Owners tend to store old cars in all sorts of places. Most of them are tucked away in barns and garages, but many classics are also being kept in backyards, buried in the bushes. Well, here’s a first-generation Mustang that’s been stored for decades under a house.
Okay, it probably sounds confusing, but I’m not talking about a car that’s been literally parked in a cellar. It’s more of an improvised garage in a semi-basement. But hey, the owner and his family have been living above the Mustang for all these years. The pony car was parked in there in 2001, so it hasn’t seen daylight in 20 years.
But thanks to the folks over at Budget Buildz, the 1966 Mustang finally took a breath of fresh air, all while getting to show off its light blue exterior. And surprisingly enough, given the damp conditions in the garage, the paint is still in fantastic condition. Sure, there’s a bit of rust on surfaces that haven’t been treated, but there are no holes or serious issues.
And the car’s interior looks even better. Sporting a brighter, somewhat metallic shade of blue, the cabin seems to be in excellent condition. It’s quite spectacular to see a 55-year-old car without cranks in the dashboard and wear and tear on the seats.
But the Mustang does have a few issues. Like any vehicle that’s been sitting for decades, both the engine and the wheels are stuck. And while they managed to fix the latter with a hammer, the engine needs a lot more maintenance to come back to life. But the guys haul the pony at the shop and eventually manage to fire it up.
The Mustang still features its original, numbers-matching mill, but if you’re a fan of V8 classics, you’ll probably be disappointed to see a six-cylinder under the hood. Since it’s a 1966 model, it features the 200-cubic-inch (3.3-liter) Thriftpower slant-six. Fitted with a one-barrel carburetor, the engine was good for 120 horsepower and 190 pound-feet (258 Nm) of torque back in the day.
Granted, six-cylinder first-gen Mustangs aren’t as valuable as their V8-powered siblings, but it’s still great to see a 1966 model come out of storage in such great condition. Can’t wait to see it take its first drive after 20 years.
