I was recently discussing with a coworker why I don’t enjoy entering any of my fleet of ten-footers in local car shows: Nobody values your car as much as you do. Those who have far more invested in their classic machines clearly suffer from far less paranoia than I, because there are always plenty of nice rides parked a foot away from other nice rides as people and their gear walk between them. That’s why this 1970 Mustang Convertible makes for a great pick if you’re looking for a comparatively worry-free classic; it’s nice enough to drive and not worry about (unless you’re me), and it’s also a good springboard for a nice restoration of a fairly uncommon (for a Mustang) car if that’s what you want instead. It’s on eBay in Dallas, Texas, with a current high bid of $10,100 (although the reserve has not been met).

How uncommon is the 1970 Mustang Convertible? The 1970 model year was a far cry from 1965 (when over 70,000 convertibles were produced), as only 7,673 droptops found buyers. If we assume that even 20 percent (which might be a little high) of those 1970 convertibles still exist, that’s just over 1,500, and most of them were probably equipped as this one is, with the 220-horsepower 302 two barrel and a C4 automatic. With that relaxed powerplant, this convertible is about as practical an old open-air classic as one could find. The seller says that it starts easily, shifts well, and sounds beefy through its dual exhaust system. What more could a Mustang fan ask for?

Well, they may ask for perfection, and that is one thing the Mustang cannot provide. It’s definitely a little timeworn and tired looking, with faded paint and upholstery, but on the other hand, the interior seems to be largely intact and a nice detailing might even improve the look of the paint and upholstery. If you’re willing to pay the price of perfection, reproduction soft parts are readily available for the interior.

Of course, there’s something a little bit satisfying about a “beater” old car, too, although this Mustang looks far too nice to be labeled as such. While I’m usually a booster for stock tires and wheels, the Cragar S/S mags are almost never a bad choice on a ’60s or ’70s pony car, and they match the louder-than-stock exhaust system. The seller doesn’t mention anything about rust, but the pictures show a solid car that doesn’t need any immediate rust repair. We feature a lot of Mustangs on Barn Finds, but not too many of them are solid ’70 convertibles, so if you want to show off a little this September, maybe it’s the one for you.