It appears that the restoration work has been commenced on this 1966 Mustang Convertible, and it is just waiting for someone to put their own mark on it. The photos supplied by the owner indicate that this is a relatively solid vehicle that is largely free of the sort of rust that can plague these cars. Located in San Diego, California, it is listed for sale here on eBay where the owner has set a BIN price of $16,499, but the option is there to submit an offer.
The Mustang has spent its entire life in California, and there’s no doubt the dry climate where it has lived has helped maintain the overall integrity of the car. There are some photos of the floors and torque boxes, and they do look pretty good. The car has also been hand-stripped back to bare metal, sealed, and given a coat of primer. The owner says that there is no Bondo or filler anywhere in the car. It will need some minor marks attended to before it is hit with a coat of color, with the original color being Silver Blue. The soft-top material will also need to be replaced but the owner doesn’t indicate whether the power operation is working okay. However, if the car is restored to its original combination, it should certainly be a nice looking car.
Under the hood is the C-Code 289 V8, which is backed by an automatic transmission. The car has manual brakes, but it does feature power steering. The Mustang doesn’t currently run, having been off the road since 1994, so there will be some work required in that area to bring the car back to life. The owner does hold a reasonable collection of documentation for the Mustang, and this dates right back to when the car was new.
The original blue interior will require restoration, but this is an area where this Mustang differs a bit from the average Mustang that you see. The optional bench seat is not a super rare item, but it does make the interior stand out just that little bit. I’ve seen a few of these, but really not that many when I consider how many Mustangs I have looked at over the years. For those who only have a passing interest or knowledge of Mustangs, this is an item that may well start some conversations at car shows, or at a Coffee & Cars.
As a project car, this Mustang Convertible looks to be a solid one. It appears to be free of the dreaded rust that plagues these cars, and if it were to be restored to original, it would be a very attractive car. The bench seat makes it something just a little bit different, and that’s something that I really don’t mind.
Still on the high side to get in on this….but a nice start at around $6500 ?
Apart from the lack of rust issues, everything else will need be adressed – I think seller is abit optimistic with his price here.
As for the bench detail, it’s interesting some buyers even opted for it, as it was an extra cost option and these Mustangs are rather cramped with the buckets already.
I remember a schoolmate’s pop owned what seemed like the most mainstream 65 Mustang stripper ever – a red hardtop with black interior.It had only 3 options – bench seat,200 I6 and a 4spd manual.
Having been in high school when the 641/2 Mustang made its debut, up until now, I’ve never seen a Muskrat with a bench seat. Parents of a good high school buddy got a new Mustang, white/ 6 cylinder, 3 speed when it first came out and we had a lot of good times piling into it and driving around town.
The same in my case but it was my girlfriend’s father that bought the first one that the dealership had. He was kind enough to let me drive it whenever. White, tan interior, 6 cylinder, 3 speed and did I really think I was something!!
Fresh primer scares me. need to see if its covering up sins. you would think for that big $$$ he would take some time and get it running. Caveat Emptor. Good luck to the new owner.
Cheers
GPC
According to google, only 3190 convertibles had the bench seat.
76C Convertible bench Seats 3,190
That is a rare option.
A more complete listing of the 1966 Production numbers courtesy of 66mustang.net
Production Statistics
Convertible, standard 56,409
Convertible, bench seats 3,190
Convertible, luxury 12,520
Coupe, standard 422,416
Coupe, bench seats 21,397
Coupe, luxury 55,938
2+2 Fastback, standard 27,809
2+2 Fastback, luxury 7,889
Total 607,568