Assistance Needed - '66 Fastback A-Code

[swaynealexnader]

I am 24 years old and I am just a big fan of Mustangs... And recently
I came across the chance to possibly purchase this 1966 "A-code"
Fastback. And I notice it is usually rare to find one in this certain
price range, usually they're super cheap and you basically have a rust
bucket to rebuild.. or Extremely out of my price range and you just
park them in a garage somewhere... Well I interested in buying it to
make it a daily driver knowing it will depreciate some but hopefully
not as much as new cars drop like $3000+ as soon as you drive them off
the lot....

Basically I am sorta new to the game and don't know all the subtle
nuances. What are some things I should look for that would be
evidence of I am getting worked over by the seller?... And just by
taking a quick glance does is seem to be a good deal? Is the price close to right for this car?

http://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/carsforsale/ford/mustang/443940.html

 

[suki243]

umm you should definitely check the car out in person, take it for a test drive. Its in Nevada, so there wouldn't be much rust, but if you can get the code you can find out where it was made. I would definitely get as much history about the car as you can.
23k, well, it looks like a great car, in great condition, and those are a lot of extras, and a 4 barrel engine is pretty nice. I think it should be around there if it checks out ok.

About making it a daily driver you have to take into account the two schools of mustang builders, those who want all originals, and those who are willing to modify it. The only dilemma I can see is choosing between the two, I was convinced to keep my coupe original except for bolt on things (but safety was a main issue for me) Many who are split suggest to only do bolt on modifications, so in the case that you were going to sell it again or take it to a show u could easily convert it back.

In the end it is totally up to you, but if you want to make the car totally yours then i'd get one with a good body and build it up the way you want, like one that needs a small amount of body work and paint is already stripped, get it painted... that way u can pick your own colors.

Mine had a pretty nice body, paint sucked, electrical harness worked but again its 40 year old wiring and the previous owner did an absolutely horrific job wiring the stereo, messing up a lot of the car's wiring. I bought it for 6k, it didn't have any rust. I got it painted, and am currently in the process of redoing the wiring. My sig has a list of what I want to do with the car.

 

[mustbereel]

If it's as good as it looks in the picture you couldn't build it for what they are asking. But, pictures and sellers can be deceiving.

 

[66forfun]

Looks good but if you have never driven a classic anything you should not even consider one as a daily driver. If your worried about resale, get a 5 yr old corrola. If your going to beat something into the ground get a hard top and have at it. That way you can hack it up like most beginners in the hobby do, you will learn important lessons along the way, like you need at least overdrive & brakes for a dd. Never had to do an emergency stop with 4 manual drums, have you? Now if you can get the fastback and the 5 yr old corolla, that would be the way to go.

 

[suki243]

I agree, with 66 for fun, i'm one of those who has torn up the car , and so far I've learned so much from it. But of course I put it back together they way it should be, at least half the time. As much as i profess that my 66 is my daily driver it isn't, I usually it drive it around in the day, but at night I usually take my dad's 4 runner. As you drive the car around the streets you notice you turn a lot of heads, and that instills a type of fear for safety for it.

 

[Rusty67]

The car seems to be basically "done". Take it for a test drive. Check it for rust. Make sure you can afford to pay for the gas. Then buy it if everything is kewl. If you are looking to buy a daily driver then that is fine, you just need to consider the practicality aspect as well. My 2000 v6 Mustang has NO GO but it is WAY more practicle to drive every day then my 67. Then again my 67 is a damned rust bucket =-(

If you think you can deal with driving one of these cars every day then by all means get it !

P.S. What is your mechanical experience ?

 

[suki243]

Yah i forgot about the fuel economy part that is also a big thing, if you want a car that you won't have to fill up for like 200+ miles this is not the car... and if you do get the car and don't have mechanical experience, you should know a good mechanic. maybe even have him check it out before hand, if a seller is serious he will accommodate you.

 

[runawayabc123]

A fair part of the value of that car is wrapped in it being the original engine and drive train. They claim it is all original, but you will want to confirm that.

You will have to check the casting number and date code on the engine (behind the starter), the tranny tag/numbers and the differential tag/numbers. Remember, tags can be faked, so look for those casting numbers. Sadly, finding some of these will require taking things apart (the starter coming off for one).

Also check for bondo covered rust. A magnet will work for this. You may want to use a thin soft cloth as to not scratch the paint.

If they have pictures of the restoration, that will greatly help to confirm what they are claiming.

Good luck and look before you leap.