Barn Finds

One Owner: 1966 Ford Mustang “Sprint 200”

Adam Clarke
Adam Clarke


Sometimes a classic car will appear out of the ether, and it is hard to determine just what its greatest strength is. This 1966 Mustang Sprint 200 is just such a car. Is it the fact that it is a one-owner vehicle or the fact that it has a genuine 77,305 miles showing on its odometer? Of course, it could also be the fact that the Ford is in exceptional condition for its age, but you can be sure that the fact that it is being offered for sale in a No Reserve auction will have helped its cause enormously. The Mustang is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $8,100, and don’t forget those two magic words; “No Reserve.”

The presentation of the Candy Apple Red Mustang has to rate as very impressive. The seller is handling the sale of the vehicle to settle the estate of the car’s original owner. He does provide a lot of very useful information about the Ford, and this includes the fact that it did receive a repaint in its original color about 25-years-ago. The Mustang is said to be rust-free and has been garage-kept for its entire life by its single owner. It would seem that it has never had any accident damage or rust repairs, with the panels appearing to be arrow-straight and free from any obvious dings or blemishes. Being a Sprint 200, this brought a few distinctive exterior features to the table. This includes the wire hubcaps, the side accent striping, and the chrome rocker molding. All of these pieces would appear to be in very good condition, while the same seems to be true of the exterior trim, the chrome, and the glass.

As well as bringing a few exterior features, the Sprint 200 package, also known in some quarters as the Springtime Sprint, received a couple of nice interior upgrades. The most obvious of these was the console, along with what was referred to as the “Safety Equipment Group.” This impressive-sounding package brought a padded dash and sunvisors, along with an exterior mirror, back-up lights, seatbelts for four occupants, windshield washers, and emergency flashers. In reality, this part of the package was nowhere near as generous as it might appear to be on the surface. This was because the padded dash and visors, the seatbelts, an exterior mirror, and the back-up lights, were all federal requirements from 1966. Therefore, these were essentially standard features from that model year. When we look at the condition of this Mustang’s original interior, it is generally very impressive. What it needs more than anything else is someone to get stuck-in and give it a good clean. There is plenty of dust present, but if this was removed, it would just look that much better. I can’t tell whether there might be some damage to the rear trim on the driver’s side, but the seats and door trims appear to free from rips and tears. The carpet is showing some fading in spots, while the kick panels also have plenty of scuffing. However, the dash and the console are in extremely nice condition. Many Mustangs from this era were treated to interior “upgrades” by their owners. These ranged from new stereos through to additional gauges. This car has avoided that fate and is essentially as it would have been when it rolled off the production line in Dearborn, Michigan.


When Ford initially released the Mustang, they had vague hopes that they would be able to sell around 100,000 cars per year. Well, they got that more than slightly wrong, but unlike the Edsel only a few short years earlier, they got it wrong in a really good way. Instead of selling 100,000 cars, the total quickly rocketed to 600,000! I guess that if you are going to get any form of surprise, then a pleasant one would certainly beat the alternative. Their problem came from the fact that while so many people wanted a Mustang, a high percentage were drawn to the 289-equipped cars. The “six” was built in high volumes, but the battle was then to show potential buyers a V8, but to convince them to buy a car with a 200ci 6-cylinder engine under the hood. The Sprint 200 package offered buyers good value for money, and it became something of a sales success. That is what this car is, but as well as being fitted with the 200 engine, it also features the optional C4 automatic transmission. This engine presents beautifully, and while it also still features the chrome oil filler cap, the air cleaner has been changed at some point. The good news is the fact that the engine doesn’t just present well, but it has a matching level of performance. The seller says that the car runs and drives beautifully, with the brakes pulling the car up nice and straight, and the transmission shifts smoothly.

Ignoring the fact that Ford placed some emphasis on the value of the Sprint 200 package when many of the safety features had actually become standard requirements in 1966, it still represented outstanding value for money. You only have to look at the RPO list to realize this. The entire package cost a mere $39.63 for the manual version, or $163.40 if the owner chose the automatic transmission (which was a $176 option by itself). When you consider that the wire wheel covers were a $58 option if purchased separately, while the console was $50, and the accent stripes were $14, buyers really were getting pretty respectable value for money. It isn’t clear just how many examples of the Sprint 200 were eventually sold, but it would be pretty fair to say that they were not particularly rare in 1966. However, many Mustangs that rolled off the production line with a 6-cylinder engine under the hood eventually found themselves the recipient of a V8 transplant, and this would undoubtedly have included a reasonable percentage of Sprint 200s. Finding an original and unmolested example today is becoming relatively difficult, but that is what this car represents. It might not have a V8 under the hood, but this is still a car that is capable of garnering its share of attention wherever it goes. That has to make it a classic that is well worth a serious look.
Have something to sell? List it here on Barn Finds!

More: Ford / Hardtop / Mustang
 
Lime Gold Find: 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback V8 4-Speed

Josh Mortensen
Josh Mortensen


It’s amazing the impact color has on the desirability of a car, but let’s face it, we all have our favorite color! So, if you are a fan of the Fastback Mustang and Lime Gold, this massive project might be the find for you. You’ll have to be alright with repairing lots of rust, but I’m sure there are a few people out there that would love to have a 4-speed equipped Mustang Fastback in this color combo enough to justify the work it will take to make this one a driver again. If you are up for the task, you can find it here on eBay in Memphis, Tennessee with a current bid of $17,350 and no reserve.


I’ll be honest with you, this thing looks rusty. You never want to see rust, but there are certain areas you really don’t want to find rust, such as key structural points. Well, this one has rust in lots of critical areas, but it isn’t necessarily beyond saving. And there’s always the option of buying a brand new body. It is amazing how high it’s currently bid given the rust. Then again, Fastback Mustangs are sought after and if you just have to have one in this color combo it might be your best option.


The seller provided a photo of the car’s Marti Report, which reveals that this is a C-Code car with the 289-2V V8, 4-speed, and the 2.79 rear end. The engine isn’t running, but the seller states that it does turn over, so there’s at least a little hope for it. It appears that someone was trying to liven it up a bit with an Edelbrock carburetor and some nice finned valve covers.

This was a relatively low option car, at least from a performance standpoint, but at least it came with the V8, 4-speed, and the Deluxe Interior. The seller provides several photos of the interior, but I’m not sure which one is of how the interior is right now. One is a lot dustier and in much worse condition. Hopefully, the photo above is how it’s currently looking, as it doesn’t look too bad. As a matter of fact, it looks like you could use it as is! And is that an add-on AC system sitting under the dash?

I fully understand restoring a car like this, it might be a giant task, but in the end, you’ll have a sweet machine in a color you don’t see every day. What’s hard to swallow is how much it’s going to cost to get it to that point. I suppose when a nice example will set you back $50k more, it might make sense to take on a project like this. And if you are a talented welder, it might not actually cost you that much to fix the rust issues. For the rest of us, the easiest option would be to spend the $19k to buy a new body shell and to put it together with all the parts from this one. So, if you were to take on a project like this, which route would you go? Are those Dynacorn bodies as nice in person as they look in photos?
Have something to sell? List it here on Barn Finds!

More: Ford
 
T-Top Fox: 1988 Ford Mustang GT

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Jonny Collier


Love them or hate them, the Fox-Body Mustangs were in production for 15 of the Mustang’s (so far) 55 years. That 3rd generation was by far the longest lived all (so far) 6 Mustang generations. This 1988 example was sent to us by an anonymous Barn Finds reader who found it here on eBay in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The reserve appears to have been met after 17 bids have pushed the price to $8,950.


With 50,282 built, the 1988 Ford Mustang GT wasn’t rare by any means. However, those GT hatchbacks equipped with T-tops were, as only 3,747 buyers chose that option. Coming off of 1987’s mid-cycle face lift, the 1988 Mustangs remained largely unchanged. The buying public must have liked what they saw from the 1987 models, as production increased 32% as the Mustang far outsold the Camaro and Firebird combined.


This Mustang was a one-owner car until 3 months ago. This car has covered just 105k miles in its 32 years with only 600 of them being added by the current (second) owner. The seller tells us the car has been garaged its entire life and is wearing 95% of its original paint. No detail on what the 5% unoriginal portion is, but the Oxford White paint shines and looks very well preserved. Trim that is typically faded and worn on these appears to be in tip-top shape.

The grey interior is equally impressive. The seats look like they could use a cleaning, but I don’t see any rips, tears, or excessive wear. The seller notes the driver side lumbar support doesn’t stay inflated and the radio doesn’t work.

As all 1988 Ford Mustang GTs were equipped, this one has the 5.0L V8, which is backed by a 5-speed manual transmission. Aside from a new radiator, everything looks fairly original under the hood. The clutch was recently replaced, but there are some areas that may need to be addressed, including inoperable cruise control, sometimes functioning gas gauge, and rust on the shock towers.

Mustangs seem to be a popular choice for the collector. Cars are generally affordable with parts and resources being plentiful. I know the Fox-Body cars aren’t for everyone, but this one appears to be in relatively good condition and has the somewhat difficult to find T-tops. Is this a winning combination for you?
Have something to sell? List it here on Barn Finds!

More: Ford / Mustang
 
The Other 5.0! 1988 Lincoln Mark VII Bill Blass

Todd Fitch
Todd Fitch


Still looking fresh today, the Lincoln Mark VII introduced multiple automotive “firsts.” The 1984 Mark VII became the first vehicle in North America to feature aerodynamic composite headlights. Electronic four-channel anti-lock brakes first appeared on the Mark VII in November 1984, some six months before the Chevrolet Corvette. In fairness, Imperial fans will quickly point out that the 1971 Imperial offered ABS more than a decade earlier with a three-channel Bendix system. Technology aside, this 1988 Lincoln Mark VII Bill Blass Edition in Tampa, Florida looks ready for a night on the town. Offered for $5500 right here on Barn Finds, the Lincoln runs well and includes many new parts. Though the electronic dashboard and trip computer are out, they worked recently, and hopefully can be easily revived. Thanks to wikipedia for some details.


The hint of a “Continental Kit” hearkens back to Lincolns of the past, adding a luxury touch to the Mark VII’s backside. The original paint and trim gleam, contrasting elegantly with the dark Florida window tint.


This view looks familiar to fans of the popular Fox-body Mustang, as nearly everything visible from the radiator hold-down brackets to the air cleaner match those popular ’80s street warriors. Most importantly, the 302 cid “5.0” V8 provides 225 HP and a healthy 300 lb-ft of torque. Nearly any Mustang modification can be applied to this big coupe to make yourself a Hot Rod Lincoln. A ring and pinion swap to 3.73 cogs might be the easiest way to wake up this slumbering giant. Even with aggressive gears, the four-speed automatic transmission with overdrive will keep highway RPMs reasonable. With the same basic drivetrain installed in millions of Ford Crown Victoria taxi cabs and police cars, this luxury Lincoln will deliver Honda-like reliability if well maintained, and its mechanical parts are plentiful and cheap.

Tip your hat to the seller for including a picture of the all-important driver’s seat cushions. The most abused part of the interior seems to support the claim of 92,000 miles. Other than showing some effects of the Florida sun, the interior looks almost new. The Bill Blass leather should soften nicely after liberal applications of a high-quality hide treatment. Can you see yourself in this shiny, leathery Lincoln?
Have something to sell? List it here on Barn Finds!

More: Lincoln
 
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