1966 Ford Mustang Convertible "C" Code 289 V8 Candy Apple Red

1966 Ford Mustang Convertible

The wife wants a new fifth wheel so its time to get rid of some of my toys!

One of my favorites is my 1966 Ford Mustang Convertible. I am the second owner of this mostly original classic and I've loved every minute of it. This car has 50,320 original miles on it - yes you heard right - original miles! That is, 50,320 and counting as I take advantage of as many sunny days as I can to get it out on the road. When I purchased this car, I was looking for a classic 66 that hadn't been overly modified over the years - I wanted a real 1966 Mustang convertible.

So here's the high level overview:

This Mustang was originally purchased on July 13, 1966 - I have the original invoice. It was and still is Candy Apple Red. It has the 289 2V V8 engine (C code). The extras that were added on:

Cruisomatic

Power White Top

Full Length Console

AM Radio

Deluxe Seat Belts front and rear

2 Speed electric wipers

Heavy Duty Battery

695X14 4 PR WSW Tires

So how does it sit now?

Still has the original engine and carb

Original Transmission - (just changed the filter, fluid, and vacuum sending unit)

Still has a white top - not sure if it is the original or not. It is in fair shape, but I would replace it eventually if I was keeping it. It has a couple of small pinch holes on the side and the rear plastic is aging. It hasn't been a priority because I rarely drive it with the top up.

Still has the original AM Radio - the previous owner had installed an under dash am/fm/cassette but I removed it. I did, however, leave the front panels with speakers that were installed in case someone wanted to put another radio in it.

Still has the seat belts and the electric wipers :-)

and of course it has a new battery and the tires were purchased new less than 5K miles ago.

The Car is still Candy Apple Red - my guess is that it was repainted at some point, probably around 2004 when the previous owner did some restoration on it. The paint is in good shape and it looks really sharp but the car does get driven so if you get up close you can find a few nicks and scratches. I would say the paint is in great driver condition and you wouldn't be embarrassed to take it to your local car show, but it isn't concourse perfect!

The tires are in great shape with lots of tread left. The chrome around the body is in good to very good condition - the bumpers are beautiful - some of the trim shows some wear, it still shines up but has age appropriate patina. I toyed with replacing it but decided I liked the original "experienced" look.

The interior of the car is black and in generally good condition. The seats have no holes or rips in them. The carpet is in great condition with minimal fading and no stains. The dash is in good shape with no cuts or holes. The instrument panel has faded some - again, I preferred to keep the "experienced" look. All gauges work as they should. The other controls on the dash are in great condition for their age - showing some patina. Easy to replace if you like the new shiny look. The Glass is good all around. It does not have power steering (steers great and easy without it) and it does not have air conditioning (i just put the top down!)

In the trunk is a spare and jack. It has the mustang trunk liner - my guess is that it was replaced at some point. (I would be surprised if the original had lasted this long)

Under the hood - As I stated it has the original 289 with 2 bbl carb (also original). The engine is in great shape and I recently changed the oil, oil filter, spark plugs, and spark plug wires. (September). Since I've owned the Mustang, I've changed a few other things under the hood but I've kept the original parts where it made sense just in case I (or the new owner) wanted to take it back to original some day.

What I've changed or replaced:

The radiator - if you know mustangs, you know the original radiators sucked - I have the original that can be cleaned up if someone wanted it to be stock. With that, I also changed the fan blade (still have the original), water pump, and thermostat. No classic mustang overheating problems on this car! I also changed out the alternator and I put on an open air filter (still have the original - in great shape but just not a very efficient design). Somewhere along the line I misplaced the bag for the windshield washer. I never had to use it so I never noticed it was missing. Overall the engine bay is in good condition. The valve covers could use some fresh blue paint and the engine could use a cleaning if you wanted to open the hood at the car show but that's about it. The carb is in good shape but I haven't tuned it or messed with the timing in awhile. It could probably use a good cleaning and tuning but I haven't had any issues driving it so I haven't messed with it. The brake system has not been altered from original - so it still has a single master cylinder and four drum brakes.

Underneath the car is in good shape. Not frame off restoration good, but no issues that I'm aware of. I coated the underside with POR15 to protect it.

This is a great classic Mustang that I've been proud to own and drive - I enjoy the smiles and waves I get when I've got it out on the road. I've tried to be as thorough and open about the car but please feel free to ask any questions you might have!

I would be open to considering a trade for fifth wheel. I also have a beautiful 1963 Triumph Spitfire Convertible and a 2009 Harley FXDC with only 3100 miles on it that I'm looking to sell or trade for a fifth wheel.