For blue-oval enthusiasts, finding a suitable 1st Generation Mustang project car can be a battle. Due to their vulnerability to rust, many vehicles that appear on the market can require significant work before being considered structurally sound. However, that isn’t an issue with this 1967 Fastback 2+2 because it has spent its life in drier climates conducive to metal preservation. The owner has decided to part with the Mustang, so he has listed it for sale here on eBay. It is located in
Dallas, Texas, and while frantic bidding has pushed the price to $19,600, the reserve hasn’t been met.

It appears that the Mustang has been several different colors during its lifetime and that it was headed for another repaint that has stalled. When you look beyond the shabby paintwork, we find a classic pony car that harbors a lot of promise. The panels are pretty straight, with only a few minor and repairable dings and marks. The buyer will need to refurbish or replace some of the exterior trim, but the tinted glass seems to be in good order. However, the big news is the lack of visible rust. There is the type of surface corrosion that you might expect to see developing on steel in drier climates, but there doesn’t appear to be a single spot of penetrating rust. So far, then, this all looks pretty sweet.

When we dive our head under the Mustang, the good news just keeps on coming. Once again, there’s surface corrosion to address, but there’s no doubt that this is a structurally sound pony car. The buyer won’t need to do anything beyond treating surface corrosion because the floors, frame rails, and torque box region are all rust-free.

It isn’t clear whether the Fastback is a numbers-matching vehicle, but it is mechanically complete. The engine bay would have housed a C-Code 289ci V8 that pumped out 200hp. With a 3-speed automatic bolted to that V8, this Mustang would have been capable of covering the ¼ mile in 16.6 seconds. The owner says that it has been several years since the Mustang last ran, so the relative health of the drivetrain is unknown. If it is a numbers-matching car with an engine that turns freely, it might not take much work to coax it back to life. However, the buyer might choose to follow a different path, and since the ’67 Mustang is not a particularly rare vehicle, I doubt that many people would object to a custom build.

It can sometimes be a case of “swings and roundabouts” with classic cars when it comes to their overall condition. A warm and dry climate will be great for preserving steel, but it can be murder on trim and upholstery. This Mustang’s interior has copped the double whammy because not only has the interior become baked, but it appears that some of its previous owners have performed numerous modifications. How the buyer attacks this aspect of the car will be determined by their project aim. If they aren’t considering a faithful restoration, that leaves many choices when it comes to trim colors and materials. For those seeking a more factory appearance, trim kits are readily available and very affordable. They can be found for as little as $1,200, although a top-of-the-line kit can lighten a buyer’s wallet by more than $2,000. However, it is a one-off expense, and most owners won’t ever need to touch the trim again if the installation is performed correctly.

Regular readers will know that I tend to advocate for faithful restorations of classic cars more often than not. However, I do make exceptions with vehicles like this 1967 Mustang Fastback. If this were a car built in strictly limited numbers, preservation would be the option that I would favor. The ’67 Mustang is by no means rare, with 472,121 examples rolling off the Ford production lines in that year alone. They lend themselves to all manner of custom approaches, from mild to wild. If I were to buy it, I would probably return it to a close-to-stock appearance, although I would be tempted to slot a K-Code 289 into the engine bay. It seems that people have been letting their imagination run wild, and that explains why there have already been 84 bids submitted. Are you tempted to be the person to submit the 85th?