From the looks of things, this ’65 Mustang has been off the road for quite some time. And yet the list of things that have been done to it is extensive. It’s a work-in-progress that has gained a 302 High-Output (HO) V8 along the way, the kind that may have been used by the State Patrol in the Fox-Body Mustangs of the 1980s. Pretty much all of the exterior pieces have been removed at some point in anticipation of a repaint. This project car can be found in Cedar Park, Texas and here on eBay for the Buy It Now price of $3,500.

There is something about this ’65 Mustang that we’re not clear about. All the photos provided are from the insides of a storage unit, showing an extremely dirty car. Yet, we’re told a lot of work has been done to it that you can’t tell about in the dark images. Was the car found in the storage unit and removed for all this work or was the work done and then the car ended up in the unit? That would help understand if this is newer or older work that has been performed. Or maybe this is one of those Storage Wars finds, but the seller says the car has a clean title.

On the list of new parts, we’re told the car has new tires; fuel system including stainless steel fuel lines; master cylinder, brake cylinders, brake drums and lines at all four corners; engine bay wiring harness; radiator and hood hinges. The engine bay is said to have been steam cleaned and repainted, but the photos of the engine show a rather dirty motor. So, it gets back to whether the photos are before or after.

Rust apparently has been a problem and the seller says the car will need new floors on the passenger side. Fortunately, new front and rear replacement pans have already been secured and come with the car. The photos show at least some of the parts that may have been removed, but there is no mention if the Mustang is actually complete. The body is pretty rough and has had some prep work done for an eventual repaint, but that does not look like recent work. The rear gas cap is “recessed”, so does that really mean that the filler pipe just needs to be reconnected?

We’ll assume the original engine was a 289 V8 and it’s long gone. What’s there now is a 302 HO that the seller says came out of a police interceptor. We don’t know if it runs, but if that engine has seen police work it would have a lot of highway miles on it. And if it came out of another Mustang, perhaps it was one of those Mustang SSPs that Ford built between 1982-93. SSP stood for Special Service Package and we understand that as many as 15,000 of them were made. They were meant to be a speedier option for police use instead of full-sized (and heavier) sedans. But we speculate here.

This Mustang, finished originally in Honey Gold, will need a lot of work. We haven’t even mentioned the interior, which in itself looks to need a complete extreme makeover. But as far as early Mustangs go, we’ve seen equally or more challenging versions go for more money than the asking price for this one. Thanks, Jayden P, for sending this tip our way!