BEAUTIFUL & FRESHLY RESTORED, 302 V8, MANUAL TRANS, RARE FRONT BENCH OPTION-COOL

The smartest thing you can do when buying a fun hobby car is to buy someone else's finished project. This 1968 Ford Mustang coupe is a great example of a passionate owner doing all the right things, yet still offering the car for a fraction of the investment require to restore it. Better yet, it's a very rare code 65C model, which is the 2-door hardtop with a bench seat, plus it offers great Mustang looks and comfort with V8 performance and a reasonable price tag.That handsome burgundy paint isn't this car's original color (that would be code Y Sunlit Gold), but we think the change makes this car especially appealing. The car hails from the warm, dry south and there's exactly zero evidence that this car was ever wrecked or rusty. The finish is absolutely spectacular, all out of proportion to its sticker price, and there's very little evidence that it's been driven since it was finished. The coupe is a bit more formal than the fastback or convertible, and the maroon paint helps in that regard, and we love the way the chrome just pops against the dark finish. Nice chrome bumpers are almost too bright to risk a parking lot ding, and the rest of the trim has been buffed up to really sparkle, particularly the bezels around the three-element taillights, which really make this car easy to spot. And before anyone dismisses this as just a pretty coupe with no guts, take note of the four polished exhaust tips poking out from under the rear valence. Too cool!The black interior also received a thorough makeover, starting with the unusual front bench seat. Very few Mustangs were sold this way, and probably only a handful with manual transmissions, so that alone will get this car its share of double-takes at shows. The bench itself does a pretty good impersonation of a pair of buckets with an armrest between them, and the seat covers are quite accurate, making it look like new. Fresh carpets and door panel inserts help make it look showroom clean inside and the big luxury-oriented steering wheel is a great statement in a coupe. The gauges are bright and crisply rendered, with clear lenses that really make a big difference when you first slide behind the wheel. There's lots of sound-deadening material used throughout, so the updated digital AM/FM stereo sounds pretty darned good. The trunk was likewise fully restored, offering a correct plaid mat that fits well, and it's only a spare tire away from being ready to show.Originally equipped with a C-code 289 cubic inch V8, the current 302 inch mill offers plenty of power for the relatively lightweight coupe and nobody's going to spot the difference if you discreetly removed the '302' decal and replaced it with a '289'. Nicely finished in Ford Blue with correct stamped steel valve covers and factory air cleaner, it doesn't break any new ground but the sound of the free-flowing exhaust system is plenty entertaining. The rebuilt engine has only a few miles on it, so it's just broken-in and it runs beautifully with a smooth V8 idle and that awesome low-end torque for which the 302 is rightfully famous. The 3-speed manual transmission offers light clutch action and snappy shifts, and it feeds a rebuilt 8-inch rear end with highway-friendly 2.79 gears inside, making this a fantastic long-range cruiser. You can see how sparkling clean the undercarriage is, making the price all the more shocking because there's a ton of money invested here. The right finishing touch are the handsome styled steel wheels and 205/70/15 whitewall radials for a low-key look.This is a very affordable Mustang with a few neat options and a spectacular restoration. It's handsome, comfortable, and more fun to drive than any old car has a right to be. Call today!