Over the years here at Barn Finds, we’ve seen owners make some pretty bold claims about their cars. This 1965 Mustang Convertible is no different. The owner refers to it as a “perfect restoration project,” so we probably need to take a closer look and see if he is right. The quality of the photos he supplies isn’t great, but they do show a car with a lot of promise. If you want to pursue this classic pony car further, you will find it located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and listed for sale here on eBay. The bidding has reached $4,050, but this figure remains short of the reserve.
This Mustang must have made quite an impression in Prairie Bronze with a Black soft-top when it was new. Those days are long behind it, but there is no reason why its new owner couldn’t return the Mustang to its former glory. The paint is pretty tired, and while the frame for the soft top is in good order, the top itself will need to be replaced. It looks like a sound basis for a restoration project because while the panels wear their share of small dings and dents, there appears to be no external rust. The buyer will probably decide to replace the passenger side rear quarter panel due to the dent that is visible in this photo. However, the remaining panels look pretty reasonable, requiring little work to return them to a laser straight state. The big news with this Mustang is its lack of rust. The exterior reveals no evidence of problems, while the underside has nothing beyond some penetrating rust in the area where the floors meet the inner rockers. The floors themselves wear surface corrosion, as do the frame rails and the trunk pan, but this car appears to be structurally sound. Some of the external trim and chrome will be fit for restoration, but other pieces will need to be replaced. The glass looks good, and at first glance, this does look like a promising project.
Lifting this Mustang’s hood reveals a 289ci C-Code V8 that would have pumped out 200hp in its prime. The original owner chose to back this V8 with a 3-speed manual transmission, giving the Mustang the ability to cover the ¼ mile in 16.6 seconds. The Convertible has recently emerged from 35 years in storage. Therefore, it is no surprise to find that it doesn’t currently run. However, the motor does turn freely, and the car rolls and steers without problems. Given the bulletproof nature of these V8s, coaxing it back to life may be as simple as flushing the fuel system and adding fresh gas. The engine bay itself is looking tired, and if the next owner intends to perform a high-end restoration, they will probably choose to pull the motor so that they can detail everything to a high standard.
The most frustrating part of this owner’s listing is the poor quality of the photos that he supplies. They make it hard to determine just how good (or bad) the interior trim is. Overall, it does look promising. There is a seam separation on the passenger seat, but the remaining upholstered surfaces don’t look bad. The dash is clean and unmolested, and the pad looks like it could be in good condition. The carpet is tired, but I would treat everything to a deep clean before spending any money on this interior. If the buyer can save money on this restoration by not purchasing unnecessary parts, that can never be bad. For purists, one bonus is that there have been no aftermarket additions to this interior. It isn’t loaded with luxury extras, but it does still feature its original pushbutton radio.
It appears that as a restoration project, this 1965 Mustang Convertible has a lot of strengths. Its lack of significant penetrating rust is a real bonus in a First Generation Mustang. With only a single exterior panel that appears to need replacing, whipping the body into shape should not be a complex undertaking. If the interior is as good as the photos seem to suggest, the buyer will need to spend minimal money to return that section of the car to its former glory. Overall, this could be a great winter project, and rolling the finished product into the light of day will cause its new owner a genuine sense of pride. It will be interesting to watch this auction to see where the price reaches when the hammer falls.
The car parked in what looks like a nice building caught my eye, so I did some googling. The seller is a used car dealer who has a small showroom. The inventory is mostly “normal” used cars, but he has a couple collector cars too. The car is on his web site for $15,900, if that is a clue.
As to the car itself, it doesn’t look bad, but I suspect it’s still a big project. I wish he would have taken pics before rolling it into the showroom.
Photos are so blurred, what is that white box under the steering column?
My guess is the generic add on turn signals used as a quick fix.
This will need a top, seat covers, carpet, rear skin, paint exhaust, engine rebuild, brakes, brake and fuel lines .
So 4500 eng rebuilt, top 1500, paint 10 grand, 1000 interior snd carpet.
Ifvthe guys heart is set on 15 grand as website its way over reality.
Nice color ..
That was my dads car. It was sold without my permission at an estate sale by the family of the man that was storing it for me. Was told it was to far gone to restore. I have the title for it still.
You should have definitely reported it as stolen, then nobody could register it at least until it’s settled.
I hope you the best on getting back. That’s just so wrong.
Del,
I’ve been a court recognized expert in transportation matters for 30+ years, and I’ve seen your problem before. What I’m going to say is not legal advice, but it may help you start down the road to get your dad’s car back.
1. Did the people storing the car have a written agreement with your dad for the storage? [They need to produce a copy signed by your dad.]
2. Was he paying a monthly rent to store the car? [They need to show proof of payments, especially if it was cash.]
3. Did they notify your dad [or the estate] by written paperwork that the car would be sold?
4. Did they obtain a new title to the car, or did they request a copy of your dad’s title?
If the answer is NO for all 4 questions, your dad [now the estate] legally owns this car. I would suggest you contact an attorney for further advice. He will probably tell you to report the car as stolen. He may also offer to handle any negotiation to get the car back, but remember, he would do so on behalf of the estate, not you specifically. If the police impound the car, this action will immediately put a stop to any sale, even the ebay auction. But understand it will likely be impounded by the police pending auction, so you should be prepared with a suitable covering to protect the car from the weather until it’s released to whoever is handling the estate.
The attorney can also arrange the legal paperwork to prevent the current seller from selling the car until things are settled. If he’s a legit car dealer, he’s probably licensed thru the state. He won’t want to be charged with selling [or attempted sale of] a vehicle he doesn’t legally own. In many states, that will cost him the dealer license.
If any one or more of the above questions is YES, then you need to visit an attorney for advice [most attorneys will do an initial advice/discussion for an hour or so without charge].
If you need more info/advice, you can talk here or contact me at billmccoskey@aol.com
I am very intrigued by your story as I have a very similar situation. I own a 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado that my parents owned since the mid ‘70’s. As a teenager my father and I did an incredible paint color change from the original “trumpet gold” to “ebony black” which was the factory Olds black color offered then. Everything but the doors were removed and 17 coats of hand rubbed lacquer was applied by my dad. I acquired the car from them in 1998. My wife and I supported my parents for the next 8 years and ultimately had a falling out in 2005. We made a move out of state before the falling out and had a 40X30 barn built at my parents to store several muscle cars (including this Toronado) and several antique boats. After our problem, my dad refused to let me retrieve my vehicles. 13 years later my parents passed away. I retained an attorney, and went to their house and my treasured black Toronado was gone. Of course I filed a police report. My father sold it in 2010. It’s still titled in my name. My attorney tried for the next 1-1/2 years to find it. He found the next two buyers (dealers) and the the trail went cold. VIN 3986876M519015
Contact the NICB–National Insurance Crime Bureau———all you have to have is the vin number(which you have)and they are pretty quick–NATIONWIDE–the check each state for it being register. Contact them–Good luck.
Depending on the laws in the state of North Dakota, I assume, if the car was merely being stored and there was no contract that might trigger a lien sale, and if ND is a title state, then how could the seller have transferred title to the dealer……who is clearly fishing in shallow waters.?
The car is pretty toasty but a convertible with a V8 and row your own is my sweet spot for a generic Mustang.
The white box is for the trailer breaks. That was my dads car. It was sold without my permission from the guy who was storing it for me. I have the title for it.
Dude go after your car.
If u got the title get it back thru the courts legally as a illegal sale if u want it back. Sounds like someone owes u some $
Thanks for answering my question. Sounds like your father`s estate may have a legitimate claim. Go for it.
Maybe, maybe not. This is only part of the story, which is lacking information such as how long ago the father passed away, the length of time the car was being stored, were the storage fees current, was there a contract? Is he willing or able to incur the cost of going to court, lawyers and additional storage fees that will accumulate while the system works things out?
Storage fees accumulate quickly, if not dealt with in a timely manner they can easily add up to more than the monetary value of the car. If there was a signed contract the heirs are responsible. A friend has a shop that does fabrication, when an owner passed the family didn’t want to settle his unpaid bill for work completed and the parts that had been installed but not paid for. They also wanted the half finished car returned running and drivable on the shops dime even though it was torn down, undergoing an engine swap and installation of an aftermarket subframe which would have required an additional $10-$15k minimum to finish.
There is a lot left unsaid, if there is a valid claim the courts will be the ones to decide.
Steve R
If u got the title get it back thru the courts legally as a illegal sale if u want it back. Sounds like someone owes u some $
In my state, whoever has the title in their possession and is signed over to them owns it. I would definitely go after it, if you don’t want it, ask a lot for it.
Looks like a Red River mud job.