There are few sights sadder than finding a classic that has been destroyed due to circumstances beyond an owner’s control. That has been the fate of this 2008 Mustang GT, which would have been a potent car in its prime. It suffered flood damage during a hurricane, with the seller admitting it is now only suitable for parts. It hasn’t quelled interest, with the GT receiving twenty-five bids since it was listed here on eBay in North Fort Myers, Florida. However, the intense action hasn’t led to a high price, with the Mustang currently sitting at $1,350 in a No Reserve auction.
It is unclear when the Mustang met its date with destiny, but I believe it probably found itself engulfed in four feet of water during Hurricane Ian, which struck the area in September 2022. Flood damage or not, this Mustang still cuts a dashing figure in Alloy Metallic. The paint retains a healthy shine with no signs of panel damage. The seller only supplies photos of one side of this classic, meaning there may be bumps or bruises on the passenger side. However, the initial indications are positive. There is no visible rust, the glass is in good order, and the wheels have no damage or deterioration. Rust could potentially be a developing issue if the GT wasn’t thoroughly dried following its submersion. However, with only around fifteen months elapsing between then and now, any problems may be little more than surface corrosion. The panels, exterior plastic, wheels, and glass might be salvageable, but you can be sure that most of the interior is fit for scrap. Anything electronic will be toast; if the car has remained damp, upholstery, foam, and carpet will have markedly deteriorated. Plastic and items like the dash assembly and seat frames should be fine, although most of the interior is probably destined for the scrap heap.
The GT’s mechanical specifications promised excellent performance, with the 4.6-liter V8 producing 300hp and 320 ft/lbs of torque. The original owner teamed the V8 with a five-speed automatic transmission, allowing the Mustang to scorch the ¼-mile in 13.8 seconds on its way to 143mph. The “pod” air filter suggests someone attempted to squeeze additional power from the motor, but the seller supplies no information on this. The state of the drivetrain is unknown. Considering the depth of its unplanned immersion, water will have found its way into the major drivetrain components and braking system. If the fluids have been drained and the systems flushed, there may not be any significant issues. However, if the car is untouched, those items might have suffered irreversible damage. This will be a case where the winning bidder pays their money and takes their chances.
This 2008 Mustang GT would have been a formidable beast in its prime, and seeing it reduced to its current state is depressing. However, Mother Nature’s artillery is far more potent than anything humans can devise, and this won’t be the last car to suffer this fate. That raises the question of its future. Returning it to active service, even if that were remotely possible, probably wouldn’t be economically viable. It will likely serve as a donor, but another option is worth considering. If the bidding doesn’t climb much higher, it will remain affordable. Utilizing the bodyshell as the base for a track-day special might be possible, with the new owner selling any serviceable but non-essential components to recoup some of the costs involved. That is one possibility, but I’m sure our readers can devise a few more. Can you think of one that might tempt you to join the bidding war on this Mustang?
Let’s take it racing!
Hurricane Ian? The car’s parked in a swamp! Looks like this one was beat prior to the drowning. First clue? The Lambo doors.
My uncle lived in Ft Myers…..hell on earth as far as I’m concerned. The humidity alone would have started the tinworm much less flooding as it ended up with a branded, i.e, junk, title as a result. Bugs as big as mice……huge net enclosures over the back yard pools, just so you can go outside during the day!
I wonder what the insurance company sold it for. Better pix and an exam by someone who understands all the electronics involved might find some value.
A good looking Mustang though I can do without the word “Eleanor” on the trunk lid….enough already with the movie!
If it has Eleanor on it, Haliki’s widow will confiscate it and we won’t have to worry about it anyway.
You said it Big, I can just here the obnoxious hip hop pounding beat as those ridiculous Lambo doors rise to reveal a driver laden in the latest tacky south Floridian garb.
RIP 🌊
Looks like this was carried to its position by flood from hurricane and never moved. I bet it was full of water.
Was the car uninsured? Whatever insurance would have paid after totaling the car would have been more than this auction will bring.
Hurricane Ian was over a year ago and the car still hasn’t been cleared from wherever the storm left it ?
It’s toast. Other than the sheet metal if you need to do body work on your damaged GT, there’s no value here.
What a shame, looked like it was a decent looking car.
PARTS and nothing more. It’s not like the old days where you pop the plugs, drain the tranny, hose it out and install some junkyard instruments. I did that with a 60 Impala convertible and had it driving around a week after I obtained it. That is not going to happen with this. Parts and junk. Micro processors and computers, along with digital things really don’t do well when the sub floods.
If they didn’t try to start it and seize the engine I can have it running and driving in a few days, the brain boxes or computers might be salvageable I would have to take them apart. If you have never done this kind of stuff before you have to strip everything out that sand and other garbage from the food waters gets everywhere so it requires a deep, deep clean
What’s with the laying over of the vines? Special effects?? For under $2K I’d take a shot at rebuilding it but without all the electronics. Just your basic engine and crank windows. It’s not worth a lot of investing $$$ into to make it more than that I said. 1/4 mile that baby!!
Beware!!!!!!! That’s salt water!!!! It will rust everything !!!!!
Lambo doors are AWESOME. Every car ought to have them. That’s right.
Makes parking in tight spots a breeze. Feet clear in and out so easy. My car has them. You heard me. And its an incredible car. I won’t tell you all what it is or even post a pic of it – because you get no ammo for trolling. People like to hate on them online behind keyboards, but in person its a different story. That’s right. Kids run up to my car and ask endless questions. Dudes always ask how I did it, where I got the parts, and how much would I charge them to do theirs. Truth. Women just stare and wave. Never – and I mean NEVER has anyone come up to me and criticized, rolled their eyes, or even had a single bad word to say about them. Not one. 10 years on now. The most common 4 words I hear are: “That is friggin cool!” Can’t pump gas without meeting someone new and starting up a conversation. Armchair hate ’em. I don’t care. It just tells me you are jealous because you don’t have it and you want it and we both know it. So quit armchairing and go build your own. And there it is. Lambo doors don’t insinuate junk or showoff. Lambo doors make sense and are practical and cool as well. Person who built this ‘stang got it right. What a great deal for a tinkerer with a shop and some free time! Maybe I’ll bid on this one.
Sad, but not really worth anything. There are so many s197 mustangs out there for parts that were not in a flood that this this is unnecessary. At least the seller is honest in his description.
ridiculous doors.
Consider the location.
The mop holding the hood up is a great selling point, and perhaps appropriate given the flood – although a string mop would be better.
Since Ian occurred over a year ago, I’d suspect damage to be worse and more difficult to fix. I don’t think Troy takes that into account, and I think the damage would go beyond just IC components. Even circuits exposed to just fresh water can be damaged in a short time.
Probably had a rough 55,000 mile start, so it is a scrapper to me.
Sorry, but… this isn’t a classic.
Being a 2008 I wouldn’t consider it a classic.
The horrible lambo door conversion makes it an acceptable fate.
Color me totaled
Not worth anything except for parts. It would be wise for the current owner to completely disassemble it and sell it off piece by piece which would result in much more money than selling it as the drowned horse it is. — But – be aware – the presence of mold – particularly the deadly black mold – is everywhere — SO — be sure to wear hazmat protective gear when taking it apart and cleaning up the parts. Anyone buying parts from this car should also wear protective gear and be very careful when handling and inspecting the part/s before buying.
Hell, the wheels are more worth more than $1,350! I’ve never attempted to bring back a newer car from the abyss but I agree with the posts on cherry picking some parts and selling everything else.
Lost a Tesla M3, a Flex, a 36′ rv, and my sweet baby Miata in Ian. Within days of the storm it was clear that nothing that would be salvageable. With roughly 5 feet of water, all but the rv were completely submerged. Up in NFM, depending on proximity to the river, they might have done better, but this looks like it floated to where it ended up.