Some project cars show up with a story, but this 1965 Ford Mustang Convertible—parked indoors since 1977—has something even better: time capsule potential. Listed on eBay as a true project, it’s the sort of early Mustang that makes longtime collectors stop scrolling. Nearly five decades out of the weather has preserved it in ways that simply don’t happen anymore. Thanks for the tip Mitchell G.!
This car left the San Jose, California assembly plant wearing black paint over a red interior, one of the most striking color combinations Ford offered in 1965. It’s currently in primer, but the original palette is still confirmed by the seller. The odometer shows 25,066 miles, and while the seller doesn’t claim those miles as verified, they note that the car spent almost fifty years stored inside under just two owners. According to the listing, both owners kept the Mustang off the road from 1977 onward, which is why the car presents today with virtually no rust, a rarity for any unrestored first-gen convertible.
Under the hood sits the factory 289 V8 with a 4-barrel—one of the more desirable powerplants for 1965—paired with an automatic transmission. The seller reports that the engine does turn over with assistance, but given how long the car has been sitting, it will need to be torn down, cleaned, and brought back to life properly. The good news is that nothing appears to be missing: the listing states the Mustang comes with all its original interior and exterior pieces, with the only exception being a single broken bracket.
As project foundations go, this is about as close as it gets to finding the Mustang exactly where the second owner walked away from it in the late ’70s. A convertible that’s been stored indoors nearly its entire post-production life—and remains complete, clean-titled, and solid—is not something that surfaces often anymore.
With its desirable color combo, original drivetrain, long-term indoor storage, and unmodified condition, this Mustang would make an ideal restoration for anyone wanting a ’65 convertible that hasn’t been picked over or patched up. Whether the next owner restores it to factory specs or simply wants a clean starting point for a carefully refreshed driver, this is exactly the type of early Mustang project people hope to find.
Would you bring this 1965 Mustang back to its original black-over-red look—or take it in a different direction?
This car has significant potential. Be great as a properly refreshed/restored Mustang or a solid foundation to “restore” it with modern upgrades making it a safer, more roadworthy car to compete with typical traffic conditions. Either way, hope it goes to someone that appreciates how much there is to work with.
Looks like a 66 or 65 GT dash.
Yes,most 65’s had the long swept speedometer out of the Falcon.The GT’s had this dash and all 66’s had it.
Too bad they put it in primer. Would much prefer buying it with the original paint showing.
Yeah, the original paint should have been left alone, people would be able to see the condition and have a better idea of what they’re getting into, now it just looks like something is being covered up in store bought primer
Relist of an auction that ended 11/30. I’d like to know what the “one broken bracket” is; perhaps that bracket is so integral to the vehicle that nobody has stepped up to repair it in 50 years.
Doesn’t look particularly preserved to me, but the crappy pictures don’t show really how crappy it might be. The dash appears to have blistering rust, the carpet is ground to the floor on the left, and I’d suspect that the floor pan integrity is suspect.
Does it really have disc brakes, or did somebody just pop the pedal pad on? Hood is open, but nobody thought to walk to the engine bay and get a picture? What about the top? I don’t see it. So many questions…
Very poorly presented, so it is easy to see why it didn’t sell the first time. Maybe somebody went to look at it and it was worse than the terrible pictures show.
the back yard primer job makes it look like they are covering up things and why no engine pictures ? and who is to say it didn’t sit in a barn with dirt floors for 20 years first LOL