Classic Question...

[AZSonicSnake]

ok, so the wife and i are shopping for a 64-66 stang. not looking for anything crazy, just want to find a nice coupe, preferably with the 289 and an automatic.

now, the reason for my post.

we have found a nice 66, the interior has been redone, and the body has been repainted the original white. but, it has a 302 in it. which from my understanding did not come in the stang till 1968. i am a newb at the classic stang, so please excuse me if i am incorrect on this one. how does this affect the value of the car? the seller is looking to get 6500 for the car. i initially thought this was a good price, if it had the 289. how does this really effect the value though? just looking for some advice, i really don't want to get in over my head and cost myself big on the wrong car.

also, if anyone knows of someone selling a decent 64-66 stang, please let me know. our budget is 4-6k. from what i am looking at it should not be a big issue.


thought i would mention, this is not a car we are looking for to replace the cobra or anything of the like. the wife really wants a classic to drive the mile she has to drive to work, and have a nice classic to take out on the weekends.

[Rev'n Kevin]

A common swap out on those years, best thing to do is get the vin number, then google a mustang vin decoder, plenty of them on the net, and that will tell you everything about what the car came as. Good luck, I'm looking at a 65 coupe right now myself.

[HIKER]

If the car is going to be a daily driver and you're not interested in restoring to original condition it shouldn't matter. If you're going to customize the engine compartment with aftermarket accessories...289 or 302 is no big deal.

But if you want something all original or want to bring this one back to all original...find one with a 289...

Also.. is the coupe a T,C,A, or K code. That will be the last letter in the VIN before the 6 numbers. If it's a T, pass on the car... If it a K... you hit the lottery. C and A are you're best bet..

If you're interested in doing a mild resto mod...the 302 is no big deal.

[AZSonicSnake]

If the car is going to be a daily driver and you're not interested in restoring to original condition it shouldn't matter. If you're going to customize the engine compartment with aftermarket accessories...289 or 302 is no big deal.

But if you want something all original or want to bring this one back to all original...find one with a 289...

Also.. is the coupe a T,C,A, or K code. That will be the last letter in the VIN before the 6 numbers. If it's a T, pass on the car... If it a K... you hit the lottery. C and A are you're best bet..

If you're interested in doing a mild resto mod...the 302 is no big deal.

from what i was reading, the 302 is the same exact motor on the outside, just a different stroke? as for the code, whats the difference between T,C,A or K? the plan with likely be to do a very mild restomod. planned on putting some kind of wheels on it that are tasteful for a classic stang, like torque thrusts or something of the like. and adding a/c if it does not have it, along with a decent stereo, nothing over the top, just something to modernize it. mainly wanting to find something that is not a complete resoration job, as i do not have the storage room for such a project.

[AZSonicSnake]

ok... found my answers on the coding...

http://www.vintage-mustang.com/topic...de/decode.html

[1966PonyGirl]

best bet/learning whats good and not: going to the cruise ins and start judging the engine bays and body gap alignments of the old stangs and asking questions!!!

if its a mild restomod route you are taking, a 302 is a lot of fun. like kevin said, a very typical swap out for a few more cubes. (if you want more power with out super major modifications, you can throw a 351 winsor in it!!) It sounds like its a fairly decent price, if its not a concourse car but pretty clean. common things to check right off the bat, is the body. some times you can spot on an angle if you see that the owner painted over rust.

ask if this car has recipts and if the owner has a log book of maintenace done.

a few points to keep in mind....

if your wife doenst mind throwing safety out the window for an awesome ride, then go for it! if its a concern, there are plenty of aftermarket items you can get to make it safe. such as a full back seat, 3 point seat belt and disc breaks.

is she use to driving an old car? some factors such as no power steering, waiting for the car to warm up in the cold morning (although doesnt happen too much), adjusting the carb to the weather, mild but frequent maintenance, and power behind the car are things to consider. i dont mean to come off as a know it all or a debbie downer.... but there are even some guys that i wont allow to drive my car or come with in 10 feet of it. just a few things i had to get use to when Molly became my DD. (my first fish tail of inexperience was scary and fun at the same time!!!)

last thing...

Look under the dash!! if its a rats nest, walk away. run away if you can.

[AZSonicSnake]

i might take you up on that! especially with how close you are to work. ;)

i did go and look at the car tonight, and found a few things i am happy with, a few things i am not. first off, it was originally a manual car, and whats weird was the clutch pedal was still there, just neatly placed under the new carpet. as for the paint, well, uh, it was definetly not a top notch job. it was done decently, and good enough to last us till we are to the point of a really good job, but its not a car show quality job. the interior use to be aqua, per the the vin tag, but is redone in black. which is what i would want. you can see mark on the dash where it was painted, and under the dash you could see some of the old color. the heater core is shot, and that needs replaced. i looks like there is not of the tubing or what not for the heating system. it does need a full set of weather striping, and most all is shot. and the parking brake needs help. i am just not sold on spending 6500 for it, but i am honestly not super hip to the classic stang world, and dunno if i am really getting something worth the money. the car definetly needs work, but nothing that cannot be tackled over time with a little bit of elbow grease. the motor was cold, and fired right up when it was started. the only thing i am wanting to make further decisions is to drive it. we got there as the sun was going down, and i wanted to wait for daylight to take it for a spin. i really want the wife to drive it, because as you mention, she needs to determine if a classic car is the way to go. it is something to get use to, and i really want her to be happy with what we are getting.

[1966PonyGirl]

hmmm that clutch pedal is still there? thats odd. i dont understand why they wouldnt have taken it out. id say thats kinda fishy. i can see how paying 6500 would be a lil much for a car with that kind of mechanic touch.

come on over! and if you want, we can set up a time too so your wife can come over and she can get a 101 too. its a big investment and a ton of fun as long as you know what you are in for.

[Rev'n Kevin]

From what you described @ $6500, I would walk away, you should be able to find one in much better condition for that price. When it comes to a classic stang, patience is the key, I've been looking at them now for the last 6 months and still have not purchased one. I look for something a bit different, rare options, #'s made of the particular model, past ownership, etc. There's a difference between a classic and an old mustang. Never buy on impulse, it's like fishing, sometimes you got to throw them back in, and keep casting for the trophy fish.

[Jacostang]

From what you described @ $6500, I would walk away, you should be able to find one in much better condition for that price. When it comes to a classic stang, patience is the key, I've been looking at them now for the last 6 months and still have not purchased one. I look for something a bit different, rare options, #'s made of the particular model, past ownership, etc. There's a difference between a classic and an old mustang. Never buy on impulse, it's like fishing, sometimes you got to throw them back in, and keep casting for the trophy fish.

yup walk away from this one there are much better ones....