This 1965 Ford Mustang coupe (chassis 5R07C170XXX) is a factory c-code 289 2BBL and 3-speed manual transmission car that is being offered on behalf of the elderly original owner who bought it 49 years ago. The car has remained in Sacramento, California all its life, and we love the Wimbledon White and black interior combo, which is just how the early fastbacks were delivered to Shelby. Either staying stock or mildly modifying would result in a winner on this one. Find it here on eBay in Sacramento with bidding not far away from the $9k Buy-It-Now.

This car looks stock right down to the bumper guards and hubcaps. The only exterior detail we don’t love is the pin-striping, but it is possible that it could be removed without leaving too much shadow behind. After swapping a T5 5-speed into our early Mustang, we swore we’d never drive one any other way ever again, so that would top our list the day the car came home, especially since this is a 3-speed and not a 4-speed. We’d adapt the current shifter to make it a stealth install.

The seller mentions some repair damage to the rear of the car that is not readily apparent in the photo above, so we’d want to check it out in person or get better photos. Ideal would be an all original paint car, but that is not the case here.

The black interior looks a bit worn, but plenty good to drive home today. We love the low-spec 65-66 cars because they avoided the fake woodgrains and consoles and fussy pony interior. The reddish fade on the carpet is typical, so we’d add new carpet and replace the one seat cover and call the interior good.

The engine bay could use some cleaning but looks quite straight overall. The bulky enclosed air cleaner offers no advantages over the Shelby-spec 14″ chrome unit, so we’d swap one in immediately. Since our goal would be to drive the car, we’d also go with a dual master cylinder and GT-spec disk front brakes.

This looks like a wonderful example of a preserved California Mustang. It is refreshing to find one in this condition and these colors, and with a few weekends of easy wrench turning, this one could be adapted to a buyer’s tastes and be a good performer for not much more than the $9k ask.