Southern California has a great climate that helps preserve vintage vehicles, so it’s fortunate to find out right off the bat that this 1965 Mustang has lived in that area of the Golden State its entire life, although it was originally assembled farther north in San Jose. While this area of the country provides favorable conditions that keep most sheet metal from deteriorating, the seller is upfront in telling potential buyers that this one’s not quite perfect, but it’s considerably more solid than many that have survived from almost the beginning. This 1965 Mustang is now residing in San Diego, and can be spotted here on Craigslist, where it can be purchased today for $10,900. Mitchell G., thanks for finding this cool pony car and sending us the tip!
After examining a color chart for the 1965 Mustang, this one seems closest to Arcadian Blue (Code F), but it appears to perhaps be a bit brighter, so the paint may be a custom hue of some sort. If any of our readers can positively identify this finish, please let us know! Nearly all of the body panels appear to remain straight, but there are a few sections that show what appears to be relatively minor rust, along with paint imperfections here and there. However, the exterior’s appearance is still fairly appealing, so the next owner will have to decide whether to make some body repairs and respray immediately, or if it makes more sense to wait and just enjoy driving this one as is for a while.
One of the strong points here is the interior, which is likely in decent enough condition already for most buyers who are just seeking a nice driver. There are what appear to be a couple of small cracks in the dash pad, plus some wear on the door panels, but these should be easy to replace, should the next owner choose to do so. An aftermarket Stereo fills the area where the factory radio once resided, and it’s good to find the A/C unit just ahead of the shifter.
Under the hood is a C-Code 289, a Windsor V8 with a factory horsepower rating of 200. The owner reports that the engine starts right up and states that the 3-speed manual transmission is shifting smoothly, with the brakes mentioned as having a good feel. Some excellent news is that the original floors are described as very dry and rust-free, and thankfully, a photo from the underside is included, which seems to verify this. Considering all factors, is this 1965 Ford Mustang a good deal for just under eleven grand?
For something driven off the floor 60+ years ago this is a pretty clean machine! That it survived largely intact in SoCal is even more remarkable especially with a V8 and the ubiquitous 3 speed manual.
Steve R and Bob in Tennessee can better tell us more insofar as price value and correct color but I’d drive it as is though the spot on the roof would have to be dealt with..
Even Vince at Daily Turismo could offer some insight.
https://dailyturismo.com/please-be-real-1965-ford-mustang/
People who know I’m in the Mustang/Ford old car world who are interested in joining the hobby sometimes ask me for recommendations as to what to buy. This is often where I point them: first generation Mustang coupes. There are lots of them “out there” to choose from; repair or upgrade parts readily available; support via clubs and forums also readily available; they are not dirt cheap but aren’t particularly expensive either. So this example fits that definition.
I also give them other general advice: watch out for rust, buy the best one you can afford, etc. And beware: remember they are sixty year old cars; they won’t feel, drive, behave, or smell like a new vehicle.
One of the first things I noticed are the ’67 hubcaps.Minor detail
that’s easily fixed.Looks like a decent car that could be used as a daily-
driver.
There’s a neighbor up the street that has a black ’64/’65 that’s
been sitting in his driveway for at least 8 years.I was strongly thinking
about trying to work out a deal with him,then an ’80 Fiesta Sport project
ended up in our garage,along with the ’67 MGB GT.
Those are ’68 deluxe wheel covers.
‘68 wheel covers.the ‘67 had a larger red center & wasn’t as pronounced. Our family had a couple of each year when they were thousand dollar beaters.
The driver side rear is different from the other 3 and why the red on the bottom side, other than that I like it.
Nice “find” Mitchell G..
This car seems very inexpensive for what it is. There are no signs of customization, personalization, high school hot rodding, or other such abuse. The term ‘survivor’ gets tossed around way too much but it fits this Mustang. With a V8, a 3-speed and FordAire it’s surprising the car is still available after 8 days.
The color could be Ford’s fleet light blue (WT8025).
The interior shots leave me with a very personal gripe: why do a lot of older Ford owners feel like they have to butcher up the dash with one of those flat-faced radios? There are a few people in the repair business that can take a factory stock am or am/fm radio and renew it with modern guts and leave the presentation as it was intended to be. The flat-faced Ford radios started infusing around ’78 or so. Thanks for letting me vent.
It’s not just Ford owners…
Willing to bet that sometime in the 60 year ownership someone just got tired of only having AM or AM/8-track and bought an aftermarket stereo with maybe FM and cassette which could have led to a later one with AM/FM stereo/CD which was replaced with one having Bluetooth/Sirius XM..Did with my ‘66 bought in ‘71 for $285 that was around awhile.
My guess is the dash was cut and some other after market AM/FM was installed long before this was anything other than a used car. Don’t get me wrong , the 65 66 mustang ranks as one of my all time favorites. But they did after all make em by the million. One of the reasons I love the coupes so much is in the late 60s in to the early 70s Dad had 4 of them. Not all at once of course. Bought a 65 in 67 , loved it , got creamed in Atlanta , bought a plymouth , hated it , bought a 66 mustang in 70 , etc etc. Point being they were cool but also EVERY WHERE and affordable. Cut the dash to put in a custom stereo , big deal.
I agree, as my 66 F-100 pickup had the same thing done to the dash. A previous owner cut out a big rectangle for a later radio that was not included in the sale. I have a couple of stock AM radios that need repair and another that sits on the “hump” and works now. eBay does have a plate that can be welded or glued to the dash that can return to stock with some work. No fun.
The pictures aren’t that great for detail, but it is another that certainly isn’t in the worst shape considering the asking price.
One thing that drives me crazy is the missing clutch pedal pad. So easy to replace, but often overlooked. Another gripe is the radio. Looks like it was a dash hack, and there appears to be a hole to the left of the radio; what for?
A buyer could certainly do worse than this one.
I’ll second the pedal pad comment. Repros available for less than $5. The dash hack is unfortunate.