1966 Ford Mustang Hardtop
"For the very first time, American's could literally build the car of their dreams, as most American car manufacturers now offered tons of 'extras' or 'options' when ordering a new car. But, it now believed the incredible success of Ford's Mustang was not only due to the marketing by Lee Iacocca but, to the fact the consumer could actually 'build' him, or herself, a custom car by choosing from over 70 options offered for the 1966 Mustang! Many folks did not realize Ford really meant the advertising term, the car that was designed to be designed by YOU. After paying as little as $2368 FOB, you could load your car up with a myriad of options." Thx to FoMoCo.org
For consignment, a 1966 Ford Mustang hardtop, one of an astounding 607,568 Mustangs produced in 1966, 422,416 of those being hardtops, far and away the most common body type which also included fastbacks and convertibles. This car was restored more than 12 years ago and has a rebuilt 289ci V8 and was won by our consignor in a raffle.
Exterior
Assembled in the eastern plant at Metuchen, New Jersey this hardtop wears Wimbledon White, which unlike Carlos Alcaraz's uniform, is actually an off white with a subtle yellow tinge. By 1966, the familiar lines and shape of the Mustang was ingrained in the American psyche so subtle changes from the 1965 such as the new faux ducts on the quarter panel, the removal of the vertical bar from the grille horse's corral, and the change from a honeycomb grille design to one with straight bars were barely noticed by the public but serve as important differentiators today. This car is missing the panel ducts for a clean unobstructed body line that creates a soft cove. The chrome and bright work are very nice on the car and wheel covers on the 14-inch wheels show a bit of patina but are entirely presentable. The paint is in beautiful condition on the car with no notable flaws however a few of the panel gaps are less than perfect, and sometimes they left that plant that way.
Interior
Black was the simple title of the interior palette and begins with the door panels in varying patterns of vinyl and housing manual locks, crank windows, and a corner wind window secured by a metal latch. Inside, standard low back bucket seats with tuck and roll insert are situated up front while 2+2 seating that essentially flank the center tunnel live in the back and everything is in very fine condition. The steering wheel fronts a simple dash where five gauges present to the driver including the large, center 140mph speedometer housed in textured hard plastic showing, typically, a bit of patina. Metal switchgear provides robust controls and an AM/FM/Cassette player is in the center, reachable from driver and passenger alike. A center console is striped with finned metal trim that breaks for the T-handle shifter and indicator plate. Black loop carpet covers the floor nicely and the headliner is a bit loose but fully intact. The trunk is clean and lined with a period plaid mat.
Drivetrain
Under the hood, a clean, driver quality 289ci V8 rebuilt by Jasper Engines who put a "slight" cam in and added headers, along with a Holley 4-barrel carburetor. A C4 3-speed automatic transmission sends power to the Ford 8" rear and drum brakes bring it all to a crawl.
Undercarriage
Driver quality underneath as well where surface rust is common including on the exhaust which flows from the headers to a pair of stock style muffler, then out chrome down turned tips that extend past the rear valance. It's relatively clean and dry otherwise underneath with no grease build up, some road spray that can be hosed off, and no leaks other than some residual oil on the rear differential. Coil springs make up the suspension in front and leaf springs are out back and we note some rust repair was performed on the front of the driver's inner rocker panel.
Drive-Ability
The healthy little V8 fired right up and the Mustang trotted onto the test loop with adequate power, good tracking, and braking that functioned well. No surprises here and other than the horn not working, all other functions such as lights, radio, turn signals and others worked as expected. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase.
Here's a nice, basic pony, well sorted, showing no invasive rust, and a complete, clean interior. If a hardtop classic Mustang is on your wishlist, be sure to add this Wimbledon White example to your search. This one is an ace and once you make the call, it will be game, set, match! The ball's in your court.
6T07C262055
6-1966
T-Metuchen, NJ Assy Plant
07-Mustang Hardtop
C-289ci 200hp 2bbl V8
262055-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8 acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown, Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in person.
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