'68 Mustang for a Starter Car?

Question

I will be getting my license in about 6 months and I really would like a classic car. Mainly the '68 Mustang. I'm a girl and I know nothing about cars, but I would love to learn. My dad doesn't want me to get it because he says it will always be breaking down if I use it for everyday use. Is that true??? What are you opinions???

The one I'm looking at still has the original 289 V-8 engine but has new parts.

Answer 1

It really does depend on how well it was taken care of, how the engine is, the body, and all that stuff. If I were you I would have a qualified mechanic from a third party check it out really well and tell you what he thinks. You may buy it and end up spending a fortune on just keeping it running, and that's never a good thing.

Answer 2

A 1968 Mustang with a 289 V-8 and automatic transmission is not a bad combination.
The car itself is mechanically fine, if it has been upkept over the years.
The convertible bodies had more of a tendancy to rust, especially by the firewall, floor boards and around the rear wheel wells.
However, on the plus side you can get virtually any part for this car new or reproduction. This engine was used by Ford Motor Company through 1995. It became the 302 or 5.0 litre. A very very good engine.
If you really want to learn and respect mechanics of automobiles, this is the perfect car to learn on. The mechanics are easy to learn on and if you are eager to learn, you won't be disappointed.
The car really should be checked out first from front to rear and all maintenance records viewed.
The 289 two barrell carbureted engine may get you as high as 20 miles to the gallon on the highway if your not a lead foot.
Just respect others on the road as well as yourself and you'll do fine driving.
Happy motoring!

Answer 3

I live in the UK and Mustangs are like rocking horse droppings here, you'd look as cool as anything driving a 68 Mustang at your age, or any age for that matter. I suppose in the states they are very common, but to me it is great to hear that a young person wants to drive such an icon of a car instead of something modern.

Having said that it could turn out to be a nightmare for you if its not been maintained correctly or you dont have access to someone who knows about carbutetors, points, distributors etc. Good way to learn but terrible way to miss out on all the things you've planned because you have to fix your car again.

There are lots of these cars for sale that have a respray and a new set of wheels and look great at the side of the road but are nothing but trouble. Make sure you take someone who
knows about Mustangs before you spend any money.

Good luck from a 48 year old 1968 Mustang convertible owner.

Answer 4

if you know nothing about cars, a FOURTY year old car is a VERY bad place to start.

Classic mustangs do look cool, but theyre very bad at everything else, especially by todays standards. They drive poorly, they were unreliable back then (just think 40 years later!), will constantly need work, rust will be an issue, horribly unsafe (especially in the hands of an inexperianced driver), handle terribly, are slow, drink gas, etc etc.

they werent the best of cars 40 years ago. today, theyre kinda a nightmare if youre not a huge car fan and such.

the few things they do have going for them is that theyre simple and cheap to fix (because theyre so common).

get a beater for your first car because thats what it will end up either way. Youll most likely wreck it (statistically speaking), and hit things in parking lots and stuff. Save the cash for later when you actually learn to properly drive. Get an old volvo 240 or something. Indestructable, safe, and slow. thats what first cars should be. And ugly/awesome/boxy.

Answer 5

Don't fall for the CW evening soaps like One Tree Hill. I watched a couple of episodes and I saw two characters driving classics, one of them an early Mustang. Nice and shiny with no problems, I say baloney.

If your in a state that gets snow then don't get this for a daily driver. The snow and salt will destroy the car. My mom had a 68 Mustang with the V6 motor and I can tell you those cars back then weren't protected for such things. I would hate to see a classic ruined, especially if the person your purchasing it from spent his/her hard earned $$$ to do some work on it and possibly restore it.

Not to mention how unreliable carburetors were in the winter, and sometimes the summer. Really fuel injection is the way to go. Anything from the 90's should be fine.

If your not in a snow state good. But I don't think any of those cars had power steering. I've never driven a car that didn't have power steering, but I can tell you I remember my mom really putting a lot of effort into turning the wheel. With power steering you can really turn the wheel with one finger.

Also, those old V8's were no where near as fuel efficient as a modern day Mustang and if it's rebuilt then who knows how realiable it will be.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to own a Mustang from that era, but they take a lot of money to keep in tip-top condition. I remember the old 68 we use to have and how it would stall out sometimes....and this was 20 years ago when the car itself was 20 years old. The 68 Mustang was no where near as reliable as today's cars.

Good Luck! I know we would all love to own one, but don't have a spot to take care of one.

Answer 6

my first car was a '67 Mustang with the original 289 in it and I drove the hell out of it for 2 years before I got rid of it. The car was a piece of junk and it lasted 2 years so if yours is nice you should be ok. Since then I've never owned any other car beseides a Mustang and have 2 now with 1 more on the way soon.

Answer 7

Could lead to problems for a first time driver with no mechanical skills. Your other option is to buy a classic car that has been restored and has a more modern, new or low mileage engine. Many people buy old cars and replace the engine with a new/newer modern engine. An older car with an original engine that is a daily driver will face problems.

Answer 8

I disagree with the statement about reliability. Just because a car is old, doesn't necessarily mean it will be unreliable - however, that's highly dependent on what kind of condition it's in, and how well maintained the car was by the previous owners. If it was well cared for, it might start and run every time you turn the key, and give you reliable service for years. If it was neglected, it may leave you stranded repeatedly.

My first car was a classic - it was only 17 years old when I got it in 1990, and had about 70,000 miles on it. I put another 35,000 miles on it in three years, and in that time, it never broke down. Aside from oil changes and tune-ups, the only repairs needed were a couple of worn out suspension bushings and a wheel bearing.

That being said, it did have problems compared to my freinds' newer cars. It burned a lot of oil - about a quart every 200 miles, and needed to have 3 of the 8 sparkplugs changed every week because of oil fouling. It also had issues with rust, and leaked water on the back seat every time it rained. It was difficult to find parts to repair it after I crashed it into a fence on a rain slicked road - junkyards don't keep a lot of older cars on hand, and dealerships don't usually stock parts for cars much more than 10 years old, unless they happen to be used on a current model. The car became very unreliable in the summer of 1993, and needed to be towed home about 10 times in the space of three months. Eventually got it sorted out, but it was a frustrating and expensive summer.

A 40-year old Mustang will probably be a little different ownership experience today. Parts to keep it running should be available from a number of specialist suppliers catering to the antique car crowd, although you might have to pay more for them. Mechanically and electrically, it's dirt simple, so it will be easy to do work on the car yourself if you want to learn how. Any local mechanic or dealership should also be able to service it, but it's getting harder to find people who know how to tune up older cars.

It won't handle or stop like a newer car - my early 70's car held its own against the 80's vintage stuff my friends had, but cars have gotten a lot better in the last 20 years. You'd need to be more careful when driving it in traffic, or in bad weather to avoid an accident - no traction control or anti-lock brakes to bail you out of trouble if you get in over your head. If you do get into an accident, you have a higher chance of getting hurt - the Mustang won't have any of the safety appliances that most people take for granted in newer cars. It may not get as heavily damaged in an accident as a new car, but all of the forces it didn't absorb by crumpling will get passed on to the occupants. And it'll probably get really lousy gas mileage - not much higher than 17 or 18 miles per gallon, if you're lucky.

You'll want to look into what the insurance costs would be for someone your age. Since it'll be your daily driver, you won't qualify for classic car insurance. Insuring it through a big insurance company might be expensive, and they won't give you good coverage. If the car gets damaged at all, they'd probably try to total it immediately - they definitely won't pay you what it would take to fix it properly, so you'll be paying out of pocket for any kind of repairs if you want to keep it.

On the other hand, you'll definitely have a cool car, and one your high school friends will remember forever. I still have my old classic, and my classmates still get a big charge out of that fact at high school reunions.

Answer 9

Probably not the best choice for you. Cars in the 60's had different ignition, and fuel systems. They did require maintenance. You should be looking for the dependability of a newer car with computer systems controlling everything. You won't need to worry about the points, or the plugs, or the carburetor causing you not to start.

I agree it would be a fun car to have. It would be good for a second car to play with and drive on weekends, but in your case, best hold off on this one. Maybe in a few years instead. good luck.

Answer 10

Your HP incredibly relies upon on the top, is a huge chamber and did they mill it? and what's the ensuing compression ratio, that's what determines the HP, a inventory two hundred with 9+ cr is one hundred twenty HP, if yours is a similar, the header and carb are worth 15 or 20 HP. so i could say one hundred thirty-a hundred and forty HP variety... besides a relaxing challenge.. upload a robust cam and lifters with a CR of 10:a million and your staring at a hundred and eighty to 2 hundred HP.... Now, for the severe stuff, be very careful paying for on craigslist, there are various scammers on there that are advertising vehicles they do no longer even have... so basically purchase interior of reach and in no way deliver money to a corporation.. do all business corporation in person...