The Ford Mustang took the market by storm upon its introduction in April 1964. For the next 2 ½ years, car buyers scooped up more than 1.3 million copies, so the assembly plants had to be working double overtime. The fastback arrived in September 1964 for the full 1965 model year and would be more popular than the Mustang convertible. This ’65 fastback has been off the road for ages and likely needs everything done to it. From a dealer in Wylie, Texas, this rusty project is available here on eBay for $14,800.

Many refer to the Mustangs made before August of 1964 as ’64 ½ models, but that’s not accurate. All production for the first year and a half were titled as ‘65s. Besides the fastback arriving in the Fall, other changes to the cars for the first full year were the switch from generators to alternators and the 289 cubic inch V8 replacing the 260, although some “’64 ½” Mustangs had them, too. More than 70,000 fastbacks would see the light of day prior to 1966.

Little is known about the seller’s car other than it was stored for many years. And from the looks of things, that storage may have been outdoors. For those into patina, this car has loads of it and the old red paint is starting to flake off, revealing the original Silver Smoke Grey that the car left the factory with. Corrosion on the sheet metal isn’t as extensive as on the undercarriage, specifically the floorboards. But everything down below is quite crusty, and sandblasting should reveal how much of a challenge awaits the next owner.

The interior will likely need everything, from door panels to the dash pad and carpeting. The bucket seats are not correct to the car and look to have been imported from a 1970s-era Ford with the high backs. No attempt has been made to get the 289 V8 with a 2-barrel carburetor (aka C-code) running again, so who knows what’s going on there. The indicated mileage is 13,500, but that’s probably turned over at least once. The motor is paired with an automatic transmission and this Mustang has the somewhat rare under-dash factory air conditioning (weren’t those dealer installed?). If you’ve been wanting to restore one of these early ‘Stangs, plan to spend a lot of time with this one.