How much for a Mustang?

Blitzkrieger

I've wanted a Mustang (67-69) since I was a kid but never thought I'd be able to own one. I knew that it's such an old car that it'd be almost impossible to find one in decent conditition by the time I could afford one, and of course because they are so rare now they would command a premium. Just out of idle curiosity though; how much would you be looking at to run one? Parts and tyres would have to cost a mint and god help you if you split a wheel. Would insurance be mental or is there some sort of exemption for classic cars? Classic tax but it'd probably gulp down fuel like there's no OPEC.

Silvera

Not sure about the cost - PaulK_CCI is the guy to ask.

However provided you are over 25, classic insurance should cost circa €300-500 depending on mileage, etc. Call Carole Nash Ins Co, Dublin 1800 930 801 for a quote.

Vintage Road Tax is €40 per year.

Contact the (Irish) American Car Club who would be able to give you more detailed info. Their site is - www.geocities.com/aaairl/

Incidentially there is a '69 Mustang on their FOR SALE page !

Hope this helps,
Silvera.

PaulK_CCI

Blitzkrieger, Mustangs are actually fairly easy to pick up in a nice condition, and you don't even have to go as far the States. It's much better to stay in Europe as there are some good specialists around, offering good cars for reasonable money. A lot of people are tempted by the seemingly low prices these cars go for in the States, especially with the dollar so low, but be warned: most of these car are not what they are made out to be, and also, because you will be importing them from outside the EU, you will be liable for Custom and Excise duties on top of the VRT, regardless of the age of the vehicle!!! That's why I don't deal directly with the States and let other companies deal with that. I have so far imported approx a dozen into Ireland from the Netherlands, without any serious problems.

Depending on the condition you're after, you should use the following ballpark figures (all prices are including transport and extra costs). The 65-66 model generally commands the same sort of money than the 67-68 model
For a 65-68 Coupe good/ok driver with some room for cosmetic improvement expect to pay between 10-13k, with very good to minters from 13-16k.
For a 65-68 Fastback good/ok driver with some room for cosmetic improvement expect to pay between 15k-19k, with very good to minters from 20-25k
For a 65-68 Convertible good/ok driver with some room for cosmetic improvement expect to pay between 16k-20k, with very good to minters from 21-26k.
You pay more for specials, like the "GT"'s and the "Big block" 7 litre engines.
The 69-70 models are generally 2k cheaper.

Regarding running costs, you'd be surprised how cheap they can be run: parts are easy to get, especially if you get everything through the Internet. Hard to find parts, are generally easily tracked down through e-bay or other sites, or they;re easily bypassed by using a modified or similar part. That;s the beauty of their simple and straightforward engineering. If you;re worrying about fuel consumption, than you shouldn't even have been thinking about a Mustang, but mind you, they;re not as bad as everyone makes them out to be: if you're in town, doing the traffic jam routes, well then yes, you should be counting on anything between 14 and 17 mpg. However, for you normal runs into the country without sitting in traffic jams and stuff, you will be hitting the 20-22mpg which isnt too bad for a 4,7 litre car.

Interceptor

Theres a blue and white one for sale in Galway at the moment and it is factory fresh. A guy in Advance Pitstop on the Headford Road trades classic cars from in front of the garage and this Mustang has been there with a For Sale sign for months. Give them a bell, or if you want me to get and post some pics let me know. He also has a tatty Lotus Eclat, a Reliant Robin done up like the Trotter-mobile and some others.

'c

gs39t

Interceptor wrote:

Theres a blue and white one for sale in Galway at the moment and it is factory fresh. A guy in Advance Pitstop on the Headford Road trades classic cars from in front of the garage and this Mustang has been there with a For Sale sign for months. Give them a bell, or if you want me to get and post some pics let me know. He also has a tatty Lotus Eclat, a Reliant Robin done up like the Trotter-mobile and some others.

'c

This the one?

shagman

From buy and sell...
FORD MUSTANG '66, American Import, #15,000, ph 085-1502410. Other Classics for sale.
Conn and Leinster

Ford Mustang Fastback '66.Auto, 6 cylinder, 200 engine, 3500 cc, met blue with blue leather interior, new tyres, tiny rust, 46k mls, #13,000. Contact: Dublin 18086-8190460.
Conn and Leinster

shagman

From buy and sell

FORD MUSTANG '66, American Import, #15,000, ph 085-1502410. Other Classics for sale.
Conn and Leinster

Ford Mustang Fastback '66.Auto, 6 cylinder, 200 engine, 3500 cc, met blue with blue leather interior, new tyres, tiny rust, 46k mls, #13,000. Contact: Dublin 18086-8190460.
Conn and Leinster

from irish-customs.com forum

1968 Ford Mustang Coupe
289 CI V8 (2v) - runs fine. C4 auto trans, 9" rear end.
Candyapple red, black interior is in excellent shape, paint is a little tired in places
Mint Cragar mags with BFGoodrich tires that have less than 200 miles on them. Recently rewired. Looking for about 9.5k
PM me or email me gary_s_289@yahoo.com

from the aairl site

'69 Ford Mustang, 351ci V8, 4 speed manual, front disc brakes, black paintwork with black interior, good condition, runs and drives well.
Contact Malachy on 086-2438567 or malachygeelan@ireland.com

'86 Ford Mustang convertible, red, 5 litre V8, NCT passed, p/s, e/w, mint condition, CD player, LHD.
€15,000. Contact 086-3115395 no time wasters.

Some of these may have been sold but they might put you in touch with the right people. Best bet is probably the Kilbeggan show in september if you can wait till then (plenty of time to save at least).

gs39t

Actually "Shaggy" thats my car, and its no longer on the market

shagman

Ooops.... yeah now that you say it I remember you mentioning that you decided to keep it on the irish custom federation forum. Good call...now when blitzkreiger gets his you can race em, 4:30am 0-120 Kph head to head out of the toll gates!!!!! that I'd like to see

Dades

PaulK_CCI wrote:

A lot of people are tempted by the seemingly low prices these cars go for in the States, especially with the dollar so low, but be warned: most of these car are not what they are made out to be, and also, because you will be importing them from outside the EU, you will be liable for Custom and Excise duties on top of the VRT, regardless of the age of the vehicle!!!

Hey Paul,

Do you know the rate of C&E duty on a car brought in from the States is? (Car is for personal use).
And who determines what figure the rate is applied to? I presume it is applied to the declared value of the vehicle as per the shipping papers... (I hope).

Any advice would be appreciated.
(Sorry to jump in on your thread, Blitz!)

Thanks!

PaulK_CCI

The rate is 10% of the value of the vehicle (and that is Declared value based on the official invoice of the car; so if you toss a deal with the vendor to "lower the value" of the vehicle, you can make a saving as long as you don't overdo it: drawback is ofcourse that if something goes wrong, you can't suddenly turn around and claim the car is worth more!) PLUS ALL TRANSPORT (including in-country), RETAINING, STORAGE and other related costs to export the vehicle to Ireland.

If you car is then younger than 30 years, you ALSO need to pay VRT duties as paying the C&E duties does NOT clear you of the VRT registration costs.

stratos

You lucky lucky lucky lucky man Gs, Awsome

gs39t

The blue one isnt mine, i was just wondering if that was the one interceptor was talking about

THIS is mine

Gary

rabbitinlights

Interceptor wrote:

Theres a blue and white one for sale in Galway at the moment and it is factory fresh. A guy in Advance Pitstop on the Headford Road trades classic cars from in front of the garage and this Mustang has been there with a For Sale sign for months. Give them a bell, or if you want me to get and post some pics let me know. He also has a tatty Lotus Eclat, a Reliant Robin done up like the Trotter-mobile and some others.

'c

I dont think its factory fresh, I work by there and walk by it everyday, about 2 years ago there was a very tatty cream/dirty white one that was outside for about 2 weeks, it disapeared and then that blue one turned up about a year later, Im thinking the white one was cleaned and made to look like this:



I hear he is looking for nearly €40,000!!!!!

S.

Blitzkrieger

He'll be looking. I saw a GT in from Holland that was fully rebuilt for (damn euro symbol isn't working)32,000.

Thanks for all the replys guys, but it looks like I could have to abandon it. The purchase price looks like it's going to be higher than I thought and I was going to be saving for a year as it was. I just can't hazard a guess where I'll be or what my finacial situation will be any further in the future than that.

I don't even know what model I want. I was thinking either the cheapest convertible I could find or the fastest coupe I could afford. I'd be leaning towards the convertible because my current car is a fast coupe but I doubt I'd get much use out of the convertible whereas extra power always comes in handy. I've got a hell of a lot of research ahead of me.

Dades

Blitzkrieger wrote:

I doubt I'd get much use out of the convertible whereas extra power always comes in handy.

Not much use for either on Irish roads...
(I'd still go with the soft top though...)

JohnBoy

You say 10% of car+shipping goes to C&E

no VRT on cars over 30....

The revenue have told a friend of mine that VAT has to be paid @21%

and C&E have told him he doesn't have to pay the 10%

We need to get written confirmation of these facts.

(we're going to the states in 3 weeks, wooooo)

Dades

JohnBoy wrote:

You say 10% of car+shipping goes to C&E
no VRT on cars over 30....
The revenue have told a friend of mine that VAT has to be paid @21%
and C&E have told him he doesn't have to pay the 10%

Hey JohnBuy,
I rang C&E and VAT sections yesterday too. (I'm hoping to bring a 1972 car in from Canada). Got the same answers - good that there's no C&E, bad that we have to pay VAT @21%.

The VAT is payable on the declared cost of the car I believe - so there might be some "leeway" there.
C&E if it was payable would have included the transport costs as well.

Let us know if you get your written confirmation...

G'luck!

JohnBoy

We're looking for written confirmation.

my mate is going to kilbeggan tomorrow night to the midlands american car club meeting to find out more.

I can get details there if you like.

I'm not sure whether vat is payable on the shipping or not, can't directly remember.

If we get written confirmation I'll let you know.

we do plan on getting a creative invoice if possible.

are you buying un-seen?

we have two garages in illinois to visit and we reckon we can bring in a car for reasonable money, but time will tell.

Dades

JohnBoy wrote:

are you buying un-seen?

LOL - creative invoice...

Un-seen, yes. It would cost me nearly as much to fly over and test drive the car as I intend paying for the thing.

I have some "enthusiasts" examining the photos and info I received on the car with an expert eye so as to try and minimise the risk.

After that it's in the laps of the gods (and the belly of a ship)!

Re VAT - I'm almost sure the VAT is on the price only, payable at the docks in customs.

Keep us informed with anything else you find and I will likewise.

CHEERS!

PaulK_CCI

You can also try to avoid all this 10% and 21% VAT C&E Duties by getting the cars straight from the continent. Once they're cleared in another EU country, you're bypassing Customs & Excise, so you're only looking at 50 euro's VRT fee.

I can get you the following Convertible Mustangs from a specialist here in holland:

67 Mustang Convertible, 289ccu V8, pale yellow, black interior. Electric roof, new interior, excellent condition. Price 18,650 landed (all costs inclusive that is!)


65 Mustang Convertible, 289ccu V8, red, black interior. New roof, new interior, airco, radio. Price 18,850 landed


65 Mustang Convertible, 289ccu V8 High-Performance!!!, 271bhp 4 speed manual. Black with black interior. Beautiful condition. Price 21,200 landed


And finally a lovely Fastback!! 40k for that car is totally outragous: Here is a similar car that my source has: for less than half that money!!!
66 Mustang Fastback, 289ccu V8 4 barrel, Red with red interior, Shelby striping, Double exhaust, centre console. Beautiful condition: Price 19,400 landed !!!!

gs39t

65 Mustang Convertible, 289ccu V8 High-Performance!!!, 271bhp 4 speed manual. Black with black interior. Beautiful condition. Price 21,200 landed

Is that a K-code? Seems very cheap if it is.

PaulK_CCI

No, originally A code, i.e. 289 engine with 4 barrel.
Correct HiPo spec engine retrofitted... together with GT spec options.

You pay twice the amount for Original factory fitted HiPo engine and GT options!

Blitzkrieger

How much would you be looking at for a 1969 Coupe with auto trans and a 479 V8?

I was working it out tonight and reckoned if I did two days overtime every week for a year I could save €15,000 without having to cut back on my holiday plans I would of course drop dead at the end of it.

PaulK_CCI

it's extremely rare to find a big block Coupe!!
And they go for staggering prices if they are Factory fitted! You're much cheaper off, buying a good Mustang with a bad engine (although that is possibly even harder the find, since people generally do not neglect ONLY the engine or ONLY the body!!!), and slotting in a Big Block off the shelf. Recon units go for around 6k. Note you'd need to uprate your tranny and possibly fit a limited slip diff to handle the power...

gs39t

PaulK_CCI wrote:

it's extremely rare to find a big block Coupe!!
And they go for staggering prices if they are Factory fitted! You're much cheaper off, buying a good Mustang with a bad engine (although that is possibly even harder the find, since people generally do not neglect ONLY the engine or ONLY the body!!!), and slotting in a Big Block off the shelf. Recon units go for around 6k. Note you'd need to uprate your tranny and possibly fit a limited slip diff to handle the power...

Plus, you cant really buy a 6 cylinder car and stuff a V8 in it, let alone a big block. 6 cyl cars are 4 lug, and ive heard a 6cyl to V8 conversion can cost about $2000, so if you WERE to want a BB coupe, start with a small block V8 car.

egan007

I'm a huge fan of the Original - It's definately something i'd consider buying.
It looks like ford have finally scrapped the 80's look that destroyed the modern mustang. Feast your eyes on these, ford released some new mustangs to a select few chop shops.

Blitzkrieger

Well I've decided to go for a Mustang......but not anytime soon. I'm going to make a project out of it. Probably take the best part of two years and god knows how much it'll cost me. Basically, I'll try and find a '69 V8 coupe that might need a small bit of work and shoehorn a 429 V8 into it.

The first step is to find somewhere to park it. This might sound like most people's last step, but I have to park my car on the street at the moment so I'd need somewhere new. This could take longer that you'd think because it's so hard to find a place with a garage nowadays - even harder to find one that's big enough for more than a Micra. I'd want space to throw open the doors and walk around the car with the garage door closed. It'd be nice if it was high enough to put a wee ramp in to make getting at the underside easier too. In the mean time I could put my current car in there and research exactly what type of Mustang I'm looking for.

The second step would be to find someone who can change the engine. For the hoist and complete set of tools I'd really be looking for a mechanic. Ideally somewhere where I could leave the car securely for months at a time while waiting for cash/parts. That's unlikely though so I could end up having to store it myself if I find that garage. It'd be so much easier if I could just rent a secure garage without it being attached to a house.
It could be a few months between steps 1 and 3 so I'll have plenty of time to decide if I really want the car, or rather if I want it enough to spend all that money on it.

The third step would be to find a car. The most expensive part. I wouldn't mind one where the engine's completely knackered for the sake of saving a few bob, but it's likely to need some body/cosmetic work in the mean time.

The fourth step - to find the engine. This could take ages. Not only because it'd be hard to find but I'll just have spent all my money on a car. Transporting the thing probably won't be easy either.

Lastly, pay someone to help me put it together. Sounds simple, doesn't it?


In the meantime I can try to nail down exactly what I'm looking for. A '69 coupe might be one of the cheaper body styles but they still seem to be hard enough to find. That engine's going to be a bitch to find but I'll see about that when the time comes.
I've heard that the manual gearbox is like a tractor but I've more or less decided to go for an automatic to make driving the LHD easier. The thing is I've heard it takes ages to change gear. I've only driven an automatic a handful of times but I can't say I liked it - I felt like I was piloting the thing rather than driving it. The fact that it was a big ass Mitsubishi Pajero probably didn't help. If the automatic's going to be that bad I'd learn to use the manual. Unless that brings in too many clutch problems. The clutch is a weak point on my current car so I don't want too cars off the road for clutch problems
I'd be guessing that any sort of decent LSD is going to be pretty rare because it's not the first thing the average American is going to think of when buying the car. This is probably going to leave me with far too much power for the rear wheels so I'll end up driving in straight lines only.
If I get a small block V8, would the transmission handle the power of the big block V8 or would it twist the entire car into a quirky pretzel shape? If so, what kind of transmission do I need to handle the 429, how easy is it going to be to find and how much is it going to cost?
I'm guessing the suspension is going to be shocking (no pun intended). Are all cars standard or was there options of decent independent suspension? Again, this would probably not be very important for the American market so I'm guessing soft is the word of the day. I also heard that in the Boss 429, the suspension had to be altered to accommodate the modified 429. Would the standard 429 slot in without altering the suspension?
I'm guessing they all come with power steering but what about the brakes? ABS is out of the question but is there different brakes available? Disc's all around would be nice. I'd be hoping for aftermarket drilled and ventilated brakes but in racing configuration if I put those on am I going to lock all four wheels the second I tap the pedal?
Lastly, if I were to run over to the window and rescue that idea of getting a convertible that's hanging precariously by it's fingertips - how good are they? Is there wind noise at anything over 30? Do they leak? How difficult are they to get up and down? How difficult are they to maintain? A 429 engine and a relaxed drive in a convertible don't really go together. Is it going to be ripped clean off the car at high speed?

PaulK_CCI

f.y.i.

Blitzkrieger, just spotted a darkblue 1970 Coupe (which is only slightly different from a 69) with a 428 on an automatic and LSD.
Private sale here in holland.... approx 17,5k (ex cost)

Could save you a year and half, and a lot of grey hair, empty bankaccounts, nervous breakdowns, divorce settlements, and what else not...

Blitzkrieger

Thanks Paul but I really can't afford that. I'm basically starting from nothing. I'm not flat broke but I always like to keep a reserve in case something expensive on the car breaks and the rest is bookmarked for a trip to Nurburg.

PaulK_CCI

Blitzkrieger wrote:

Well I've decided to go for a Mustang......but not anytime soon. I'm going to make a project out of it. Probably take the best part of two years and god knows how much it'll cost me.

hate to put a damper on it, but if you say 17,5 is way out of your league, but you're prepared to pump in "god knows how much money" it;s time to do some sums:

A tatty 69 coupe that is still clean and generally rust free is going to be around the 7-9k, and there's the 428ccu engine, which is approx 6-7k, LSD not sure, but I guess around the 500-1000, then possibly a tranny upgrade, another 2k, and then I haven;t even talked about suspension/handling upgrades/peripherals/, PLUS the amount of time you'll be putting into it. In my calculation that will all be pushing well against the 20k, which makes that 17,5k not such a bad deal after all

Just thinking out loud...

I guess what I mean to say is that restorations generally are not worth your while if you want to save money in the long run, because you won't !! If you do it out of a learning exercise, because it's a car which holds a certain sentimental value, well then yes, by all means. But if you think you will end up getting your dream car for less money than buying it all done professionally for you.... I don;t think so, I've seen too many dissillusioned and abandoned projects on my travels plus the fact that these painstaking "home" restorations generally are not cutting the mustard when it comes to the final product. I can generally spot them from a mile, where I can see the "cut corners", uneven panel fit, quick fixes and skipped steps and that will ofcourse be reflected in the price when it's time to sell your baby

gs39t

Paul, i think your price ranges are WAY high. I was offered a 429 CI V8 here for less than €400, that was WITH tranny. Running. In the states youll pick up a nice '69 coupe for 3-4K $, maybe with a bad paint job and rubbish interior, but 69 coupes are bottom of the list for Mustang collectors. A 428 would be a different story, they ARE more expensive motors, but you could pull a 460 out of a truck fairly cheap and bolt THAT in.

There are much more aftermarket parts available it seems for small blocks than big blocks, you can make great power out of a small block. I've heard of someone pushing 700bhp out of a supercharged 302

lomb

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4525601940&category=6236
this still hasnt met reserve. i think they are dearer than u think. u could easily sink 10 grand without thinking on a bad one.

gs39t

lomb wrote:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4525601940&category=6236
this still hasnt met reserve. i think they are dearer than u think. u could easily sink 10 grand without thinking on a bad one.

Thats a fastback. BIIIG money difference

EDIT: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6236&item=4517965014&rd=1

Nice 69 coupe only at 4k

PaulK_CCI

gs39t wrote:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6236&item=4517965014&rd=1

Nice 69 coupe only at 4k

Sorry gs39t, but that car on e-bay for 4k dollar doesnt mean a lot There is absolutely no guarantee that this car will actually change hands for that amount, and to be honest, I genuinely believe it won't.
Cars on e-bay are not particularly a correct way of showing a "true" market value for cars. I have seen pristine Jaguar E-types for example on e-bay with an asking price of 10000 dollar, but that is ofcourse no indication that that would be a realistic sort of price tag these cars go for!

I'm also a bit wary of people coming to me, telling me that some of the prices I have on cars are way out of line, based on asking prices for "seemingly similar" cars they have found on the Internet. Of course you can pick up a bargain somewhere, and the States generally have lower prices, but I have found in my experience, that you generally get what you pay for!!! I have seen too many cars that seemed like a bargain on the Net, and once they were over, it turned out to be an absolute basket case. On the pictures the car looked really nice, but in the flesh, it was rotten or very badly restored/resprayed. That's why for any of my cars I tend to stay in Europe, and I, or someone I trust through and through, will need to physically see and inspect the cars, before I will stand behind them.

lomb

i would agree with the above. generally speaking u do get what upay for. having said that mustangs and such other niche lhd cars have values which to some extent fluctuate wildly depending on what people are willing to pay and whether the sun is shining. old cars can require sinking of vast sums of money to get up to standard- of this there is no doubt.
whatever u do dont buy a basketcase 99/100 they end up costing more to get up to some standard.
i must say if i was going to attempt classic ownership the lack of road tax on a 30 year old wouldnt worry me more so whether its going to cost me 5grand one year on engine rebuilding. i would always buy a classic that although is not concourse would be in the vgood range with extensive maintainence records that have had the rubbers changed and perhaps an engine/gearbox rebuild in the recent past and good paint/body. i would then drive this for a few years, doing abit to keep up the maintainence such as replacement of failing parts and usual services such as brake fluid changes and then let it on without loosing much. this is the secret to painless classic ownership.

Paul love the 2 bobby ewing 450sls on your website. id buy one off u if i was in a position to. lovely lookers.

gs39t

I'm speaking from personal experience as a 4 year owner of a Mustang. I know from experience what people have paid for certain cars, and i KNOW there are good deals to be had with private buys. You dont have to be a millionaire to own one, or even buy one. A little knowledge about where to look and what to look for goes a long way.

lomb

the mustang is in fairness a very basic car apart from the auto tranny. cart suspension and all that. also most yank stuff is rust free from the east coast.i can honestly say if i was to buy a jaguar,rolls or old merc i would be looking for a good one-which means paying good money for it. i dont think the mustang is the average classic tbh.

just out of interest the guy on discovery who restored a jag etype series 2 4.2 cabrio to concourse took 80000stg from a basketcase car. and parts are easily available and relatively cheap on an etype..............

Dades

lomb wrote:

just out of interest the guy on discovery who restored a jag etype series 2 4.2 cabrio to concourse took 80000stg from a basketcase car. and parts are easily available and relatively cheap on an etype..............

That said - don't most 'experts' say that you'll never get the money back you put into a car to get it up to top spec?

Different I guess for specialists.

shagman

I reckon getting your money back really depends on how you spend it in the first place. If you buy OEM NOS (thats not a reg number.... original equipment manuafacturer new old stock) then the resto will be a lot more costly.Whereas if you're a cheapskate Lidl shopping knacker like meself and you lurk around ebay till you find the same part or COPY/aftermarket version then you may well save a packet. Don't think the post resto sale price would be that different either way unless it's a top $$$ machine you're doing. As a lot of items cross over between different makes and models you may find exactly the same part is cheaper when bought from a different source,e.g (hypothetical) lucas part for a ford might be cheaper than the exact same lucas part when bought for a lotus .practical classics magazine did a guide to this.

joedublinka

saw one today off n81 in terenure in the driveway of a house on the road before fortfield drive.
nice looker, was a silver mustang. only saw the rear.

Blitzkrieger

PaulK_CCI wrote:

hate to put a damper on it, but if you say 17,5 is way out of your league, but you're prepared to pump in "god knows how much money" it;s time to do some sums:



I guess what I mean to say is that restorations generally are not worth your while if you want to save money in the long run, because you won't !!

I don't want to save money in the long run - I want a Mustang

I'm taking this as a very long term project. I'm thinking at least two years. I'm even going to spend a few months on the research side to be sure I know what I'm getting into and how much it's going to cost me. Of course 17,5 is way out of my league - I practically only thought of this yesterday! That amount of money isn't pocket change. I could get it together but it would involve selling my current car or getting a loan from the bank and I'm not willing to do either.

I plan to buy a car as close to what I want/need as possible. I plan to do as much work on the car myself as possible but any repairs or alterations will be carried out to the highest standard and if I can't do that myself I'll get it done professionally. The car could be laid up for long periods of time while I'm searching for parts or waiting for a suitable engine to become available. I'm not going to rush it and I'm not going to cut any corners.

I would say my expectations are realistic. If I was after a standard car I would expect to save money doing things this way, but I'm not after a standard car. I do expect to get the car I want for the least expense and enjoy the experience along the way.

gs39t

Cubic Inches arent everything. From all the research i have done, the general consensus is if you want a fast mustang, build a small block stroker (commonly a 351 stroked to 388 or so). Massive big blocks are huge torque engines, but not as "streetable" as small blocks. The 428 engine was almost purely designed for drag racing in the Mustang. The Mustang road-race cars that were successfully raced had 289, and later BOSS 302 engines. Saying you car has 428/9 cubic inches sounds impressive, but you can build a killer small block.

Blitzkrieger

I’m not particularly interested in it being very fast. My own car does 0-60 in 5.6 and there’s some pretty simple modifications I can make to make it faster if I want. Common sense doesn’t really come into it when deciding what type of car I want – there’s no real explanation. I want what I want and it’s not always easy to express the reasons why. The main reason I want the 428/9 is simple : when I turn the key I want people to think the world is coming to an end. I want the coupe because when someone says “Mustang” that’s the picture I get in my head. The suspension, transmission and brakes are all going to be chosen to suit that.

PaulK_CCI

Blitzkrieger wrote:

I don't want to save money in the long run - I want a Mustang

Of course 17,5 is way out of my league - I practically only thought of this yesterday! That amount of money isn't pocket change. I could get it together but it would involve selling my current car or getting a loan from the bank and I'm not willing to do either.

What I meant to say, that if you undertake the rebuild as you have descibed, there's absolutely nothing wrong with it, and if you proceed wisely and carefully, it should be a very rewarding (if lengthy!!) process. But if you claim that 17,5k is out of your leage and you don't want to spend that sort of money on the car, you shouldn't forget that if you do the sums ultimately your costs over a 2-3 year span will run well in exceed of that !!! Especially if you want to it Properly and if you want to involve specialists that are going to take care of areas that you feel you're not experienced enough in. That just simply costs money.

I aggree with gs39t about the practicalities of the small block but I can see you point about the Gut feeling for a 428. However, don;t forget the 428 is a magnificent block, but if you put it next to a tweaked, upgraded and heavily modified small block, especially mated to a loud exhaust, there's isn't that huge a difference in sound! With a set of cherry bomb exhaust pipes you can already make a standard 289 block sound like world war three is about to erupt!!!

Blitzkrieger

It's not that I'm not willing to spend 17,5 - I just don't happen to have that sort of cash right now. While I was looking for Mustangs I saw a GT40 for sale for onlyStg32,000 and was thinking of going nuts......but the Mustang is a far more practical project. There's a big difference between the cost of buying a minter from the trade and buying a car that needs a little/lot of work privatly. I'm hoping Gary(gs39T) is closer to the mark with prices but I'll have to look around. Of course I'm supposed to be in the planning stage now and haven't done a tap to look up suspensions, trannys or LSDs.

rabbitinlights

Where did you see a GT40 for £32,000? Do you mean a Real 1960's GT40, I would think you would have to put another "0" on that price tag.


sean

Blitzkrieger

I thought so too. I thought it had to be a replica but it seemed genuine. It's not like there's a huge market to compare it against

rabbitinlights

There were only 126 Original 1960's (64-67) GT40's ever built and thats including the race cars, only 7 were made especially for the road (detuned to ~300bhp) The cheapest ive ever heard an original GT40 going for is about £400,000, normally going for over £1,000,000 and they are never sold publicly. The replicas can go from anywhere from £20,000 up to £220,000.



I can only dream about driving a real one, I driven a great replica and I will own one someday.

S.

Blitzkrieger

Must have been a replica or else short one or two minor components..........like an engine.

I used to dream about owning one but now I dream about a GT.

rabbitinlights

I pass the blue GT350 in galway everyday on the way to work, Its such an amazing car, and if i time it right in the morning, I get to hear them turn it on.......... It turns every head for about 200 meters!!!!!