Pros and cons of owning older Mustang 65 especially

[fatboyq]

really deciding if I can live with an older car. Well Im 29 now and have only driven fuel injected cars my whole life with PS, PB, abs, air bags, adjustable seats and seat belts with shoulder provisions, automatic climate control, Well you get the picture.

My whole dilema is that I have loved muscle cars all my life and now I have a chance to pick up a 65 coupe that is clean and has rebuilt engine and tranny all done professonally, car is painted 3 years ago and looks good too. I does not have ps, pb, ac etc. I just dont know if I can work on these cars I mean are they reliable? I dont want to do something everyweekend to it. Im just hesistating casue it doesnt have any create comforts or safety equipment. Hell I mean 4 wheel manual brakes with no power, it must lock up in no time when you slam on them. I know they are only good weather cars so not really practical transportation.

well I really want it but one part of me is holding back for some reason. Im condered about seats with no headrest and lap only seatbelts no ac and manual steering. Im not sure what to do..

So I ask you guys what are pros and cons to owning and older car?? mustang especially a 65 model. reliabitly, safety etc.. thanks and help me make a decision.... confused

 

[bud4660]

Its a different world thats for sure. I grew up with those old cars. So I learned to drive on those things. I think you have to decide can you live with it. You can make them dependable. But they do not handle like the new cars unless you rebuild everything for road racing. Then you can do the brake's and stuff. I would rather drive an old car then this new stuff anyday. But stop and go traffic is not going to be fun. Parking is tuff without P/S. And no A/C is not great in the heat. So for a weekend car, I would say go for it. For a daily driver??

 

[rbohm]

there was a time when you could walk into you local drugstore and buy parts for the early mustangs, unfortunately not anymore. however parts are easily available, and the cars are much easier to work on, but they require you use your brain when tuning, sorry no code scanners here. you have to decide what you are willing to tolerate when driving, otherwise you will hate the car. my suggestion is to drive the car in a variety of situations, not just around the block, and if you dont like something, dont buy the car. if for example you dont like the way the car rides, dont think that you will get used to it, you wont. you either like the car or you dont. personally i prefer older cars. i like the firmer ride my falcon and mustang have as opposed to my grand marquis as they are less tiring to drive long distances than the gm oddly enough. dont get me wrong though i do like my merc.

 

[blk64.5]

Go for it!!!!! Ive had my 64.5 coupe for 14 years now, My dad and I bought it as a project car, and all I can tell you is that its been a fun trip.

I actually took out the PS on my car, and dont regret it, I can do a full tune up on the car for less tha 50 dlls , all parts engine wise are readilly available at any pep boys/autozone, and you got a ton of vendors for all the other stuff.

The engine tranny combo is so realiable, my car has never broken down and left us stranded.

 

[PCH_Cruiser]

If you did the modifications in your signature, then you're mechanical enough to handle an early car. If you bought the car that way and wouldn't dream of doing those mods, stick to the later models. An early car can be built to be a reliable and reasonably safe driver. That was the goal I had for mine. I've added high back seats, 3 point belts, A/C, EFI, & 5 speed. A nice stereo helps too! You have to remember that its not a new vehicle, and even after rebuilding most of it, you'll still have some 39 year old parts that will give you trouble. I recently had to tow the car home 120 miles because the original $6 ignition switch failed. If its taken care of and you go through it well, it should be a pretty reliable car.

 

[electricgreen]

A friend of ours used his 65 as a dd for a few years. It got to a point where he drives it as a for fun car, or a summer dd if the beater dies, because he doesn't want anything to happen to it (plus the built 351w in it EATS gas, at least how he drives it, lol). They can be just as reliable as a newer vehicle if they are maintained properly (our "new" cars break every so often too). It's a personal opinion-I wouldn't use our classic as an all year dd (salt, winter=rust, bad) but we had planned on using it occasionally in the summer (whenever it's done!!)...

 

[zookeeper]

While it may seem that an old car with it's points ignition and carberator would be unreliable as a daily driver, quite the opposite is true. For instance, the '97 Suburban my wife drives has had the computer-controlled steering go south (that was fun), the rear A/C broke (they have two and when one breaks, they both break) the water pump, alternator, and battery have all been replaced, the trans broke ($$$$$) and recently the fuel pump went out, leaving my wife and three-year old son stranded on the freeway. All this has gone wrong with a vehicle that has never been abused, is maintained religiously with less than 85,000 miles on it. Everything that went wrong had to be replaced by the dealer with the exception of the alternator and battery (yes I even had to have the dealer swap water pumps, since it takes a tool I don't own to get the pulley and fan off) which costs tons of money. By comparison, my '68 Mustang was purchased from the original owner with 91,000 miles on the odometer and the only things that've been replaced are the battery, radiator and I replaced the original water pump right after I bought it. Anyone who can find the sharp end of a screwdriver can work on it, which by itself is bonus. Properly set up, a carburator works extremely well and can deliver nearly the same mileage as a modern EFI car. For instance my wife's 427 vette gets 17+ mpg, my '68 got around 19 mpg last time I drove it, our '88 GT gets 24 or so and Suburban gets 15mpg ona good day. As far as points ignition, despite the stigma of having an antiquated ignition, it has been absolutley trouble free, which is more than I could ever say about the GM HEI unit that left my 5-year old pickup on a tow truck with only 45,000 miles on it.
I honestly don't think reliablity are an issue, but some of the other things you brought up could be, depending on where you live. I would NOT use a classic car for daily driver in an area like San Francisco, for instance. But if you live in a more rural area, or don't have to battle traffic and defend your life on your way to work every day, go for it. Comfort? Well, that's another thing, evidently car buyers in the '60's didn't care too much about leg or head room and the seats aren't quite on a par with modern seats. As far as A/C, it's not really a problem, since companies that cater to street rod builders, such as Vintage Air have that covered, and make agreat system that will easily make your Mustang comfy even on the hottest summer days. Same goes for CD players, etc.
Safety is a real concern, and unfortunatley no older car can compare to a modern, air bag car. But look at it this way, do motorcycles have 5 mph bumpers, seat belts or airbags? No, yet people ride them everyday to work without any problems at all, mostly due to being amuch more attentive and careful driver. Brakes fall into the same category as the A/C issue and companies like SSBC, Baer, and Willwood make brakes that will easily match any modern vehicle.
If I were you, I'd take a look at the car you're starting with and if it's a clean, well cared for car, the rest could be taken care of, go for it!

 

[D Durden]

Why compromise?

Get your '65 and drop a 5.0 FI motor in it. Hook it up to a nice OD tranny with a disc rear end. Now you have a VERY modern drive train.

Power steering? I believe you can get that on a '65 either NOS(ish! ) or aftermarket.

Brakes? Front discs and rear drums came from the factory. For daily driving in a <3000 lb vehicle, you're fine. The Fox body GT's came with them . . . If you want something exotic, it's just a matter of money.

Ride comfort? A good set of progressive rate springs is a good mix of ride quality and performance. Throw in a good set of shocks and maybe some rear springs, and you're gtg.

Comfy seats? Bolt in some salvage yard Escort GT seats. Just like speed, comfort is simply a matter of money.

Seat belts? I can PERSONALLY attest to lap belts having hung upside down by them in my '65. If you want shoulder belts, they can be adapted. If you want 5-point harnesses, you can do that, too.

Power windows are available and easily installed as an aftermarket item.

As far as reliable goes, eh, it's all in what you build. If you're talking about dropping a modern 5.0 with the OD goodies in a '65, think about this: that combo was reliable in a 3200lb+ car to well over 100k. Imagine taking the same drivetrain and dropping 500 or so pounds off the daily load. Nice, huh? Remember, there were LOTS of 289 cars with 3+ gear ratios that lasted over 100k. They ran higher rpm's than the modern OD setups and still lasted. What will a properly built modern OD setup in a light '65 do?

I've had the same daily driver '65 since I was 16, and she's reliable. I've got manual steering and big tires, and that's annoying, but after a year or so of daily driving, you don't notice it. My 105 pound wife will take my car first in the morning if she beats me to it, and both of our drives are 40 minutes either way.

GOOD things to consider: the trunk is huge in a '65. They can get good mileage, too. And the insurance is pretty low PLUS it never gets old. The 2005 Mustang is bad-azz . . . this year. In three years, it's, well, not so new. A '65 is timeless. It never gets "old" or "out of style". And it can be whatever you want it to be. It can hold a straight six out to a 400+ cube monster with a supercharger. It can ride like a Lincoln or pull ones on a skid pad. It's strictly up to you.

 

[fess40]

I drive my '66 every day, and have done so for the last 10years rain or shine. It's not a show car, so why treat it that way? If you take care of it, it'll take care of you. I couldn't be happier!

 

[fatboyq]

I just talke to the guy now, he said the car was from mississippi, his brother bought it, and did a mild restoration on it. the frame rails and floor pans were fixed with new ones. installed seat risers at the time as well. I mentioned the cowl and he said his brother has it covered with some kind of plate?? so Im assuming there is something still there that needs done? engine and tranny both rebuilt by shop 2k on both he has reciepts. 289 honed and hot tanked mild cam .456 lift crane 260 i think he said for cam. heads were redone and 3/8 rocker studs were added, what ever that is. New guides etc.. edelbrock intake with holley 4bbl. shelby try ys with dual exhaust.
c4 rebuilet with minor shift kit. He added an consule other than that everything is stock looking.

He said the door have some ripples in them?? not a show car but it looks damn good body and paint wise no rust dents dings etc.. has allot of small stuff like new radiator bigger one, wp, fuel tank, fuel and brake lines new. he said it was a late 64 cause it has an generator light it does have alternator though.

front end complety done new idler arm, pitman arm, ball joints, springs, shocks.

rear end is slowly leaking he said 2 drops every week, nothing big.
interior was redone seats re-upholstred, carpet etc..
wheels are steel with hub caps.
paint is 2.5 years old lite blue..
so now how does it sound for $4500?? maybe I can get it for $4k at best.

what do you guys think? im concerned about the cowl area and ripples in door what does it mean, and how much worse can it get?

 

[D Durden]

$4k? Eh, that's not bad if the car is decent and all. If it's as "new" as made out to be, you can probably drive that car for 10 or 20k before you have to do anything major. By then you can sock away some money to do the job right.

You have to ask yourself, though . . . ARE you going to have the extra cash to keep the car up and going?

 

[347Fastback]

I own a 65 fastback and currently building a 347 and doing a t-5 swap. I also own a 89 Saleen Convertible and a 91 LX 5.0 Coupe. All my cars have a purpose as far as I am concerned. You have to figure out what makes you happy. I have owned over 26 mustangs in my short life and it took a lot of soul searching to sell my 2002 GT and buy a F150 SuperCrew and go out and buy the cars I really like. I just got the fastback and I truly enjoy working on this project. I plan to buy a 03 Cobra in a couple of months to finish out my circle of mustangs. My wife and I waited for the release of the 2005 to verify our next purchase.

 

[fatboyq]

anyone else??

 

[usedtobe 67p51d]

In the early '90's I bought a '67 fastback as a daily driver. I was driving what I thought was alot of miles back then...around 20k! things ghanged in life ended up driving 45k a year,only car for me and my two sons. things to do to make it work well.ditch the ford thermostat. Pepboys sells a thermostat that when it fails it fails open! the ford type fails shut...had two fail. Points...ditched 'em needed to change'em every 3-4 months. went to pretonix...had two fail, if you use them, keep a spare in the car. {now running a msd unit}. If your car is a auto, change the fluid! every 30k at least if not sooner. Your comment on non-assited brakes, you mentioned wheel lock..just the opposite they're like abs the don't lock! the power brakes help you give more muscle to the brakes. drums work well for three or four HARD stops then start to fade quickly. if your a resonable driver the drum brakes will do fine. The best brake shop in socal, CH Topping the owners wife's mustang is non-assited drum. Just rember that this is an old car no safty standards! drive well and be fine. just remember most parts that fail will do so when they're used three times loooooonger than the enginer thought anyone in their right mind would use the part for.. Jim

 

[dodgestang]

Pro: Having to beat the classic car chicks off with a stick every time you drive anywhere

Con: They are all 45 yrs old


Seems to me about 1 out of every 50 pretty young girls gets excited by nice classic cars. Whereas 33 out of 50 pretty young girls seem to swoon over wings and graphics...the rest...well they just don't car about the ride and are more interested in your personality


Seriously though, a well tuned and cared for mustang is just as dependable as a new car. I have a 65 with a 289 that starts up and goes everyday for the last 25k miles. Because it is an older car, I do poke around under the hood every couple of weekends and make sure everything is ok, but it has not let me or anyone else in my family down yet. In fact, it did break once in recent memory (the 4 speed top loader broke 1.5 hours from home). Only had 4th gear....I would like to see a modern drive 1.5 hours with only 4th gear....you will never see that happen.

 

[302 coupe]

if you want comfort, an old mustang is not for you-thats just the way it is, IMO. Sure, you can add AC, ps, pb, cushy suspension, etc., but its not the same. Its an old car, its gonna treat you like an old car. It just isn't practical to make it drive, ride, and feel like a newer car. An old mustang will have wind noise, squeaks, rattles, and smells that most newer cars won't. To me, thats what makes it appealling, I daily drive a 38 year old car and rarely have any problems. It's a great feeling to feel everything the car does, you can feel it working beneath you. However, there are times when I get in a late model car and think "man, this thing would be so easy to live with everyday, great mileage, quiet, comfy, and practical." Then, I go drive my car around the block and realize that I wouldn't trade it for anything else on the road.

You have to like an old car for what it is, you must enjoy the experience of driving a classic. Don't try to compare it to a new car in any sense(except for acceleration maybe). Nearly all new cars, even the crappiest of 'em will out-handle, out-brake, and out-do pretty much anything a basically stock old mustang can do. The mustang does have more style and class though, to me anyway..... If you think an old mustang is for you, then get it. Take care of it and respect it, if it's not for you, sell it to someone else.

 

[SuperDave]

Some will argue but, I'm of the belief that an ealy Mustang is best kept as a toy and not a DD. I appreciate their simplicity and the lack of "modern stuff" (as mentioned) bothers me not. I intentionally have kept my car (see avatar) "stock as a rock". That phrase inflames passions here but that's MY preference.

Any early Mustang will be a "throwback" in time and that is part of it's appeal. I'd consider my car as reliable as any, old or new, on the road today. I actually ENJOY working on it and, after twenty-five years of ownship, I'm am starting to redo some of my earlier work. Anyone who looks for a "maintenance free" old car is truly in searh of an illusion.

I am proudly a "voice in the wilderness" on this board but it bothers me not one whit. I may be in contempt but I am well-versed in mechanics and see that as vastly important that all the talk of "modification" by the unknowing. I can afford to buy, sell, or do anything that I wish on matters automotive. I say that not as a boast but to illustrate my appreciation of these cars and their timeless heritage.

You are wise to ask and receive answers to your questions from all perspectives. Ultimately, you alone should make the choice, regardless of opinions espressed here. We offer a range of perspective will be of assistance in forming your choice.

 

[electricgreen]

In the end, no one here can decide for you. Drive the car. Weigh the pros & cons that are important to you. Sure, there are no air bags, etc, but how many years did people live without those?

I would see what the Mustang club member thinks of the car if you're really just worried about hidden problems. No one can be 100% sure it's going to be trouble free, but perhaps he can show you what might be wrong/right with the car. The cowl leak/fix sounds like a common fix-a few fellow Mustang club members had cowl covers (just a plastic screw on piece that fits over the top) for their early classics. It doesn't solve the problem, just a temporary solution.

 

[fatboyq]

Im greatful for such good advise on this forum.

My concerns are with the cowl area having a plastic covering on it. if he replaced the floor pans and frame rails then for sure the cowl is probably bad as well. how much of an issue is it if I dont get it fixed I will never drive in rain for shure and put 2k on it at most a year. Also the ripples in door thing is kinda hairy.. seems like it might have been a rust bucket once in its life. should these things prevent me from buying it or is it common for 40 year old mustangs to have these issues? rust etc..

Here is the latest info:


I just talke to the guy now, he said the car was from mississippi, his brother bought it, and did a mild restoration on it. the frame rails and floor pans were fixed with new ones. installed seat risers at the time as well. I mentioned the cowl and he said his brother has it covered with some kind of plate?? so Im assuming there is something still there that needs done? engine and tranny both rebuilt by shop 2k on both he has reciepts. 289 honed and hot tanked mild cam .456 lift crane 260 i think he said for cam. heads were redone and 3/8 rocker studs were added, what ever that is. New guides etc.. edelbrock intake with holley 4bbl. shelby try ys with dual exhaust.
c4 rebuilet with minor shift kit. He added an consule other than that everything is stock looking.

He said the door have some ripples in them?? not a show car but it looks damn good body and paint wise no rust dents dings etc.. has allot of small stuff like new radiator bigger one, wp, fuel tank, fuel and brake lines new. he said it was a late 64 cause it has an generator light it does have alternator though.

front end complety done new idler arm, pitman arm, ball joints, springs, shocks.

rear end is slowly leaking he said 2 drops every week, nothing big.
interior was redone seats re-upholstred, carpet etc..
wheels are steel with hub caps.
paint is 2.5 years old lite blue..
so now how does it sound for $4500?? maybe I can get it for $4k at best.

what do you guys think? im concerned about the cowl area and ripples in door what does it mean, and how much worse can it get?

thanks a bunch

 

[John Z]

Pro - you have something really cool to drive on nice weekends
Con - you really ought to have something else to drive every day, especially if you live in the great north (say anywhere north of a line between Atlanta and LA.
What you are describing sounds like a nice enough car. You should be able to make it a nice driver and have a lot of fun. Just remember - owning a classic really is a hobby.

Just a side note - although the classics are crude compared to today's cars, the 60's were not the dark ages. These were the cars that we either owned or aspired to own. They were our everyday cars. They can serve that function today with an appropirate understanding of the age of the vehicle. Would you expect a man in his 20's during the sixties to still perform the same work today?