Classic Mustangs

I am looking at buying a first gen mustang as a hobby car. I am looking for something fun to own and drive, not a showcar. Really not intersted in a restoration project, or a collectable. I am thinking about late '60's but really not too sure about engine size (must be a V8). Can anyone offer any advice.

Thanks for the help.

What kind of advice are you looking for? Personally I like 65-66 coupes and fastbacks. Never have cared for verts.

Year is not really an issue, like I said I just want to have a good time with it, but I am thinking 66, 67, 68 coupe or convertable (more fun in the sun). I was also wondering what advantages dissadvantage between the 289 and the 302. What about the 351 and larger? How easy is it to find parts, or help should I need it? Is it worth it to get a larger engine, or will a 289 have all the power I could want? Where is a good place to shop?

I am just getting in to this for fun, and I don't have my heart set on anything in particular. If anyone has experience I would appreciate the time.

Happy driving!

I think a 289 will be plenty if what you have doesn't have much power. We have a 67 coupe that had a 289 and it was alot of fun. 302 would be pretty fun especially with fuel injection. Our 67 now has a 351W in it and it's just a mild engine and it's alot faster than it was with the 289 and it still gets reasonable gas mileage (16-18 intown and 18-22on the highway). 351W wont fit in a 66 as easy as a 67-68 i'm almost positive. Either way you go it should be alot of fun.

William

^your right about fitting the 351 into a mustang before it was designed to actually have one. I think 68 was the first year of the 351.

1968 was also the first year for Ford's 302. True 65/66 cars where not made for 351's so they are a tight fit. But I'm putting a 351w in my 66 coupe. The main problem with a 351 going into early mustangs is the exhaust. If you have manual steering and manual brakes you wont have as hard of a time with it. But make sure you have I think its 44" between strut tower braces for the swap. Thats the deminsion the car came with from the factory but over the years sometimes the strut tower braces tend to lean inward.
Yes a 289 can have all the power you want. I knew a guy with a 289/302 combo in a pinto running 9's in the quarter. But he was turning some serious R's. These cars are alot of fun but I would suggest a 289 if its something you think you will want to work on. A 351 can be hard to get to in places in these cars. I beleive that the 351c is almost an impossible swap. I'm pretty sure you have to modify the strut towers for that one.

289/302 sounds like a good idea. Easy to work on and parts are not hard to come by from what I have heard.

What about transmition? Manual or Auto? Is it easier to work on one rather than the other?

Ive got a 1970 ford torino convertible w/ a 351 cleveland

Yes but its a 1970. Mid-early 60's didnt have the engine compartment for the deckheight of these motors.
Also as far as 289 vs 302...a 302 would be a much easier find. They are nearly a dime a dozen. Just find one out of a old van or truck or something at a junkyard for cheap. I have seen 302s going for around $200 lately, and they where running motors. If I where you I would get a 302 and have the stock heads, rods, and crank machined, and get some hyper flattop pistons. Then get a nice small cam for idle off power with a low rise single plane intake and a 600cfm carb. Probably push around 250 rwhp and be a fun car thans easy to drive.
As far as your transmission goes I would suggest a C-4 with a shift kit and stock stall.

So a '68ish, 302, manual. Sounds good.

So what sould I expect to pay for something like this? I understand that cost depends of the condition of the car, but how much for one with most of the work allready done on it?

Does anyone have any experience making a purchase like this on ebay?

Also I was wondering about things like 3 point belts, Disk brake installs, AC instal, radio upgrades. Any advice on that...

I have a 351c in my '69, no problems with fitment. Heres a quote on fitting a cleveland into a '65:
"Fit is no problem 2V or 4V both are tight, but.....
I'm just finishing my swap, and the header fit is the easy part with the www.fordpowertrain.com headers.... I figure another 10-20 hours and I'm done, but it fits just fine (tight)."
And believe me, 351c's are the best smallblock motor... Just look at the Engine Master's Challenge, in 2002 Dave Storlien almost upset all the Chevy boys with a 351c, coming in second(even though he had the highest peak HP rating, around 605hp). Just a few days ago Jon Kaase won Engine Master's with a 351c(stroked to 410"). It made 799hp on pump gas, redline at 6500rpm.