By late 1965, you couldn’t turn the street corner without seeing one of Ford’s new sporty cars, the Mustang. They enjoyed a successful mid-year launch in 1964 and the first full year of production would follow. The fastback body style wasn’t there at the very beginning but would join the line-up a few months later. This ’65 fastback looks to have been a well-used car before the motor and transmission were removed. It’s a roller now that will require a lot of sheet metal work. Located in Blue Ridge, Georgia, this pony car is available here on eBay where the bidding has reached $6,700.
Sales were still ramping up to what would be the Mustang’s best year ever, 1966. In the meantime, nearly 560,000 of the Falcon-based wonders were built for ’65. Included in that number were more than 71,000 fastbacks like the seller’s car. This one used to be Poppy Red, but it’s hard to tell now. The front clip doesn’t match the rest of the body, so perhaps it was swapped earlier. The body shop guy is going to be happy to see this car because the floors, rocker panels and rear quarter panels are all seriously compromised by rust. On the plus side, all the glass is present and looks to be okay.
The interior here looks to have been white at one point, although the listing says black (which would show and wear better anyway). But the seats are gone, the dashboard askew and the door panels have had it. So, you’ll have to start from scratch once the body shop cashes your check. We’re told the VIN plate and production tags are all present, confirming this as a 289 cubic inch V8 that left the Metuchen, New Jersey plant with a 2-barrel carburetor and C4 automatic transmission. That engine was rated at 200 hp back in the day. But all of that is gone now, so you’d either need to source exact replacements if you want to stay true or go in a different direction altogether.
This car is a rough project that enough time and money can fix. But sometimes you’re better off starting with a better candidate, to begin with. Is that the case here? This appears to be an ordinary Mustang fastback, not a luxury edition, GT or a Shelby. Those cars are where the money is when restored. Perhaps the seller has the right suggestion, use it as a foundation for a resto-mod build. What would you do?
Junk
Why would anybody buy this?
For the Title and VIN plate.
People think that this car is an easy fix with little money…there are a lot of hours involved….best thing would be to use it’s info for transfer….
why? to put the VIN on a clean new production body, it would be the cheapest way to do it and zero rust issues.
There’s a reason it’s out behind the barn. That’s where it was beaten with an ugly stick and left to dissolve.
Who bids these things up to $6,700? This is virtually unrestorable. I don’t see a single thing on this car of any value whatsoever.
Probably only two kinds.
Anyone that’s never had to deal with a Swiss Cheese Mustang which is a nightmare.
Or
Someone with super deep pockets that’s just shopping for the VIN tags.
Personally, If I wanted a sweet solid Mustang fastback I’d buy a new Dynacorn body, hit eBay for whatever clean stuff I could find, order the rest of the needed stuff from Mac’s dot com and dig out that ‘65 HiPo 289 in the back of my barn.
Whoever buys this Mustang would be better off sending it to Classic Recreations in Yukon, Oklahoma. They specialize in turning cars like these into genuine Shelby Mustangs through a licensing arrangement with Shelby American. Also, they can build these cars by hand using available body parts.
Probably 40 to $60,000 dollars to bring back To life so good luck.
Behind the barn and to the crusher next.
$6,700, YOU ARE NUTS, junk.
Ratrod passion project. 40 year old guy builds this to bankrupt his accounts because he knows he’s getting a divorce. Wife gets house, he gets pile of parts which in 20 years his then grown kids can sell as a payback for the college education they didn’t get if he’d had more sense.
I think this is how it gets bid to this number…
The clear value here is that for only $6,800 (or more) this can be parked behind YOUR barn, garage, house or even in your front yard on cinder blocks so you can be the next person telling others “one of these days I’m gonna restore this old Mustang” and then drive it to the local hangout and be the envy of all those you know and total strangers.
When asked how much the “restoration” cost you, you will of course share that “no one ever divulges such details” and keep walking around admiring other cars whose owners might have made slightly smarter decisions. 😉
It’s restorable, especially by a resto shop that’s buying, restoring and selling. Especially a highly desirable car. At the least, the roof is worth this to convert a coupe. The Mustang market has gotten crazy, yes, but it’s really not that complicated.
Waste of $
garbage
Crazy!! I probably should put mine up on the auction block! I have one like it, only much better. Built in October of 1964, C code with 3speed manual. Plain Jane 2+2. I put factory hipo heads and a 4 barrel on it. Also a top loader 4speed. Runs very strong. New floors. Still needs rear inner wheel wells and the right side of trunk. I put in a new gas tank, springs, brakes, exhaust.
Now I see why they’re called Rustangs.
ANYONE willing to buy this POS……needs serious medical attention ASAP.
Period …….case closed!
someone got screwed on this one!