Yes, it’s unassuming. No, it’s not sparkling fresh and perfect. But make no mistake, this 1966 Ford Mustang coupe is a wonderful entry-level hobby car. The word that sums it up best is HONEST. As with most original cars, there are no secrets and with original paint, you know there’s no botched bodywork hiding underneath. It hails from Georgia, where it spent the entirety of its life, so harsh winters were not part of the equation. It’s also a real C-code car, providing a punchy and smooth 289 cubic inch V8. Add in A/C, an extensive list of recent service (nearly $4000 worth!), and those gorgeous new wheels and tires, and you get a great deal of car for your money with this little Mustang. We fell in love with it the minute it showed up, and I suspect you will, too.

Code H Sahara Beige is this car’s original color and, in fact, it is original paint on 98% of the body. That tells us that someone has always cared for this car and treated it well. That may seem like an odd comment about a vintage Mustang, but believe it or not, there was a time when these were just everyday cars, used like you use your daily driver, and thrown away when finished. This tidy little coupe seems to have escaped that fate and lived its entire 52 years of life with people who cared about it. The paint isn’t shiny and it certainly isn’t perfect, but it has a wonderful soft gloss that only time can create and even with a few thin spots on top of the creases on the fenders, it has a very appealing look. In fact, the patina actually makes it MORE appealing. It’s like touching the past. It’s entirely original sheetmetal, too, with no wrinkles, rust, or other common maladies aside from a tiny crease in the right front wheel arch. Trunk fit is excellent, a common problem with Mustangs that have been reconstructed, and even the doors open and close with a feel that we haven’t experienced in many other vintage Fords. I don’t mean to imply perfection, but if you look past the signs of age, you’ll realize that there’s a very nice car underneath. In addition, the chrome trim is in excellent condition, including a brand new front bumper (the original is included and it's still in good shape). And perhaps most importantly, those ‘289’ emblems on the front fenders are earned honestly.

Likewise, that’s a mostly original code D9 Parchment & Palomino interior that’s as well-preserved as the exterior. We’re sure that the carpets have been replaced, but the seat covers, door panels, dash pad, and other soft parts date to 1966 and are nicely preserved. There’s a small split on the driver’s seat outer bolster and a small split seam at the top, plus a larger split on the passenger’s seat base, but otherwise the seating surfaces are quite good and it would probably be a mistake to replace them in pursuit of perfection. All 1966 Mustangs are equipped with the GT-spec instrument panel and all the dials there are fully operational as is the original AM radio. In fact, it appears that only the horn isn’t working. The A/C system wants to work but probably needs a recharge (we can handle this on behalf of a new owner), and the lights and signals are all functional. This is a car you can get in and enjoy immediately without a second thought, always a gamble on such affordable machines. And the nice thing about Mustang coupes is that you get a roomy trunk with a correct plaid mat and a full-sized spare tire.

A letter “C” as the fifth digit of the VIN denotes a 289 cubic inch V8 with a 2-barrel carburetor and 200 horsepower on tap, and that’s what still living under the hood today. There’s no reason to believe that this is anything but the original engine and with just 63,330 miles showing on the odometer, which be believe to be correct, it should be no surprise that it runs great. It has been recently and extensively serviced, including a new carburetor, new radiator, new ignition with a Pertronix electronic system inside the distributor, and fresh belts and hoses. All the fluids have been freshened and there’s a new starter underneath. As a result of all this, it spins to life easily and idles well under just about any circumstances and never, ever gets fussy. In fact, this is one of the least fussy cars we’ve ever featured, a fact that’s even more remarkable given the sticker price. The 2V 289 is plenty torquey and moves the lightweight coupe with real authority and sounds great thanks to a brand new dual exhaust system that might free up a few horsepower over the original single setup. The Ford Blue on the engine is likely original paint, although the air cleaner has been repainted and new decals affixed just to keep it looking tidy. It is quite clean, not grungy or neglected, although it’s obviously not detailed for show, either. But you won’t be ashamed that this is your car when you check the oil and someone spots it.

The 289 is backed by Ford’s tough C4 3-speed automatic transmission, also called the Cruise-O-Matic. It has nice, firm shifts and never hesitates when dropping into gear. Select the green dot on the shifter and it really wakes the car up, but this Mustang is happy to do whatever you want—it hustles fairly well but it’s also a relaxed highway cruiser thanks to 2.80 gears out back. The undercarriage is extremely clean and solid with no stories or excuses needed. The rockers are solid, the floors are 100% intact, and the torque boxes haven’t been abused so you will have no worries about driving this car for a long time. Drum brakes are adequate and feel strong enough to handle the car’s performance and ride quality is quite good thanks to stock suspension parts with an assist from a set of air shocks out back. The aforementioned dual exhaust system has a nice sound and offers a pair of polished tips under the rear bumper that really helps in the cosmetics department. And look at that stance! It hasn’t been lowered, but those gorgeous 15-inch styled steel wheels with staggered 215/60/15 front and 235/60/15 rear BFGoodrich redline radials fill the fenders perfectly!

This car includes a HUGE cache of extra parts: original bumpers, original wheels, tires, and hubcaps, carburetor, flywheel, belts and hoses, seat covers, and a car cover. There’s probably more, but you get the idea.

This is one of those times where it is a VERY big mistake to judge a book by its cover. This is a wonderful little Mustang that does everything right and is an absolute delight to drive. It has no secrets, no hidden nightmares for you, no problems that are going to cause regrets. Yes, you have to like the originality and the color, but when you see it in person, you’ll understand. This is the most honest collector car in the entire world, and that’s a very rare thing indeed. Call today!