I have sometimes wondered whether the First Generation Mustang bubble will ever burst. Given the history of these vehicles in the classic market, I doubt that it will happen anytime soon. In fact, I suspect that even when the world runs out of gasoline, people will still want to park a Mustang in their garage. This car could be a prime candidate for those who want their Mustang to contain a slice of their own soul. It is a 1969 Convertible that appears to have spent its life in a dry climate. It has been sitting for more than two decades, but the owner has coaxed it back to life. It looks like a solid survivor that would make an ideal foundation for a project build. Located in Chico, California, you will find the Convertible listed for sale here on eBay. The bidding has been pretty solid on this one and has pushed the price to $8,500. With No Reserve in play, somebody is mere days away from owning the foundations to create the classic of their dreams.

It seems that this Lime Gold Mustang has spent more than two decades in storage. The current owner uncovered it recently and dragged it back into the light of day. He found a solid classic that was a prime candidate for a project build. Rust issues with this Convertible appear minimal. There are some small sections in the rear quarter panels and one rocker. None of these are extensive enough to justify panel replacement, and the new owner could address all with patches. The rest of the body looks pretty clean, and the owner mentions no issues with the floors or underside. If the car has spent its life in California, it may be essentially rust-free. The paint has seen better days and is pretty heavily baked. The buyer will probably strip the car, which would provide the perfect opportunity to repair the few minor panel imperfections. Some of the external trim is damaged, including the rear bumper. However, parts are readily available and affordable. The soft-top is patched and looks kinda sad, but with replacements available for under $500, this is unlikely to break the bank in a restoration of this type. The car comes with a host of parts to help the new owner down the restoration path. These include a pair of doors, a trunk lid, a GT hood scoop, and various other components. The buyer may not need them all, but they represent an excellent score.

Time marches on, and it appears that it has marched through the interior of this Convertible wearing army boots. As is often the case with Mustangs of this age, the interior looks pretty tired. It will require nothing short of a total restoration, but it does have some very significant plus points. It isn’t highly optioned, but the original Philco AM radio and the console are a bonus in a vehicle of this type. The buyer will probably elect to source a trim kit to return the interior to its best, and they have the bones available with this car to do so effectively. The seat frames and other significant componentry are present, so spending around $2,000 on a kit will return the interior to a pristine state. If the buyer is not concerned about 100% originality, they may choose to add air conditioning if they live in a warmer climate. It isn’t essential, but it is worth consideration.

Lifting the hood reveals more good news with this Mustang. It seems that the original owner was partial to a small slice of power and comfort and equipped the car with an H-Code 351ci V8, three-speed automatic transmission, power steering, and power brakes. That V8 should be producing 250hp, which is enough to send this Convertible through the ¼ mile in a neat 16 seconds. That figure was considered respectable in 1969, but if the buyer isn’t worried about originality, extracting additional ponies from that V8 would be easy and inexpensive. However, they might want to hold off for a while because the motor has already had some work. A previous owner treated it to a rebuild and only clocked around 15,000 miles before placing the car into storage two decades ago. That means that it is a low-mileage engine, even though the rebuild is now virtually ancient history. When the seller dragged the car out of hiding, he worked through the usual list of work required to revive this classic. He cleaned and flushed the fuel system, replaced the fuel pump, slotted in a battery, and performed a few other minor maintenance tasks. He says that the V8 roared into life immediately and sounds strong. The car moves under its own power, and the transmission seems to shift okay. It will require a thorough inspection and more work before it is roadworthy, but it looks encouraging so far.

The Mustang bubble. Will it ever burst? That’s a virtually impossible question to answer, but I suspect that it never will. There are specific classics that are almost certainly going to remain a staple of the sector for years, decades, or even centuries. When I look at a list of current desirable classics, I think it would be safe to add the 1957 Bel Air, the C1, C2, and early C3 Corvettes, the Camaro Z28, and the Pontiac Trans Am to the roll-call. That is by no means an exhaustive list because I have skipped cars like the Plymouth ‘Cuda, the Charger, Challenger, and many more. However, I’m sure that you can (and will) compile your own list. That is one that I would enjoy reading. I hope that somebody takes this Mustang and turns it into the car of their dreams. It deserves to return to our roads, and it deserves to do so in a blaze of glory. Are you tempted to take it on, especially since there is No Reserve to consider?