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Buying checklist Ford Mustang 1. Generation
54 checkpoints for the viewing
1. Preparation and papers 0/6
Much becomes clear before you travel. If papers are missing without a good reason, that is already a price argument, or a reason to cancel.
Sheet metal is the dearest item on a classic. Take your time, bring a torch and a magnet, and be twice as wary of fresh underseal.
Rust in the usual places: wheel arches, sills, jacking points, window frames Inspect the underside. Fresh, thick underseal can hide rust Are the panel gaps even all round? Uneven gaps point to an accident or a poor repair Paint: colour differences, runs, masking edges, signs of a respray A paint-thickness gauge costs little and shows filler at once. Doors, bonnets and lids close cleanly, and the doors do not sag Chrome, trim and rubber seals: condition and completeness A replacement looks trivial, but on a rare model it is often expensive or unavailable. Are the drains clear? (scuttle, sunroof, boot, fuel filler) See the engine cold. A warmed engine hides starting trouble, rattles and smoke, so arrange the visit with the car cold.
4. Chassis, brakes and electrics 0/6
Unspectacular, but it matters for safety, and the MFK is unforgiving. Electrics are the most often underestimated cost on a classic.
Dampers, bushes and steering: play, knocks, worn joints Brake pipes and hoses: rust, porosity, age Tyres: check the DOT age (older than 8–10 years: replace), is the wear even? Wear on one side gives away geometry or accident damage. Tyres on a classic Try every electrical consumer: lights, indicators, wipers, instruments, heater and fan Look at the loom: bodges, flying fuses, added equipment Are the battery tray and earth points free of corrosion? The interior often gives away the true mileage better than the odometer, and damp in the footwell is a warning of hidden rust.
Seats: upholstery, bolsters, seams. Does the wear match the stated mileage? Dashboard: cracks (sun damage), and whether every instrument works Lift the carpets: damp or rust on the floorpan? A musty smell as you get in is a clear sign of water getting in. Headlining and, on a convertible, the hood: condition, mechanism, waterproofing Originality: wheel, radio, gear lever, pedal rubbers. Are changes documented and reversible? No purchase without a drive, even if the seller hesitates. Drive it yourself, at least 20 to 30 minutes, with a cold start.
7. Ford Mustang 1. Generation Model-specific 0/13
The critical points of the first-generation Mustang, in addition to the common inspection catalogue. A lift or a pit is essential: the unitary body rusts in load-bearing places that stay invisible while the car is standing, and the US reproduction-parts market makes cosmetics cheap, not structural work.
Check the shock towers in the engine bay: cracks, rust scars, distorted flanges, fresh weld seams or added reinforcement plates. Both sides, with a lamp The load-bearing Mustang job above all others. Cracked or rusted-through towers mean a frame jig and four-figure to five-figure metalwork. Test the cowl: pour water over the air intakes in front of the windscreen. If it drips into the footwell, the inner cowl box is rusted through The repair means opening the cowl or removing the dashboard support. It is involved and expensive, so it is often only disguised. Check the floor pans and torque boxes from underneath: freshly applied underseal, overlapping welded repair panels and rivets instead of weld seams are warning signs Check the rear wheel arches (inside and outside) and the mounts of the rear leaf springs: spring perches, the front spring-eye mounts and the area around the torque boxes rust structurally Torn-out spring mounts turn the purchase into a restoration project. On the Convertible as well: are the factory floor reinforcements present and intact? Check the door gaps and jack the car diagonally. Doors that bind give away a soft structure A Convertible without a sound floor twists visibly; putting it right costs several times a soft top. Check the front and rear panels for accident traces: irregular gaps at bonnets and wings, distorted front chassis rails, creases in the boot floor Start the V8 cold: oil pressure on the gauge, valvetrain clatter, blue smoke; bring the cooling system up to temperature. Tight cooling reserves are typical of the Mustang, oil sludge in the filler cap is not A tired 289/302 is cheap to rebuild, an overheated block with cracks is not. Ask for a compression test. Look at the carburettor set-up: original Autolite, or a replacement Holley/Edelbrock? Watch the warm-up, the transition and the idle; wild accessory combinations point to tinkering Warm up the C4 automatic: delayed engagement, hard thumps, slip, brownish burnt oil on the dipstick; on a manual Toploader, check for noise in 2nd and 3rd and for gears jumping out Assess steering and brakes: a lot of steering play is typical of the age, but adjustable; drums all round are original, front discs (an option from 1965, standard on the GT) a plus. Check that conversions are entered on the papers Match the VIN in every position (inner face of the left wing, door tag, papers) and test whether the date codes of the block, heads and ancillaries are plausible against the build date Many cars carry replacement engines. Not a fault, but a price factor. A car paid for as Matching Numbers has to be able to prove it. Verify GT, K-code or Mach 1 equipment: door-tag codes, a Marti Report or Ford documentation. Replicas (tributes) are common and have to be priced as such US reimports: look at the customs proof (form 13.20 A), the US title and the conversion documentation; check the mile odometer, lighting and seat belts against the MFK requirements Freshly imported auction stock with no Swiss inspection history should always be costed with a budget for the first MFK presentation. The most important step comes after the visit: judge it soberly instead of deciding in love.