When it was new, this 1966 Mustang Coupe would have been a great car. It has since fallen on hard times, having spent many years sitting in this field. There is no reason why it couldn’t be returned to its best once again. It will take some work, but when you look at it, the Mustang seems to remain surprisingly solid. It is located in Joplin, Missouri, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. The listing has been set to open at $4,500 in a No Reserve auction, but there have been no bids up to this point.

The Mustang started its life finished in very attractive Ivy Green with a Black vinyl top. There is little evidence of this paint on the car now, while the vinyl top has been gone for many years. The photos that the owner supplies are a bit inconclusive, but there is no doubt that the vehicle has the usual rust in the floors and trunk pan, along with the common rust issues in the lower rear quarter panels that you find in Mustang project cars of this era. Surprisingly, the photos seem to indicate that the frame might be quite solid, including areas such as the torque box region. It will certainly take plenty of work to bring it back from the dead, but when you compare its condition with some of the similarly-priced examples that we have seen here at Barn Finds over the years, it does seem to compare quite favorably.

Sadly, the Mustang isn’t a numbers-matching car. This is hugely disappointing because what originally occupied the engine bay was a K-Code 289ci V8. This beauty pumped out 271hp, allowing the vehicle to easily cover the ¼ mile in 14.7 seconds. It isn’t clear when the original engine disappeared, but the owner is candid about the fact that when that one went, what replaced it wasn’t a K-code. I get the impression that it has been quite a few years since the Mustang last fired a shot in anger, and it isn’t even clear whether the engine turns freely. As the owner rightly points out, locating a replacement K-Code is definitely possible, and while the buyer might choose to follow that particular path, they might also choose to try something a bit different. If the Mustang is as solid as the photos would seem to indicate, they might choose to pursue a Restomod project. Personally, even though it wouldn’t be numbers-matching, I really would love to see another K-code under the hood.

Given the external state of the vehicle, the interior of the Mustang holds no real surprises. The original black vinyl upholstery looks pretty shredded, although the door trims look like they might be able to be salvaged. One positive aspect is that at least the interior looks to be complete, and it doesn’t look like anyone has loaded it up with aftermarket parts. Having to source a new interior trim kit is a pretty common occurrence with Mustang restorations, and undertaking this work can be one of the least expensive and most satisfying aspects of a restoration project. This car will need a complete kit, including seat foam. High-quality kits, including carpet, headliner, dash pad, seat foam, and every other component required to return the interior to “as-new” condition can be found for around $1,600. Of course, if you want something a bit special and aren’t fussed about returning the interior of the Mustang to a completely original state, you might choose to fit the car with a Pony interior. These are available with all hardware and trim pieces for around $1,800.

I won’t shy away from the fact that it is going to take some work to return this Mustang to a roadworthy state, but it does show some promise. I’d love to get a look at the car just to confirm how solid it actually is. If it is structurally sound and could be secured for a price somewhere around the opening bid region on the listing, then it could potentially be a pretty reasonable sort of buy when compared to other Mustang project cars in a similar state. Of course, it would be a whole lot better if the original engine was still in residence, but I guess that we can’t have everything, can we?