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Rock Solid: 1965 Ford Mustang

When it comes to promising project cars that could be driven while any restoration work is complete, this 1965 Mustang is probably up there with the best of them. This is a car that shows a lot of promise, and this has seen the bidding rise to $5,600, with the reserve having been met. The Mustang is located in Sacramento, California, and is listed for sale here on eBay.

This is a California black plate car, which indicates that it has probably spent the vast majority of its life in that state. This has certainly been extremely beneficial to the Mustang because when it comes to rust issues, there doesn’t appear to be any. The owner provides a good array of shots of the underside of the Mustang, and it looks about as clean as an original car can get. The same goes for areas like the quarter panels and rockers, so that’s al good news. There is a pretty sizeable dent in the passenger side quarter panel, but the owner has been told by a paintless dent remover that this should be able to be repaired, so I’ll leave that to your own judgment.

The interior is an area that seems to have survived the California sun fairly well. Low points include a tear in the headliner, a few in the driver’s seat that will probably require a new cover, a missing armrest off the driver’s door (although it is present in one photo), and an aftermarket stereo fitted into the dash. However, it doesn’t appear as though the dash has been cut, so an original radio could be sourced and reinstalled. The rest of the interior, including the floor console, appears to be in really good condition, while the carpet is brand new.

Getting the Mustang up and moving is a 200ci six-cylinder engine, and a 3-speed manual transmission. You also get manual steering and manual drum brakes. The car had been sitting for around 10-years, so some work has recently been completed to return the car to good health. It now has a new fuel tank, new fuel pump, the radiator has been flushed and tested, and a new thermostat has been fitted. The owner says that the car now runs and drives well, the brakes work, and the clutch feels really good. He does suggest that the Mustang may be the candidate for an engine and transmission swap if the new owner wants more power. I’d probably hesitate on this point because these six-cylinder Mustangs seem to be coming into their own in the classic market now, and it would be a shame to destroy the originality of the car. Still, that all comes down to personal preference.

This 1965 Mustang looks like a really solid car with no rust issues holding it back. The overall condition seems to be quite clean, and while it does have a couple of items to address, none of these are likely to send you off to your local bank manager with your hand out. A really nice example built to the same specifications as this one will generally sell for around the $13,000 mark, so depending on where bidding ultimately goes with this car, it definitely shows a lot of promise.

Comments

  1. Avatar UncleJoe43119

    I am becoming more and more in love with these cars as I’m getting older. This one is a bit too far away for me, but it will be a great buy for someone.

    Like 1
  2. Avatar CCFisher

    Basic, basic, basic spec. 6-cyl, 3-speed, no power assists, no backup lights, and what look like 13″ wheels. The console is the only optional equipment I see.

    Like 2
  3. Avatar David P. Reeves

    I like it! Much closer to Lee Iacocca’s desire for a good looking and affordable sports car for young people to buy than the loaded out Mustangs at shows today. ($2400 dollars in 1965 would be around $19,500 today) I’d buy it an preserve an example of the a “secretary ‘stang” as my uncle calls the lower option 1st gen Mustangs. Too many have an auto and 289, it’d be nice to break up the line of 1st gen Mustangs at the average show.

    Like 5
  4. Avatar Kevin

    Somebody is going to get a nice car here. Love it when you can see the ground under the engine bay with all the vitals within easy working range. Nothing buried like in the vehicles of today.

    Like 3
  5. Avatar robert

    I have a 1965 Mustang convertible completely original no rust. Been sitting under cover at my barn now for almost thirty years. Only mistake I made I pulled the original motor which was a 289 and replaced it with a 1966 289. Why? Something to do on a weekend and their was nothing wrong with the other engine.

    Like 1
  6. Avatar Sandy Claws

    Unfortunately the price reflects the fact that most buyers of this car will yank the six and place a K Code 289 in it. Sad, because so many of these were delivered just like this (or even a 170!) The 200 inch six is a fine well balanced engine and is all you need for sedate mature sunny weekend cruising.

    Like 5
  7. Avatar Jackie Hollingsworth

    I love the early Mustangs.The only trouble that I have had with the 200 engine is getting the 1100 Autolite Carburetor tuned correctly.This will make someone a nice car.

    Like 0
  8. Avatar robert

    Forgot to post picture. Here’s the Mustang from ROBERT’s post.

    Like 1
  9. Avatar robert

    Mustang

    Like 1

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