1966 Ford Mustang

Description

Like a lot of affordable collector cars, the early Mustangs are seeing consistent upticks in their values year after year, making this 1966 coupe a smart buy today – it simply won't be this affordable forever. It's also nicely finished with a freshly rebuilt engine and a manual transmission, so it's a lot more fun to drive than most of its peers.

The door tag says this car should be Silver Blue Metallic, but the blue on it is somewhere closer, perhaps, to Nightmist blue. It's not quite that dark, but whatever it's called, it looks great on the handsome coupe bodywork. Clearly a lot more than the asking price was pumped into the project and they seem to have started with a decent car, so it was relatively easy to make it look so good. It's not perfect, but if you want a Mustang to drive, this one has the right look and a no-worries attitude that doesn't mind a little rain. Fortunately it hasn't been covered in stripes or fake badges and keeps its honest entry-level look that was probably a lot more common in the late-60s than it is today. The chrome and other bright pieces are in good shape, and you will likely discover, like all Mustang owners, that everyone is your friend when you drive a vintage Mustang no matter what's living under the hood.

The black interior is quite nicely turned out, with relatively recent seat covers on the low-back buckets that duplicate the originals in pattern and materials. The three-spoke steering wheel is standard Mustang-issue and looks sporty, while the instrument panel offers a complete array of gauges. The carpets are a little faded but that doesn't diminish the appeal of the Mustang's interior, and yes, there are indeed three pedals on the floor and a manual shifter to the driver's right. A vintage AM/FM radio lives in the dash, but it's just for show since a modern Kenwood AM/FM/CD stereo has been cleverly stashed in the glove box, preserving the original look but delivering modern sounds. Door panels, headliner, and dash pad are all in fine condition. Pop the trunk and you'll find a recent reproduction trunk mat and a full-sized spare tire.

The engine is a rebuilt 200 cubic inch inline-six, which really was the heart of the Mustang lineup for the early years. All the signs point to this being the Mustang's original engine and it's nice to see that it hasn't been "upgraded" to a V8, because the Sprint 200 is a fun engine in its own right. A new carburetor and shiny chrome Edelbrock air cleaner add some zip to the underhood area, and all the major components are in excellent shape and ready to enjoy. It still exhales into a single exhaust system with transverse muffler, and the undercarriage is in good shape with plenty of evidence of a good life in an auto-friendly climate. The 3-speed manual transmission shifts nicely and with 3.20 gears out back, it has plenty of punch around town but cruises happily at modern highway speeds. 14-inch steel wheels with classic Mustang hubcaps wear recent 195/70/14 Uniroyal whitewall radials.

The Mustang still represents a lot of affordable fun, so if you're looking for and affordable yet popular way into the hobby, this handsome little coupe is an excellent choice. Call today!