Hey guys, I'm new to this forum. I have an '06 myself but I have a question. I was just looking at craigslist out of curiousity and a 1970 Mustang caught my eye. It is an auto 302 and the posting said that it runs. The price was $1800 and I plan on checking it out later this week. No other info from the seller in the posting. I'm not familiar with older mustangs so I was wondering, what should I look for in the 1970 Mustang? Are there any problems that are common with this year mustang? The body looks clean from the one picture in the post but I definitely got to check that out. $1800 seems like a good deal for a running '70 Mustang but I'd really appreciate the forums opinion. Thanks.
i would try to take it to a shop before you do anything. they can tell you what it will need in the future/now, for that price there might be something that it needs that you dont know about. $1800 sounds too good to be true for a 302 car. is it a fastback?
The first thing i looked for when i bought my mustang was RUST. Make sure the floor pans, trunk, and body is solid. Have them start the engine to make sure it actually runs. Also if possible get a test drive.
I just bought a 68' and I too am new to this site. Before I bought the car I asked the guy if I could take it to my mechanic first and he had no problem with it. If you can't take it to the mechanic, make sure there is no major rust(floorpans, etc.). If not, that seems like a pretty good deal for a 302.
As mentioned above look for rust.especially in the front floorpans.If there is a lot of rust in the front floor pans chances are the cowl is either rusted out or had holes in it.this is a very time and money consuming fix.If you suspect a leaking cowl you can confirm it by pouring water in the cowl at the hood and watch under the dash to see if it leaks onto the floorboards.check all the lights and guages to see if there may be an electrical problem anywhere.check the trunk for rust as well.If you are really interested in buying an old mustang dont be afraid to get dirty,crawl under the car if possible and check to make sure there are no rusted out frame rails and so forth.Take a small magnet and an old t-shirt with you.Run the magnet wrapped in some t-shirt around the body to try to find excessive puttying.
One thing about these old cars is be sure you know what you are getting in to,they can be frustrating and expensive to work on but the end payoff is definatly worth it
hope this helps
Jeff
1970 Mustang
