Project Profile – 1966 Ford Mustang

When you think of an American car, you’re going to think of a Ford Mustang. And do you know what? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. The Mustang was and still is a great car full of charm and character. It soon became a pop culture icon, a symbol of ‘60s Americana from bumper to bumper. It’s a fine car to find yourself behind the wheel of, that’s for sure. And that’s what brings us to the car we’ve found here for this round of Project Profile – a 1966 Ford Mustang 289 V8.

Of course this car is a project, hence it being here. However, that’s no bad thing. Don’t think of this Mustang as a long-term fixer-upper. No, think of it as a chance to create something of your own. This car is a blank canvas upon which you can create the Mustang of your dreams. Or at least that’s the way we’re looking at it. The seller states that there may be a small amount of welding needed, but that’s to be expected with a car of this age. It’s by no means a rot-box though. In fact, it’s had a brace of new panels. New wings, new rear quarters, new front and rear valances and even new floors. All the hard work has been done for you.

The potential welding is at the rear end of the frame rails, but replacement panels are readily available, so it shouldn’t be too much work. The seller also states that it would be best to have the bodywork checked over for fitment and so on, but that’s to be expected. Plus, your bodyshop will probably do that for you when you put the car in for paint – the one big thing it does need. The flat white hue is doing nothing for the Mustang’s lines at the moment. We’d go for gunmetal grey, or to go the other way, a deep candy apple red or something similar. Whatever you choose, it needs to stand out!

As for the rest of this ‘66, it seems pretty good. The interior looks to be in excellent shape and is in the popular shade of black. Mechanically, the seller says the car needs a tune-up, but the V8 does run and drive. Being the 289, there is no shortage of hop up parts for this engine, so with minimal spend and effort, you could have it looking amazing. Swap the two-barrel carb for a nice four-barrel Edelbrock unit, change the intake, fit electronic ignition, new polished rocker covers, chrome air cleaner, new headers, oh yes, this could be one fast and loud machine indeed.

The car is a fresh import, but all the difficult administrative work has been done – the car has UK paperwork and a UK plate, so all you need to do is get it mechanically tip top in readiness for the road and for the show seasons ahead. And here’s the best bit; it’s only £8,995, which is a bargain for a car in this condition and of this era. Not only that, if you do improve upon it, you’re only going to build more value into it.