And the debate continues. Was there ever a 1964 ½ Ford Mustang? Technically, no, as Ford titled all Mustangs built from early 1964 to late 1965 as 1965 models (in other words, pre-1966). But if you bought one before September 1964, many refer to it as a 1964 ½ model. This dark blue convertible is one of them and is said to be a runner once a new gas tank is installed. Located in a garage in Nashua, New Hampshire, this potential survivor is available here on Facebook Marketplace for $13,500. Thanks, Zappenduster, for the dusty tip!
According to sources, Ford built 121,500 Mustangs that would fit into the 1964 ½ bucket. Of those, 28,800 would be convertibles like this one. One difference between early 1965 Mustangs and later ones is the switch from a generator to an alternator (this one appears to have the former). Also, if you ordered a V8 early on, you got a 260 cubic inch engine, though 289s came along during the summer months. From the insignia on the right front fender, this car looks to have a 289, paired with an automatic transmission.
The history of this Mustang isn’t shared. It’s said to be complete, and the new fuel tank may be getting installed as of this writing. The body and paint look good from the limited photos, but the interior needs a little help. The carpeting has faded out, and the bucket seats have splits in them, but both should be easy repairs. We’re told the Ford has 100,000 miles.
Although we don’t see it except in the down position, the seller says the top is good and in fair condition (aka it will have to be replaced sooner rather than later). We’re also told it runs and drives, yet why do we only see it on dollies to roll it around the garage? Assuming the seller isn’t overly optimistic, this car could be on the road with perhaps a minimum of effort and expense. Now if he can produce a title that says 1964…………….
i had a 1964 1/2 poppy red convertable, 4 speed
Turdish – PASS !
Didn’t the early Mustang come with 4 lug nuts rather than the latter 5?
I believe the 6 cylinder cars had 4 lugs and V-8’s had 5 lugs.
True. V8 cars also got subframe connectors and convertibles got some additional body reinforcements. V8 cars also got stiffer springs and shocks, along with upgraded suspension components, to better tolerate the higher weight and torque of a V8 engine.
MKG, the six cylinder cars have four bolt wheels, the V-8’s have five.
Okay so here we go again. A early Mustang convertible. Needs work, so after purchase you could spend a few thousand to make road worthy or 40 thousand or so so make it pristine show car. I have a soft spot for these cars but no desire to invest time and money in one. Perhaps some person will be moved to take the ride, I hope so just because I love these cars.
God Bless America
The seller is replacing the fuel tank, probably because the original gasoline turned to varnish and the tank is rusted. I asked if the tank had provisions for a return fuel line, in case I wanted to fit either an electric fuel pump or fuel injection, but he said no, he used a stock fuel tank, with a single fuel line. Rats! Replacement tanks with an in-tank electric fuel pump and return fuel line connection are available from Holley as a drop-in replacement for the stock tank, if that’s your inclination. So, if that’s part of your plans, you will have to replace a brand new tank! Just Sayin’.
I spoke too soon. Rock Auto offers a replacement fuel sender assembly with an electric fuel pump and return line, for an EFI retrofit. They’re out of stock at the moment, so pricing is unavailable, but you may be able to retain the stock tank after all! Nice.
Also, underneath the cowel lies bare metal that rusts away and eventually damages floor pans etc. These were originally designed as “throwaway cars” so that portion was unprotected with paint or primer.
Check the door fit. Had several 65s and they usually had rusty frames. The ‘verts sagged in the middle and the doors didn’t close. Even some of the large Ford convertibles did this.
This despite the big Fords having full frames underneath the body as well. The convertible Mustangs got additional reinforcement, but even so, after sixty (60) plus years, things will start to sag a bit. That’s what she said, anyway, LOL!
Back when all we needed was a V8, radio and a folding top, and they sold thousands. To have those times again…
No such thing as a 1964 1/2 Mustang; I wish people would stop saying that, along with calling an “engine” a “motor” and a “transmission” a “tranny”.
Who would one want a 260 when they could have a 289? Why fool with a crappy generator when the superior alternator could be had?
Once my favourite car, but I am so sick of the over-the-moon asks on these that I just find them tedious any more. If everybody were to dig a 3 1/2 foot hole in their yard, there probably is a Mustang buried there “worth” $13,000.00.
Dude get a life. Not everybody has your opinions no matter how right or wrong they are.
God Bless America
Both of those “issues” can be fixed quite easily, as there are conversion kits to swap out the generator for an alternator. Some of the kits put an alternator into a generator housing, so you can’t tell that the old generator has been swapped out!
The 260 can become a 289, or even a 302 after the engine block makes a trip to your friendly neighborhood machine shop! Bothe 260 and the 289 shared a 2.870 inch stroke, but the 260 had a bore of 3.800 inches, while the 289 and 302 were bored to 4.000 inches. The 302 had a longer stroke of 3.000 inches to go with the larger bore, so the lineup is as follows (bore x stroke):
260: 3.800″ x 2.870″
289: 4.000″ x 2.870″
302: 4.000″ x 3.000″
Source: Wikipedia (see link below).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_small_block_engine
So, a simple bore job turns that 260 into a 289, and add a stroker crank to get to 302 cubic inches. Easy, peasy, lemon squeezey! After sixty (60) years, the cylinders are probably due for a bore job in any case.
I used to have five Mustangs with one being a ” 64-1/2 ” coupe that was the same color that’s the one shown here.. Caspian blue number 2. It was fun after I got it finding out all of the differences between the early production and full 65 production models. If I remember right there were 13 differences. It included the front lip of the hood not being rolled under but rather just turned down over the headlight doors. The headlight doors themselves were beveled to allow for this lip. Of course like it says here they had generators instead of alternators. The V8s were 260s. It had dual horns but they were large and mounted behind the radiator instead of being small and mounted in front of the radiator support on the 65 models. I don’t remember which one was which but on the Mustang name plate on the fenders there were two different sizes for the two different builds. It seems like one of them was 4-7/8 inches long and the other one was just over 5 inches long. In the early builds, the carpet was only on the floor and vinyl is what went up the side of the inner rocker panel. That’s all I can remember at this point
Have fun and enjoy your car.
Nice car