Potentially a nice car. However, not original motor.

[Anonymous]

After spending a ton of time, elbow grease and money, I find out my motor was not original to the car. A 78 Faimont 200. So, after cleaning it and painting it to look original, its not. So now, what was thought to be original mileage, is bogus. I had planned on keeping the car. After pulling from storage in late April, having the floors, brakes, fuel tank,lines and eventually the suspension replaced, but do I bother keeping the motor or replacing with either a crate motor or trying to find one from around the time the car was built? Are the Inline sixes worth going to all that fuss, even if the motor would still not be original? Would the car be worth keeping?

I have a 65 Mustang Fastback 2+2

Thanks.

Joe

 

[TheDude]

Of course it is worth keeping. Bottom line: how much emphasis do you put on originality? If it is minimal, then do not worry about it. Look at everything else you listed that was or is being replaced: floors, brakes, fuel tank/lines, and the entire suspension? With all of that replaced, the original mileage is out the window, regardless of having an original engine or not. It is just numbers on a speedometer now. The engine in my '65 coupe is not original. I figured it was and I was disappointed when I was contradicted by my 1968 date code findings. That was a good thing for me though. Because of the un-original engine, I decided to modify it to the peppy six banger it is now (if only it were currently operable ). Our cars are now forty years old! An unoriginal engine in a forty-year-old car does not surprise me. Keep your car and enjoy it.

Justin

 

[Anonymous]

Don't worry I'll take that worthless unoriginal fastback off your hands. I wouldn't even charge to come get it.

 

[WhitePony]

65 Fastback

A couple points I'd like to make. An early fastback, ANY early fastback is a valuable car. There just aren't many of them out there. And, as time goes on and both Mother Nature and poor driving habits take their toll, there are going to be fewer of them.

Acurate milage is the LAST thing I'd worry about. Like TheDude said, as soon as you start putting new components in the car the milage doesn't matter anyway. I would imagine that there are more Mustangs out there with replaced engines than the original. But, just because the engine came came feom a Fairmont doesn't mean that the car has been HACKED. Take the average 100 people off the street, and show them the engine in the car. I bet that at least 98 of them would have NO idea that the engine wasn't original.

The ONLY reason that I would worry about a numbers matching car was if I was going to build a concours show car. Then what you would have is primarily a piece of modern art, and not a car. Something that is trailered from show to show. I'd just fix it up and drive it proudly. You'll still turn just as many heads.

Kris

 

[CobraSix]

Unless you wanted the car for an original concourse restoration car, the engine will make no difference at all on the value. Worse case scenario, maybe $200 to the concourse collector as finding 200 blocks is very easy and inexpensive.

Slade

 

[pedal2themetal45]

Hi
I have a C5 200 long block if you realy want orginalality.. I beleve it has a broken rod as it well rotate almost 180 deg each way, I havent open it up yet. I'm in the prosess of putting a D8 200 block together and I might need to snag some parts off it if I can't use the ones off the C1 170 thats in the car now.. not sure how long I well be at getting this stuff together. but I need to get the car running so I can get some gas milage back my truck (460) is killing me in gas. So I'm working on it as fast as $$ well alow. I' thinking the only parts I'm going to need well be the fly wheel and maybe the water pump, timming cover, and dampner.. stuff you might not need anyway...
I don't know what its worth make me an offer.. you pay shipping as well.
tim

 

[Guest]

I also have 65 blocks, 2 to be exact. One will be going back into the car, the other is available for free. It includes the block, complete with rotating assembly and oil pan.

Al

 

[Anonymous]

Unless you're going to be judged MCA/concourse...

I have a 66 convertible with a 68 motor with a later head.

Runs great. Best of all looks good to ME and I like it.

Good luck,
Steve-O

 

[63redtudor]

Its interesting to note that in the early days of the automobile, you would often have an extra engine built up & ready. If there was any problems with the current motor, you'd just pull a motor swap. Ford did this for a while with the model A & T for years.
Edwin