C-code 289 cubic inch V8, power steering, automatic transmission, A/C. Great color combination. Very clean and solid, mostly original car. Never hit or wrecked. Runs and drives very well with lots of recent service. A fun Mustang for not a lot of cash!

Ford’s versatile Mustang has been a lot of things to a lot of people over the years, and that’s probably why it remains on of the most popular collector cars of all time. They’re easy to drive, easy to fix, and universally loved. Nobody sees a bright red Mustang like this 1966 coupe and says, “Nah, I don’t like that.” The fact that they were inexpensive and fast certainly helped sales, but it also meant that a great many early Mustangs were abused, neglected, and just plain used up, so you have to look pretty carefully at the car you’re buying to see where its history might have taken a turn for the worse. This one seems to have lived a good, clean life where it was always loved. Red always looks right on a Mustang. And if you take the time to look it over, you’ll see very good paint and bodywork, with super straight panels, good alignment, and an attractive shine that looks like money well spent. The chrome and stainless trim is in excellent condition, the glass is clear, and it has never been wrecked or disassembled so it feels robust going down the road. This really is a delightful little car—I’m afraid I don’t have any complaints.

The interior is beautifully preserved original stuff, and we like the red-on-red color combination. The seats are firm and comfortable, but there are minor signs of age elsewhere—the carpets are a little faded and there’s some wear where the driver’s elbow might have rested on the door panel. No matter, it still has a welcoming look and if you need perfection, new equipment for a vintage Mustang is shockingly cheap. For 1966, all Mustangs received the GT’s five-gauge instrument panel, and they all seem to work properly, although we never quite trust the ammeters on early Mustangs. Under-dash A/C was dealer-installed and a newer AM/FM/cassette stereo radio was added in the center of the dashboard. Carpeted floor mats, a back seat that’s like new, and a fully detailed trunk with full-sized spare round out this car’s list of virtues.

The 289 cubic inch V8 is a C-code, which includes a 2-barrel carburetor under the big air cleaner and about 200 horsepower on tap. It’s smooth and torquey but not fussy or peaky, and it pulls the lightweight coupe around with genuine enthusiasm. It’s finished in correct Ford Blue paint and has a very authentic look, and for a Mustang engine bay, it’s pretty full. You’ll note a big A/C compressor up on top, with the power steering pump underneath, a newer aluminum radiator up front, and recent wiring throughout. Even the alternator is a correct vintage piece, not some parts store rebuild and there’s a yellow-cap coil that looks right. It starts easily and runs great, and given that the hardware proved itself decades ago, you should never think twice about getting in and hitting the road. The 289 is linked to a C4 3-speed automatic transmission and it shifts like it should—just make sure you’re using the “green dot” shift position to force it to start in first gear. Otherwise it feels a little soft. You’ll note the extremely solid undercarriage, which is due to a lifetime away from winter weather, and it carries a great-sounding dual exhaust probably adds a few horsepower over the C-code’s original single exhaust. The torque boxes are solid (the beauty of a C-code car is that it’s not really powerful enough to hurt anything), the seam under the rockers still shows its original spot welds, and the floors are in excellent condition. Traditional 14-inch steel wheels with hubcaps are exactly the right choice and they carry recent 185/75/14 whitewall radials.

If you love Mustangs, this one will make you smile. It drives well, it’s affordable, and there’s a lot more than the asking price wrapped up in it. The car works like it should and the fact that it has lived such an easy life is only a bonus. Time to start having fun. Call today!

Harwood Motors always recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.