30K Mile Original: 1968 Ford Mustang V8
Over the past few years, I have been in the market for a ’65 to ’68 Mustang. I like original cars so they are usually what I gravitate to. In a lot of cases when I see a Mustang being advertised in original condition I expect to see original paint and interior. That is not always the case, sometimes the car is advertised as original but usually, there has been some level of restoration at some point in its life. I think the reason for that is the Mustang has always been a popular car and considered a classic for many years. In the case of this particular car, the originality claims are probably accurate. The seller’s Grandfather is the original owner so the mileage claim of 30K should be easy to validate, check it out here on Craigslist in Kurtistown, Hawaii for $10,000 OBO. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Michael for the tip!
The seller doesn’t indicate how long the car has been stored but we can assume it has been a while. Logistically, this car would be challenging for most of us to see in person, however, it would be a great excuse for a vacation to Hawaii. Depending on where the car has been stored the climate may not be so good for the car in terms of rust. Assuming the paint is original it looks decent but surface rust is showing in places and the doors appear to have rust on the bottom, let’s hope its all good underneath. The seller admits the car needs some work.
This car seems to be in good condition, the paint will probably have a decent shine with some careful polishing. The car is all original except for the vintage mag wheels but the original wheels and covers are included. Overall this Mustang is very complete and it’s nice to see the trim still intact. From the limited view, it looks like the interior is green, it would be nice to see some interior shots but none are included in the ad except for a few of the dash area.
Given the basic nature of this car, I was expecting to see a 6 cylinder under the hood. Instead, we have the 289 2V V8 which should be good for around 195HP. This Mustang is equipped with power steering and power brakes but no A/C. Unless I am missing something it looks like this car is not equipped with a heater, I don’t see any hoses going to the firewall. There is a lot of potential here but it could be a gamble, rust is a concern and if its bad enough this could be a major project. At $10,000 OBO the asking price seems a bit high but how often do you see an original owner 30k mile Mustang? Lets hope this one gets saved.
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Comments
Not a restoration for the faint of heart. Having lived in Hawaii for more than seven years, I’m familiar with rust issues. The amount of salt in the air is incredible and it seeps into everything, including under the headliner quietly eating the car from inside out. Just look at the engine. This car would have to be inspected inside the doors, under the headliner and definitely under the floors. These cars were not made of galvanized steel or dipped and are very subject to rust. I had a 3 year old GMC truck that had to have the roof refinished because the factory mounted the third brake light with sheet metal screws directly into the sheet metal and the paint was cracked off/scratched in the process. Slowly in three years, the rust blistered and bubbled up all around that light. The salt air would pit my home fixtures, inside lights, towel bars, and anything in your garage that wasn’t painted including hand tools. Salt air everywhere. Many cars headed to Hawaii of this era were “Heater Delete” cars. Absolutely no need for heat. Odd it did not have A/C.
Caution is the word here.
Shipping a car to HI is very costly and hence drives up the demand on limited supply of classic muscle cars .
We know it’s a very high probability this car will never leave HI and be a local purchase.
This is probably close to fair pricing and one might be able to get it for 8500.
FY: I recently got back from kawaii with mid October weather of 70-80 during the day and 65 at night. Who needs a heater in the mustang…
The five year old condo we rented didn’t have heat or air conditioning either as it’s not needed in paradise.
Very cool, later aftermarket mag wheels. Looks like the salt ate all the plastic plating off those center caps by the lugs. Green plastic. $10k may not be bad for this car, for anyone trying to get it back into the contiguous US you’d better love it and inspect it from stem to stern.
I think it has a heater but he has cut the hoses at the engine and blocked them off with a bolt inserted and clamped with a hose clamp. The wife has had 6 Mustangs in the 38 years we have been married, I told her after she bought her 2012 GT/CS we are done with Mustangs.
I noticed that too about the heater hoses.
Another car where the only “evidence” presenter to back up a claim of low mileage is a picture of the speedometer.
As mentioned above, older cars don’t fare well in that climate. The pictures either inadvertently or by design avoid showing the interior, door jambs, rocker panels (especially the drivers), lower rear quarter panels, undercarriage, basically anyplace Mustangs typically rust. The cost of shipping a car, in or out, will be expensive, that’s also the case for restoration parts. Since this isn’t a particularly rare car I’d probably look for a similar car in better shape on the mainland instead.
Steve R
Are those Javelin wheels?
As seen on Pacers, Gremlins, Javelins and Matadors.
This what they look like in good condition:
Great looking wheel, also glad to see the American made Cooper tire! Thanks Brian, take care, Mike.
Be careful and don’t be misled by Hawaii’s climate. Lots of rusty cars there.
Sorry, no way on the 30K, I don’t care where it’s from. Guess they couldn’t find an upper radiator hose on the Islands.
Take one look at the top of the air cleaner to know everything there is to know about ocean air and rust over 50 years. And anything plastic and chromed
The bottom of one door looks like it could separate at any moment.