Mustangectomy

Laserjock589

I have to make a decision. My 1965 Mustang has been stored for the last twenty years. The last time I saw it was by flashlight about ten years ago. My brother is selling the building it is in. I can either sell it or somehow get it to my home, currently 1800 miles away. I really don't have the time for another hobby, but I can't bring myself to put a price on the car. I've had it since my junior year of High School, 1979. My family owned an automitive machine shop, so I've made a lot of changes to the car, but not too extreme.

The body is straight and without rust . Unibody is solid throughout. I painted the car just before storing it. Ivy Green, its original color, in laqer. I put 4 coats of color on the parts before re-assembling it. The only body modification is to the hood. I installed a scoop form a 69 Mustang and locking hood pins.

The car was a plain jane coupe from Dearborn. originally a 289-2bbl with AT. Only other option was AC.

Now she has a 289-4v with a 4-speed top-loader manual Transmission and a 1967 -
9" rearend. Traded the AC for the Top-loader.

Currently the engine is bored .030, Mains & Rods .010/.010. It has a Ford 4v cast Iron Intake with a Holly 4150 double-pumper for carburation. Hooker Headers with dual exhuast. The heads are 1968 casting from a 351 windsor with the rail type rocker arms. I've done a few of these for friends. It's as close to the 289 HiPo heads you can get without spending big bucks. Roller timing gears & chain. Crane Cam & Lifters for a 351 Windsor (305 duration, .410 lift). Pistons are flat-topped forged aluminium from TRW with eyebrow reliefs for the valves. The distributor is a Ford dual-point.

As you can guess from the detailed description, I'm emotionally attached to the car. I would like some opinions about wether I should sell or keep the car.

Mr_Shiftright

It's a very bad time to try and sell an incorrect collectible car of any sort I think. I'd hold it until the economy gets better, then spiff it up and eBay it. No sense keeping what you don't ever use, but all the modified cars are getting beat up badly in the market right now. You'll have to sell at 75% market value at least.

Only possible exception is if you advertised in Scandinavia somehow--which is why I suggested eBay.

burdawg

From your post, I would suggest doing a complete inspection of it, or having someone you trust do it, before making any kind of decision. If you haven't really inspected it well for over 10 years it could have all kinds of problems. 65's were rust buckets and rust could have poked through in the quarters and fenders since you last saw it. I know you said it was rust free, but was that from 20 years ago when you stored it, or has someone checked it since? Also, if it hasn't ran for 20 years then it may be frozen up.
If it has sentimental value to you, if you aren't in a big hurry, an auto transport company would be your best bet for getting it to you. If you schedule in advance with them and give them an opportunity to get it on a scheduled load, the cost isn't to bad, especially now with low fuel prices and a sour economy. They're looking for work like everyone else.
I had a 65 2+2 and then a 69 Mach 1 back in the early 70's. I wish I had kept either of them now. In 1973 I could have bought a 69 Boss 429 for $2000 and didn't. Proof positive that hindsight is much more wise than foresight.

Laserjock589

I guess that's one reason I have been flip-floping on selling. I have been out of touch with the Mustang Culture so long I don't have a clue what 'Market Prices" means anymore. I just found out that Mustangs Plus is only 30 minutes away from my current home in Stockton, CA.

I looked on eBay at the wide range of prices $600.00 to >$30,000.00. I still have no clue where to place mine in this mix.

I contacted Forestall's in Houston. He seems intrested, as is, without fixing up.

I'll be in Texas at Christmas. If I can get time away from the family, I intend to check the car out.

Laserjock589

I expect to have to flush the fuel lines and replace the fuel pump. My brother says the only oil on the floor is from the differential, probably the front seal. I disassembled the engine to inspect it just a few weeks prior to storing it. The building it is stored in is a 30' x 40', with a concrete floor. It is dry enough that the rattlesnakes even keep my brother out. Even if rust has developed in one of the cylinders, I can turn around a complete overhaul in about 24 hours. Advantage of growing up in a family that owns an automotive machine shop.

I did check into a transporter. It seems that the fact that it's not running drives the cost up. Round trip cost for gas is cheaper.

Thanks for your input. I know that if I sell it, I'll regret it, the day after and the rest of my life. I have scanned a picture of the car I took just days before I park ed it. Can pictures be posted on this site?

Mr_Shiftright

You can post photos if they are hosted on a server, You can't post them from your own hardrive. One thing to do is start your own Carspace page (www.carspace.com and then go to "my carspace").

I'm sure others here know of websites where you can upload and store photos and link them to here.

Once you have a URL for your photos, just click on the "img" button once, to start the html script, then paste in the URL of the photo, and then click on "img" again to close the script.

The photos should show up when you post. Make sure the photos are not too large.

euphonium

Having owned a 66 Hardtop, Ivy Green Metallic, for over 42 years, I encourage you to inspect it before making a decision.

If the paint hasn't bubbled on horizontal surfaces, no rust involved, I'd have it transported to your home in CA where sale prices are higher in that "Mustang Market". If you have a factory GT with Pony interior in the Fastback (2+2), you will get up to 40% more than the average plain Jane 2 dr hdtp gets.

If you can drive it home, more the pleasure. Chances are after driving it home, it won't be for sale.

papasam1

As one of th guys already said this is not a good time to sale your stang but if I were sale my stang it would be in the west some where. You will get more for the car out here than in most places right now and make one change to your letter. I don't think there are 351 heads in 68 but I could be wrong. I hate to see a mustang owner loose his/her stang for any reason being the owner of a 1970 fastback for the last 16 years. Best wishes and good luck. hole on to it if you can

explorerx4

if you haven't actually seen the car in 10 years, you better hope it is still there and if it is, the condition my not be a good as the last time you saw it.
good luck.

isellhondas

Do you REALLY care about it all that much?

20 years, it sits and deteriorates and only because you are forced to move it are you dealiong with this now.

The mods you made that seemed like the right thing to do at that time, will really hurt.

I would get it running if the engine hasn't frozen up and dump it.

lokki

But what did you ever decide to do?

Did you get a look at the car? I had an Alfa Spider that I put into storage for about 5 years while I was living the expat life.... and I never saw it again. I sold it to a friend sight unseen - I let him decide what it was worth after being in storage.

My dad helped him ressurect the car and drive it away. From what my dad told me, it was perhaps better that I didn't see the car again. One of the highlights was the mouse nest in the air filter intake, and the rest were just those thousand little things that happen when any italian girl is ignored for too long.

I suspect American girls handle neglect better, but I'm almost afraid to ask what you found.

Lokki

Laserjock589

I went back at Christmas to see the car. It's condition was both better and worse than I expected. The interior needs to be redone, I expected that, But there are a few things missing that I don't remember getting rid of. Such as, the Heater duct assy., the radio, and the glovebox door. Although unexpected, thimgs I can replace easily.
The engine and drive train was better than I expected. I was able to turn the engine by hand from the Harmonic Balancer. Transmission, and Differential were also free. Tires will have to be replaced... expected. The suprise was the front wheels have siezed I had to leave before diagnosing the reason (I suspect the brake shoes not the spindles). My brother will free them up. As soon as the car will roll, it will be shipped to me.

I can not part with it. In all I will probably spend less fixing it now than I did when I first purchased her.