When someone ventures down the path of restoring a classic barn find, the first thing that they need to tackle is giving the entire car a good clean. This 1965 Mustang Fastback is no exception because there’s plenty of dust and dirt to be removed. Below that hides a vehicle with some rust problems, but they are by no means insurmountable. That would probably explain why the bidding has been quite spirited since the owner listed the Fastback for sale here on eBay. It is located in Lorain, Ohio, and 28 bids have pushed the price along to $9,500. Now that the reserve has been met, a new home is just around the corner for this classic.

The Vintage Burgundy Mustang has undoubtedly looked better, but that doesn’t mean that its best days are behind it. These 1st Generation Mustangs have become renowned for their rust problems, but with the technology that is available today, restorers can return them to a state which is better than new. It’s worth remembering that these cars were built on an assembly line like virtually all modern cars, so the assembly process followed the “near enough is good enough” philosophy. When an enthusiast restores one of these, they have the time to ensure that things like panel alignment and gaps are perfect, which is something that the guys at Ford couldn’t do. It is this attention to detail that can make these restored Mustangs sit a cut above an untouched example. Modern finishes also mean that once any rust issues have been tackled, the steel can be treated with state-of-the-art paints and preservatives, which should slow future rust development. This Mustang will need all of that because it has some rust that will need tackling. It is a long way from a basket case, but it will need some work on the front floors and areas like the rear frame rails, the trunk pan, and the tail-light panel. There is also the usual rust in the rockers, lower front fenders, lower rear quarter panels, and in the battery tray. That’s a long list, but I know that we’ve all seen worse examples than this one revived. The buyer will need to wield their credit card because plenty of trim pieces and chrome will need to be replaced, although the glass looks okay.

The owner doesn’t specifically say that the Mustang is a numbers-matching vehicle, but we know that it rolled off the line with a C-Code 289ci V8 under the hood. Bolted to the back of this is a 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic transmission. Performance would have been quite respectable in a 1965-context. This little pony would have galloped through the ¼ mile in 16.7 seconds. That is okay, but if that isn’t enough for the buyer, there are alternatives available. The motor is locked, so the buyer will need to investigate whether they can get it to turn again. Even if they can, it will almost certainly require a rebuild. That offers a chance to extract a few more horses from the V8. Simple things like bumping the compression slightly, fitting a better intake, carburetor, camshaft, and allowing spent gases to exit easier will all help its cause. Extracting an additional 40hp would not be hard, and it would make the car significantly more lively.

The Mustang’s interior is virtually complete, but it would benefit from a dose of TLC. There is no carpet, but that gives us the chance to look at the floors. They seem to be about as good as the owner indicated. Everything is in desperate need of a clean, and only then will the buyer know whether they are facing a hill or a mountain. We can see that the headliner is hanging down, so that and a new carpet set will be required. The original radio is gone, and the painted surfaces will require a refresh. The rest of the trim will need to be assessed as the interior is disassembled because this will need to happen if the interior is to be returned to its best. The original owner ordered the Fastback with air conditioning, and while the owner does make some noise about it, there are a lot of missing components. These include the compressor, the under-dash unit, the condenser, and the lines. Effectively, all that is left is the wiring and brackets. The buyer will need to decide whether they want to reinstate the system or cut their losses on that feature.

This 1965 Mustang Fastback is not a car that the new owner will make roadworthy in a few days, and some aspects of it are an unknown quantity. The V8 is an excellent example because we don’t know if it can be unlocked. None of that has deterred potential buyers, and the bidding history graphically demonstrates that. With what you now know, is this a project car that you might be tempted to bid on?