Just wanted to share my ongoing internal debate with whether to keep or sell my 65 mustang with my fellow sigforum members and solicit some thoughts.

Some background: I bought the car for $500 almost 30 years ago. It was a blast to have while I was in high school and was in beautiful shape because all my time and money went into it. Then I got into college, which is where all my time and money went, so the car slowly went downhill (and on one occasion went quite quickly downhill after the brakes went out, but that’s another story). After college, I bought a more reliable car to get me to and from work, but held onto the mustang. The mustang moved from place to place with me as we moved (much to my wife’s dismay) and I’ve slowly worked on it throughout the years as I have had time and money. I have it in the shop right now getting the air conditioner fixed, which made me wonder how much money I’ve spent on the car throughout the years. I added all the receipts that I had in the file and it was quite eye opening to see how much money I had spent on the car throughout the years (I could have bought a lot of guns! ), so it just got me wondering if I should sell it or keep it. I very rarely drive it, but it is a lot of fun to drive and I get comments EVERY time I drive it. Particularly when I mention to folks that it was my first car, they always say “I wish I still had my first car” followed up with a statement that I should never sell it.

So here’s the thing, I don’t have the same passion or time as I did when I was younger to work on the car….not that I need to really do any work on it, it’s in excellent shape overall, but there is always something that I can do if I want to. Financially, I don’t need to sell it and insurance is dirt cheap…sure the money would be nice (don’t even know what they are going for right now honestly). I don’t have some huge emotional attachment to it (no, I didn’t get lucky in it or anything like that), it’s just a car to me. It currently sits in my garage and I just need to move it out every so often to get luggage down or give myself more room to work on bikes/cars or something like that.

For the car guys out there, here’s the specs I’m sure they are wondering about: hardtop coupe, 302 engine (it’s a 68 engine, so not original), automatic, AC, power steering, disc brakes, American Racing Torq Thrust wheels. Currently it is in excellent shape mechanically, the interior has been completely redone, and just needs a paint job.

Again, just curious what the fellow sigforum members think on the keep or sell predicament. Anyone else still have their first car…..or wish they still had their first car?

"I very rarely drive it, but it is a lot of fun to drive and I get comments EVERY time I drive it. Particularly when I mention to folks that it was my first car, they always say “I wish I still had my first car” followed up with a statement that I should never sell it."

So if you sold it, and then ran into another guy who was driving his first car, would you think the same thing? ("I wish I still had my first car.")

If not, sell the thing. After all, it's only a thing.

But if you would have that reaction, keep it forever.

Doesn't sound like you are too emotionally tied to it. So I say sell it. Make some room in the garage. Spend the money you get for it on some hobby you are passionate about.

First of all, where the hell are the pics?

I'd keep it.

I'd keep it. I don't know what your family situation is, but if you have kids, I'd think one of them would love to inherit dad's first car.

I think you will regret selling it.

I regret every motorcycle I ever sold but it wasnt practical to keep them all. Financially or storage wise.

You will regret selling your first car. Especially one like a ‘65 Mustang. Keep it.

I'm watching the series "Rust Bros." on Netflix and see the magic that can be done to old cars. There are lots of shows like this that take an older rig and cherry it out.

My guess is that, if you had it professionally completed, you'd have a different set of choices. Maybe sell it - but for a bigger pile of money - or keep it and really rake in the comments.

Just a thought.
Mike

Wish I had kept several of the cool old cars I owned, including a 6 cylinder, three speed manual Mustang my grandpa was kind enough to give me. I don’t miss ANY of the cars I bought new. I still, on occasion, dream about my first car, that I left it in a parking garage and I can’t find it.

My wife said my old cars were “jalopies” and they made too many “fumes”. She don’t know nothin about machinery.

I vote to keep your Mustang.

I am the worst person to ask this question of. My first car was my 67 GTO that I bought in 1987 and did a full frame off restoration to it with my father. It runs and drives great, but could use paint. Due to other commitments I rarely drive it. Maybe 200 miles per year. I hope to drive it more this summer.

I also have a 1967 Old 4-4-2 convertible that I bought in 1993. It was my daily driver during college and my first few years out of college. I stopped driving it in 2001. It's in need of a full restoration. It has some rust issues, but I picked up a rust free full convertible body for it (no frame or anything, just the body from the firewall back).

Then there's the 69 GTO 4 speed hardtop I bought in 2003 or so. I bought it for a song from some dude who had just gotten out of prison and needed the money. He had it in an indoor storage unit, probably had his mom footing the bill or something. I did a bunch of work to it, but haven't worked on it in several years. It needs paint and an interior.

I think I have a problem selling cars I buy.

I am in a very similar boat except I have my first 2 cars and have driven neither of them in close to 15 years.


I will never sell them. I was hoping to have the Mustang up and running this year but the whole Covid business and my wife loosing her job Friday will likely knock that idea down.

They cost me $4 a month in insurance. I have almost all the parts for the Mustang to be rolling again and even a built turbo motor for the swap.
So we’ll get there eventually.

I wouldn’t want my first car - a ‘69 El Camino, but I wouldn’t mind a nice ‘72. What I really wish I had was the ‘78 280Z that I had for a while in college. That thing was a rocket sled!

If I were facing your dilemma with the Mustang, I’d find out what it was worth and consider what it was costing me in terms of time, space, domestic tranquility, etc. If I weren’t going to get a large pile of cash for it, the bigger question for me would “Is it in the way of my life?” If the answer to both those questions was no, I’d probably keep it.

Hell, I'll give you $550.00 for it, you can make $50.00

Personally I'd keep it but I'm a car guy.

Here's what says the most to me in your post.

quote:

I don’t have the same passion or time as I did when I was younger to work on the car

If that's the case, I'd say sell it and let some who does have the passion and time show it some love.

I had a 1970 Chevelle I rebuilt in high school and my early college years. I sold it a few years out of college. I wish I still had it. At the time, finances force me to. I'm not sure I'll ever get one again - prices are skyrocketing.

If you can afford not to sell it, keep it.

45_Auto: Thanks, but not looking for offers....yet.

Pessimist: Funny, I've never needed to take picture....I simply just walked out to the garage to look at it. The only time I took a picture was of a specific part I needed so I knew exactly what I needed when I got to the parts store. I would take a picture and share, but the car is at the shop getting the AC work done.

Still wish I had my first car, kept it for several years and was pushed to sell it after my parents no longer wanted it at their home, big mistake, should have kept it, looked for it for a while but never found it... Probably in some junkyard in KY rotting....

Same for a specific motorcycle, one I built, however not everyone has that passion, I'd guess you've had these thoughts for a while and just sitting on the fence as to which way to go?

At least you have it, just be sure you have pictures to show your grand kids how cool you were from your rocker LOL

I'd keep it if its not taking up anything but unused space.

Those old Mustangs can bring a surprising amount of money from hot-rodders/enthusiasts. Sounds like you have a pretty good base, so when this "isolation situation" cools down, you should be able to get some pretty good offers, maybe 5 figures. Just don't expect to buy one back later for less. ;-)

Other side of the coin, I occasionally let the thought of finding my first car, my 1970 Mustang, consume my thoughts. Let's see, I don't have the VIN, can I get it from my parent's insurance company that had the policy when we bought it? Then some DMV magic, bang, sure, it will be easy. Except its not.

Mine was a Grabber orange 1970 with a 351W, FMX auto tranny and A nine inch rear with 3.50 gears. It was also a factory air car. That was painfully obvious to me when I needed to replace the windshield for an inspection, and due to the factory air, it front windshield was tinted at the top. Anyway, got rid of it when I started dating the girl I married, since she lived about 30 miles away......bought an Audi 5000 Turbo, which I loved, but it was never the same. She's long gone, had to sell the 944 I had at that time to pay the lawyer, lol. Oh well, none of this is relevant, except I still miss the Mustang, and sitting in the high backed buckets, the smell of high-test and having a posi rear meant two strips of rubber.

I would probably not keep it, since you don't seem to drive it much.

But if the times you drive it are enough for you . . .