barn find you may want to go see it and bid higher , you have nothing to loose
I remember the Motor Trend article on the mid-ship Mustang. I was about 14 at the time abd it had me excited onky because I was a Ford fan. But when they unveiled the 64.5 I was ecstatic with the car”s long hood and short rear deck. There was nothing like it and as we know, it started a revolution.
I’m glad they didn’t go mid engine. The car probably would’ve had the same destiny as the fiero had for G.M. The way it is the Mustang was an instant hit and remains a very popular car to this day. The Ford GT and GT40 have found their way into instant collector status but at a very high price and limited production. The first gen Mustangs are plentiful and can be purchased for a lot less money even fully restored. That makes my heart sing.
Flood car! Runnn…….
I do believe the 63 falcon had a long good and short tail
If it is not a flood car, which it looks like it could be, and it at least has the 200 six, there are 2 ways to get a little more power or a lot more power, first if a person can find a 170 special put that head on 200 increase compression and power, other choice is a head that was written up in car craft I believe that head created REAL H.P. of course either would help any 200 six
What could the seller mean by this? ” Personally, I think it should be left alone, but it is for sale.” Makes no sense to me….
There is a good possibility this car has been under water.
Yes, and when the new owner finishes restoring it, he will be too!!
Without ready the narrative my first glance picked up on those four lug wheels and straight six — then read asking $5 large? Must be smoking what’s growing on that interior and every horizontal body panel. Damn shame, the light interior must have really popped when it was new.
Make a clone GT out of it, but not for that price. It’s a $1500.00 dollar car as is.
Other than this being a 65, the biggest thing this car has going for it is Raven Black over White interior. It is probably the most desirable combination. I have a 66 configured the same way but mine has a red interior and is in far better condition. You can actually drive mine. LOL. I agree it is highly probably that this was a Katrina victim. I am just not sure how much water got in it. If you look at the kick panels they are still solid. If the water got that deep in the car they should be swollen up more. Someone removed the driver seat and the rails are in the back seat. The seat is sitting on two pieces of glass which is just mind boggling to me. This ad was ended on Ebay. It doesn’t say sold though. I noticed rust in the rear fender wells and at the bottom of the passenger door. I wonder how much of the floor is actually left. I also saw repairs to the rear pillar. I agree this thing might be worth around 1200 to 1500 since we do not know the condition of the engine or tranny. Saying the shift linkage had a problem is unlikely. When that tranny goes out as mine did it feels like the linkage but in actuality it is the gears inside that are toast. They don’t call it the paper shreader tranny for nothing. I would bet money it has a Dagenham tranny and that 1st and 2nd are shot hence it being left sitting all this time. Finding a good one 50+ years later is a lot harder to do now without paying through the nose for it. That mold though is normal for areas in the south. I have a car sitting in NC that has that going on as well. Yet it is a 1999 and not been driven in 5 years. Whoever buys this could do a resto light, clean it up get it back to running and driving then maybe they can pull 5K out of it. As long as no water found it
s way into the motor it will probably start. Those engines were bullet proof.