Bought a new Mustang

Remember me? I'm the guy who a few years ago posted long messages on this forum discussing the peak oil theory and telling everyone our very civilization was at risk due to our dependence on fossil fuels. At the time, I was driving a Prius.
 
Not sure what happened, but I guess my love of great cars overcame my desire to save the planet. After getting 50 MPG for 5 years in the Prius, I let my basest desires get the best of me and slapped down $35,000 for a 2011 Ford Mustang - with a V8, 412 HP engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. I've had it a month and am loving it, but at 16 MPG so far, I'm definitely wearing out my credentials as an environmentalist.
 
My wife thinks the whole thing is a mid-life crisis (I turn 40 next spring). She may be right.

Danimal-----great buy----it is a beautiful car. 
 
I was in the Energy Management Business in my former life----it is very frustrating.   You bust your butt for what you know is for the good of all concerned and no one gives a damn. 
 
 

Actually, your actual mid-life crisis is down the road a bit yet ... something tells me THAT will be a doozy.

Congratulations on your good taste. At 16 mpg it's still worth it.
 
Back in August, 1965 I bought my about-to-be-bride a brand new (I had to order it) 1966 Mustang convertible, candy apple red, with black leather upholstery, a black top, and a 289 hp V8. I paid cash -- $2800.00.
 
I guess prices have gone up a little since then.

wheregreggeats.com


Actually, your actual mid-life crisis is down the road a bit yet ... something tells me THAT will be a doozy.

 
I'm intrigued. Are you speaking from experience, or is my purchase of a Mustang at this age a sign that I'm headed for a worse crisis in a few years?
 

Well danimal - I did the same thing two years ago - and I was well past the 40 year mark.  I had my eye on the Pontiac G8 and when they hit the dealership and I zeroed in on a black one and it was over with - I had to have it.
 
No regrets - I am still in awe of this car - the speed, handling and just the way it looks - it gets between 20 to 22 mpg and I'm happy with that. 
 
If you think perhaps you may be headed for a worse crisis in a few years - you may indeed be - because although I love this G8 - the new Cadillac CTS V Coupe is looking really good to me right now.

GT 5.0?
 
Awesome car......I know a few Vette guys that are considering the new 5.0....LOL!
 
Congrats!!!!!!!

Danimal,
I haven't had the "buy a new toy" fever (crisis-eruption spell) fever much during the 40 to 65 age period. I was able to divert that spending urge (or aquistion-fever) to travel and home-improvement (my fruit trees).
However, the 'Need to have some neat things to pass along to my sons (eventually) is making it's presence felt now that the travel bug has slowed a bit.
  One saving grace is the rule in our house that neither party in this husband-wife team will spend over $100 on themselves or family without discussing the purchase with the other partner.  That really has helped.
So, relax and enjoy rubbing the Green in other folks faces with your car.  I have 'New Trucks fever' pretty bad, but we have talked about it a lot and think we can wait until a few other things get done...Like paying for the Monster snow-blower now sitting in the garage, !!

Michael Hoffman


Back in August, 1965 I bought my about-to-be-bride a brand new (I had to order it) 1966 Mustang convertible, candy apple red, with black leather upholstery, a black top, and a 289 hp V8. I paid cash -- $2800.00.

I guess prices have gone up a little since then.

 
I bought a 1966 Mustang, new, for $2,900, mine was a dark blue convertible with light blue interior. It was a fun car to drive, especially for a college kid! I used to love to ride around with the top down in winter, skis in a rack on the truck. Coooool! Hey, I was 20 yrs old then.

I, at 64, still have the desire to still"catch rubber in all 4 gears".

You should seen the look on my 12 yr old grandson's face this summer, when I "chirped' the tires on my JD 6ft front-mount diesel mower. It left two 6" patches of black on the driveway, and took off like a Bat !!!! It doesn't take much to make me do 'dumb things' to amaze my grandson!

kland01s

Michael Hoffman


Back in August, 1965 I bought my about-to-be-bride a brand new (I had to order it) 1966 Mustang convertible, candy apple red, with black leather upholstery, a black top, and a 289 hp V8. I paid cash -- $2800.00.

I guess prices have gone up a little since then.

I bought a 1966 Mustang, new, for $2,900, mine was a dark blue convertible with light blue interior. It was a fun car to drive, especially for a college kid! I used to love to ride around with the top down in winter, skis in a rack on the truck. Coooool! Hey, I was 20 yrs old then.

Hey, that '66 Mustang was one heck of a car.

My buddy rebuilt this car in his garage over a few years and just recently tracked it down to the Ford Rouge Plant "legacy gallery" http://www.thehenryford.org/rouge/legacygallery.aspx I guess he did a pretty good job!
 
It was an early model with a small 260 V8.
 
I think he regrets selling it, but is now rebuilding a 68 Shelby GT 350
 

 
 

Nice.

I have a bit of the crisis myself.  I bought a new triple black Miata with a retractible hardtop.  Great gas mileage.  31 mpg around town and much much better on cruise on interstate.  Top goes up or down in about 24 seconds.  Runs like a ribbit but I do not drive it fast.  I have never had it in the rain.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Sundancer7


I have a bit of the crisis myself.  I bought a new triple black Miata with a retractible hardtop.  Great gas mileage.  31 mpg around town and much much better on cruise on interstate.  Top goes up or down in about 24 seconds.  Runs like a ribbit but I do not drive it fast.  I have never had it in the rain.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

That sounds great! I've always liked Miatas. However, because I have young kids, I still need a back seat, and here in Chicago, convertibles aren't too useful for about 8 months of the year.

Tony Bad


My buddy rebuilt this car in his garage over a few years and just recently tracked it down to the Ford Rouge Plant "legacy gallery" http://www.thehenryford.org/rouge/legacygallery.aspx I guess he did a pretty good job!

It was an early model with a small 260 V8.

I think he regrets selling it, but is now rebuilding a 68 Shelby GT 350

That is a fine looking car. Looks like a 65 or 66. I wouldn't have traded it. Eventually, I'd like to buy an old Mustang convertible myself. Maybe a 67, or a 72.

I do own a larger car but the Miata works just fine for me as it transports only my ugly dog and of course myself.
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

danimal15

That is a fine looking car. Looks like a 65 or 66. I wouldn't have traded it. Eventually, I'd like to buy an old Mustang convertible myself. Maybe a 67, or a 72.

 
After all the work he put in I was shocked when he sold it, and as I wrote, I think he later regretted it. It was an early 65, which folks sometimes call a 64 1/2. From what I recall they started making them in April, and then in August made some changes, including going from a 260 to 289. This one was one of the first few hundred or thousand made as it has the original 260 v8. 

danimal15

Tony Bad


My buddy rebuilt this car in his garage over a few years and just recently tracked it down to the Ford Rouge Plant "legacy gallery" http://www.thehenryford.org/rouge/legacygallery.aspx I guess he did a pretty good job!

It was an early model with a small 260 V8.

I think he regrets selling it, but is now rebuilding a 68 Shelby GT 350

That is a fine looking car. Looks like a 65 or 66. I wouldn't have traded it. Eventually, I'd like to buy an old Mustang convertible myself. Maybe a 67, or a 72.

 
That's a '65, I had a '66 and where that metal cowling is by the back tire, there were 2 horizontal metal decorative bars. I had the transmission go out on mine after about 40,000 miles. I traded it on a '69 Volvo

danimal15


Eventually, I'd like to buy an old Mustang convertible myself. Maybe a 67, or a 72.

Did you consider doing that and keeping the Prius as your daily driver instead of buying a new Mustang?  Or would that've been impractical based on your family, location, and driving habits?
 
Brad

66's had a floating emblem in the grill, 64-65 had a cross of bars in addition to the  Mustang emblem.
 

I have a good friend whose grandfather had a 641/2 powder blue....I don't recall it having a 260...in fact I remember it having a 289.  It was powder blue with a white top. It was titled a 65 I don't think there ever really was a 64 or 641/2 officially. He always told me it was a 641/2 because it was a drop top.
 
I rememeber that car just sitting in his garage....he offered to sell it to me one time when I was 17, this would have been 1980, for $2,000......might as well have been 20K.....I may have been able to come up with 100 bucks at the time...LOL It did have a minor tranny issue, but man what that car would be worth today.
 
What I wouldn't do for that chance again......

rebeltruce


I have a good friend whose grandfather had a 641/2 powder blue....I don't recall it having a 260...in fact I remember it having a 289.  It was powder blue with a white top. It was titled a 65 I don't think there ever really was a 64 or 641/2 officially. He always told me it was a 641/2 because it was a drop top.

I rememeber that car just sitting in his garage....he offered to sell it to me one time when I was 17, this would have been 1980, for $2,000......might as well have been 20K.....I may have been able to come up with 100 bucks at the time...LOL It did have a minor tranny issue, but man what that car would be worth today.

What I wouldn't do for that chance again......

 How to Identify a 1964-1/2 Mustang - Mustang Monthly Magazine

Great choice...enjoy it...I had a new '67 candy apple red Mustang...and regret the day I sold it.

The '64 1/2-'65 Mustangs had a gas cap with a dark circle in the center, while the '66 had an all-chrome gas cap.
 
By the way, in 1978 we sold that '66 for nearly four times what I paid originally.

For my mid-life crisis I bought a scooter  I guess it wasn't much of a crisis
 
danimal15, enjoy the fruits of your labor

Many years ago in another life, and in a land very far away I bought a green Vespa motor scooter. It had a two-cycle engine and it was great riding around New Haven, Milford, West Haven, Hamden -- all the way to Waterbury. I remember paying $400 for it right out of the crate in which it had just arrived from Italy. Actually, it wasn't out of the crate when I got it. I had to remove it from the crate.
 
I read somewhere that they cost more than $400 these days.

joerogo


For my mid-life crisis I bought a scooter  I guess it wasn't much of a crisis

danimal15, enjoy the fruits of your labor

I bought a new Honda 50cc Metropolitan scooter a couple of years ago.  At my age, it was a mistake.  It was a orange and creme, colors of UT.  It ran great and got super MPG.  It fell over on my in my drive way and I sold it for $200 more than I paid for it.  So much for two wheels under and old man
 
Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN
 
 

rebeltruce


I have a good friend whose grandfather had a 641/2 powder blue....I don't recall it having a 260...in fact I remember it having a 289.  It was powder blue with a white top. It was titled a 65 I don't think there ever really was a 64 or 641/2 officially. He always told me it was a 641/2 because it was a drop top.

I rememeber that car just sitting in his garage....he offered to sell it to me one time when I was 17, this would have been 1980, for $2,000......might as well have been 20K.....I may have been able to come up with 100 bucks at the time...LOL It did have a minor tranny issue, but man what that car would be worth today.

What I wouldn't do for that chance again......

 
With me it was the neighbor, a 1966 Malibu SS, and $800 (also around 1979-80).  It wasn't all that bad and I had the money for it, but it apparently had enough bondo for my dad to decide that it wasn't a good deal.  At least that's what he said.
 
Brad