When I was a boy we had chickens, and the only thing in our chicken coop was the aforementioned poultry. The owner of this Mustang found it residing in a chicken coop where it had been since 1978, and he had every intention of restoring it. Too many projects mean that he has decided to part with this car. You will find it listed for sale here on eBay. Located in Gainesville, Georgia, it comes with a clear title. At this stage, bidding has only reached $630.
Given its rather humble and less than ideal recent place of residence, this Mustang may well be something of a surprise packet. It certainly doesn’t look pretty, but the rust that is present doesn’t look to be too severe. Certainly, I’ve seen worse cars restored. There is rust evident in the lower rear quarters, and while the underside of the floors have a nice coating of surface corrosion, they still look very solid. However, all of those usual Mustang trouble spots which can present so much grief look surprisingly solid. There are no shots inside the trunk, but if the remaining floors are any indication, then it may not be too bad in there.
The interior is a whole different story. I don’t think that the chickens came home to roost in here, but the interior is quite literally scrap. About all that could be saved are the seat frames and possibly the basic dash. Every upholstered surface is stained, ripped or cracked, and the plastic trim is also beyond help. Probably best to just order a whole new interior there folks.
Under the hood is a 289 4V which is backed by a 4-speed manual transmission. The engine is not the original, as it was replaced at some point prior to 1972. The condition of the engine is unknown, but we do know that the brakes are history, so there is certainly going to be some major work involved in getting it up and running. The car comes on the roller wheels that you see in the photos, but the seller is including a set of mag wheels that were with the car when he bought it.
To my mind, this Mustang looks solid enough to potentially be a viable restoration project. There is a lot of work involved, but the dreaded Mustang rust issues appear to have largely missed this particular car. If it is restored then it is a car that will certainly have a unique back-story. How many cars can there be that have been restored after spending 40 years in a chicken coop?
On the plus side, there are enough repro parts available to build a first-gen Mustang out of nearly nothing. On the down side, this one needs a LOT of work, and you’re honestly better off starting with a better car.
I think this would’ve been a more interesting if it remained inside the chicken coop.
Note to self ; Do NOT put the ’71 Corvette LT1 in the chicken coop.
My guess is that even after all these years that fowl smell would just not go away.
Scrap.
One thing about these early Mustangs is that they sure aren’t rare, from the second they hit the showroom floor.
It not a 1964 it a 1965 model year mustang it may have a Build date of 1964 but it still Title as a 1965 mustang I hope that clears that up for everyone and could be a good build with a little time and money
1964 1/2, is how there looked at. Several slight differences between a 64.5 and a 65..
the earliest Mustangs are widely referred to as the 1964½ model.[19] Nevertheless, all “1964½” cars were given 1965 U.S. standard VINs at the time of production,
From wiki.
“but the rust that is present doesn’t look to be too severe”.
Au contraire…mask, gloves, tetanus shot, eye ware, air filter, ear plugs, etc.
Let’s see… it’s an early car with all the things that make a 64.5 Mustang different. It’s red. It was built with a 4-barrel and 4-speed. It’s only moderately rusty by Mustang standards. I predict this one will be brought back to life. However, don’t let the seller tell you that the engine he has is date-correct for this car – December, 63 is too early for a May, 64 build date.
up to 1750. Sure seen worse here in the rust belt. Looks like the hood has the 64 1/2 extra lip on the front; wonder if the headlight housings have the corresponding bevel. 4 spd 64 1/2- good project for someone. Parts available. Good luck to the new owner!!
Cheers
GPC
Even if interior was like new it would need replaced anyway to get the perfume of decades of chickens out.
Darn it ,I just bought a chicken coup scented air freshener the other day
It’s a 1964.5 car. Biggest giveaway, has a generator. Alternators started on the 65 and later.
The 1964.5 factory engines would have been the 170 six and the 260 v8.
V8 models got a badge on the front fender that spelled out the engine’s cubic inch displacement (“260” or “289”) over a wide “V.”
From wiki.
I see it has a tow bar attachment on the front for towing to the dragstrip. I bet by the looks this car has some interesting history. Maybe the cops were after it and they hid it in the chicken coup
Can a chicken be taught to drive? I mean, obviously needing hand controls installed…
Would it not be wiser and cheaper to start with a brand new shell and all repo parts? You would have a brand new car to your liking in the shape of a first gen Mustang, and it would still have the allure of putting it all together yourself, yet it would pretty much last forever and it would be reliable. You could decide what vintage engine to use or go modern power train , the rear end, the brakes, the interior appointments, heck build it the way you always wanted one. Has anyone priced a do it yourselfer this way vs buying a new car like this built for you? I think the turn key cars are 100K+, what would the self assembled price be? Anyone consider making an electric Mustang? The time is quickly coming for that.
Question- Why does a chicken coup have two doors?
Answer- Because if it had four, it would be a sedan…..
ok you guys I verified it… if you look at the movie “U-Turn”, a GREAT movie, that poor sucker had a 64.5 mustang… maybe.
this one almost looks like too much trouble. if one cannot see it in person, it seems difficult to definitely determine the extent of rust tho.
good project car I guess if one has the motivation and money, but I would rather do such a job on like a superbird or something like that… oh, right, the money… that is a factor.
my friend’s 1970 roadrunner got totaled back in high school by the typing teacher. it had it all… hoodscoop with a switch for it on the dash, round pedals, 440 6-pack, hurst shifter, am radio. just as well, he had blown up the original motor some time before while racing at high speed against some local okies with a junker but very hot ranchero. those good old boys knew how to build a speed motor. the roadrunner was made for 1/4 mile runs, not sustained 130 or whatever it was high mph speeds. it got replaced by a station wagon 440 and was never the same.