wanting to buy 1968 Mustang - help

[agillies84]

Hi everyone,

I live in Adelaide, and im looking at buying a 1968 Mustang coupe.
it will be my first classic car, and although im not very mechanically minded, its something i want to learn.

just wondering what are some things to look for when buying a Mustang?
The seller has said that there are no rust issues. What are the most common rust spots?

Also, its LHD, so would it need to be club registered? the seller said it didnt need to be club registered, so just want to make sure. (The seller is in South Aus as well).
everything ive read just seems to be about club rego.

If it can be registered for more than 90 outings, like proper rego, i presume it would still need to pass the historic car rego tests?

Cheers

Adam

[GLENN 70]

Hi and welcome ,as far as i know if it is LHD in SA it has to be very very original .Do your home work before you buy .Try and buy a rust free car ,and check the floors etc etc .Disc brakes are a good start and check the vin number and the door tag and decode them to see what the car is all about .You will get heaps of help from the forum members on here .cheers Glenn .

[mwizz]

Have a chat with Jeremy at Image Classic Cars in Pooraka. He can give you some advice and if you need work done they are great to deal with. He may even know of one for sale. Link below:

http://www.imageclassiccars.com.au

[rocket]

Adam, Welcome to the Forum.

Very important to put the car up on a hoist to check for rust issues underneath. Go over the undercarriage thoroughly looking for rust which is generally found in the floor pan near the firewall. Also check rear floor pans, bottoms of rear quarter panels. If there are thick coatings under the car be doubly careful because a thick coating could be hiding rust.

With the car on the ground and bonnet up, check the inner aprons in the engine bay, particularly around the battery tray. Check the bottoms of the doors then lift the boot and check the trunk drop offs on both sides.

If it all checks out ok next you need a trusted mechanic to check over engine, transmission and diff and take the car for a test drive.

Remember these are old cars so do not expect perfection. You will probably find a few things that require attention.

If the car is not already registered in SA then it will need to be inspected at Regency. They are very tough on these cars. Everything must be factory standard and in excellent condition.
Their favourite saying is "Did it leave the factory like this ? "

Once the car passes inspection you have the choice of full registration whereby you can drive it whenever and wherever you want, or club registration with all of the restrictions.

As mwizz wrote above, feel free to ring Jeremy for more specific advice.

Why not post some more info about the car you are looking at.

Rocket. 

[agillies84]

thanks for all the responses!

I only basic information about the car and just some pics on facebook.
I'll request some more info form the seller.

I was gonna take my old man to have a look at it, as in the pics it looks awesome, but might not be so good in person.

Rocket - from the pics it looks like it rides a bit high on the suspension, i'll try and post some pics when i can download them.
Also and I can see some 6 x 9" speakers in the rear parcel shelf. And the rims might not be standard. They don't look big at all, and suit the car well.
Would the above be too much to not get rego?
Also Rocket, if i could get the car for a while, how much would an inspection from you cost? similar to what the RAA do.
I wouldn't want to get the car if it had big issues, but also wouldn't want to miss out on it if the issues are easily fixed.

Cheers

Adam

[R_Beckhaus]

68 mustangs sit higher than some. Cruel people call them 4wd Mustangs because of it. Mine below is standard ride height. Sloping driveway is a bit confusing, but you will get the general idea.
Cheers, Ron B

[boss69hogg]

Adam, welcome to the forum. Be very careful when purchasing a classic. A lot of people hide rust etc and dump them on unsuspecting folk. In SA you have blokes like Rocket, Jeremy, Mark ( mwizz) and 66 hertz who I would say are experts on Mustangs. Heed their advice wisely.

Personally I can recommend Jeremy from image as mwizz has already indicated. He built my car as well as others on this forum. There will always be minor issues with old cars.

Good luck and make sure you post pics when you get one.

[agillies84]

Thanks for all the great info.

Hopefully the pictures are ok.
it looks like some of the pics are taken from the US.

[R_Beckhaus]

The rear spring shackles are too long. Easy fix as standard ones are readily available. That is why it looks too high at the back. Front looks standard. Mustangs,as standard, look lower at the back than at the front. Car looks nice from pics. Judging from the chrome strip at the base of the C pillar (rear pillar). it originally had a vinyl roof, most people leave the trims on instead of filling the holes as the trim looks good and eans a vinyl roof can be re fitted if you so choose.. As it appears unregistered in the pics, you'll need to make sure you get all the importation documents with the car as you'll need them for rego. Others on the forum can tell you what these are.
Cheers, Ron B

[agillies84]

With the spring shackles being too long, is that something that Regency would not pass?
Same with the non-vinyl roof? Would it need to be back to vinyl to get registered?

Are they that tough to get through Regency?

Yeah the import documentation will come with the car.

Will just have to make sure I have all the forms, I suppose Services SA could help me with what documents I need.

Oh i also forgot, would i be able to put a front facing child seat in the back?

Cheers

Adam

[GEOFF289]

As a vinyl roof car be very careful about rust in the  pillars and roof. They are notorious for this as the roofs weren't painted if it was getting a vinyl roof further down the production line. The vinyl just went over bare metal.

[rocket]

Adam, Ask yourself this question - Did it come out of the Ford factory like that?

The wheels are non standard, the speakers in the back are non standard and the spring shackles are non standard. So no - it will not go through Regency like that. I have no idea about the baby seat.

The car looks pretty nice, especially the engine bay. But there are concerns about that chrome moulding on the rear pillar. As Ron Beckhaus wrote, that moulding is used on a vinyl roof car, therefore careful inspection is required to check for hidden rust issues all around the roof area. A good inspection by an experienced person is a must.

You are in luck! Our very own Kim T ( boss351 ) on this Forum makes his living inspecting cars for VIP Inspections. Kim is an absolute Mustang Guru. There is nothing he does not know about these cars. He will go onsite to do an inspection for you.

Or we could do it if you can get the car here to Image Classic Cars at Pooraka. Your choice.

Ring Jeremy either way on 0412075064. He can give you Kims mobile no. or talk about us doing it for you. Cost would be about $250 and take about 3 hours for a thorough inspection.

Rocket. 

[Rapid428]

Welcome:

If it’s going to stay left hand drive in SA it will need to be stock in every way!

The Left Hand Drive Vehicles Fact Sheet ( MR629) is the first thing you need to read

 http://www.sa.gov.au/search?query=MR629&collection=sa-gov-web

[agillies84]

Thanks for all of your advice so far.

Hmmm, sucks to be South Australian it appears. haha.

I contacted the seller, and asked if he would get it through regency before I purchased it, and he said he didn't have time, and didn't respond to the question about the vinyl roof.

Might start googling to see how, if and $$$ of putting vinyl back on.

Also, once rego has been approved, whats stopping people of removing the vinyl, or adding a car stereo etc.
not that I would, if / when i get one eventually I would like to get the 90 outings rego eventually.

Thanks
 

[GLENN 70]

Vinyl roofs are cheap to have fitted ,but really ,are they going to pick on that ,I would leave the state .   It also looks like a real fresh pint job so beware .No power brakes either and would be drums on front .

[agillies84]

Haha, yeah it seems us South Aussies have it a bit tougher than everyone else.

I'm not sure if they would pick on it, but the advice was to ask if "it came out of the factory like that".
I have had some mates put cars through Regency, and they where tough on them, so I think it would be safe to say they would be tough on a Mustang with no Vinyl roof, new speakers and different rims.

yeah a few people I have shown have said to be careful with a new paint job. The seller said it was done in the states a few years ago.

How can you tell about the power brakes? because of the wheels it has?

A lot of cars of this age would have drum brakes wouldn't they?

[rocket]

Adam, These cars were available with or without a vinyl roof. Therefore it should not be an issue.

If you go for club registration then the car must be inspected annually by the club. Any modifications would make it not eligible for club rego. However if it is on full rego it is not inspected annually which means you could possibly get away with a few minor mods ... as long as a knowledgeable Mr Plod does not pull you over. Then you would be in strife!!

What is the asking price of the car you are looking at ?

Rocket.

[agillies84]

oh ok, so roughly it doesn't have to be how THAT car exactly came out but how the factory could make them?

I would eventually get club rego, so it would have to be stock. I've read the car owner and the club can get in trouble if you try and scam it.

he's looking to swap for an MY06 WRX I have. (Don't roll your eyes at the WRX, Lol, I'm not a stereotypical WRX owner)
I'm just looking to get a comfortable car to get me to work and back, and have a Mustang as a weekend fun car.

[GLENN 70]

It doesnt look too bad .It still has air cond and the air cond radiator .The engine bay looks good also ,but i can not see a power booster ,so maybe no disc brakes .Its also a late 68 so maybe a J code 302 .The wheels and rear shackles will be a problem .

[rocket]

Just now had a look at the Ad for the car. At the asking price it is a bargain IF it is in good nick and without rust issues.

There are some warning signs in the Ad so tread carefully. Why is it advertised as a 67? If I bought and imported a car I would sure as heck know what year model it is. First thing to check is the VIN No. A 67 would start with 7 and a 68 would start with 8.

Also the photos are a bit worrying. Could just be that the seller is not good at photography. Very few photos. None whatsoever of the interior. All taken from a long way back.

Hmmmm...... Not sure about this car.

Rocket.

[agillies84]

The photos he sent me on facebook look good. There's also some interior ones in there, and for a 40+ year old car look good too.

I was suspicious about the years as well. I'm not sure why you wouldn't know what year it is. Is one more sought after than the other?
I'll see if he can take a picture of the VIN.

i was going to look at it soon, before i asked a pro to look at it.

So getting stock wheels are a problem? Shackles seem to be pretty easy to get.

[boss69hogg]

Adam, do yourself a favour, spend the $250 to get it inspected. I bought a Mustang from the States and had it inspected there by a not so independent person who gave it the big tick. Hot here and it was a dogs breakfast. Panels held on with glue, parts missing, lights in but no wiring, front guards not connected to the frame, and heaps more. The pic below shows it. - the red convertible. Looked great in pics, but cost nearly $20k on top of the purchase to rectify issues.

unless you are an expert, you don't know what you are looking at.

[agillies84]

Thanks Boss68Hogg,

I'll call Jeremy tomorrow i think to try and organise an inspection.

thanks a lot for the advice everyone. Been very helpful.

[rocket]

The photos he sent me on facebook look good. There's also some interior ones in there, and for a 40+ year old car look good too.

I was suspicious about the years as well. I'm not sure why you wouldn't know what year it is. Is one more sought after than the other?
I'll see if he can take a picture of the VIN.

i was going to look at it soon, before i asked a pro to look at it.

So getting stock wheels are a problem? Shackles seem to be pretty easy to get.

Oh well, glad you have some nicer photos of the car. That is good to know.

A 68 has the Vin set into the dash pad on the passenger side whereas a 67 has the Vin on top of the inner guard apron on the drivers side

New parts are available for most items on these cars. Just remove the rear speakers and fit a new parcel shelf. Same with the spring shackles - just buy new.

Wheel rims are same as early Fords, paying attention to hub size and are readily available. You have the choice of three types of rims. Bog standard as seen here on my 68 coupe with full hub caps -



or Styled Steel wheels -



or chrome 12 slotters. Do a Google search for Styled Steel Wheels 68 Mustang Images. You will see both types.

David is spot on. Go and have a look at the car first and if it still excites you get a professional to inspect it.

Rocket.

 

 

[boss69hogg]

Steel chrome spotters. Correct ones are steel rims, riveted, with chrome 12 slots, chrome dress ring and chrome centre cap. Wheel will be date stamped '8MA' or similar. 8 is the year (1968, 1969 wheels have a 9), M is simply for Motor wheels and the last letter represents the month a-January, B - February and so forth. 8MA would therefore translate to a January 1968 built wheel. Here are mine as a guide.

Whilst googling look up "1968 mustang data" and you will find a PDF of a book put out on the models release by ford media. Good luck!