That was a ton of money back then. I paid cash for my 86 Mustang as I was doing well selling pay telephones. Remember them?
I remember in 1958 or so we drove by a Ford dealer who had a big sign painted on the showroom window. Brand new Ford for $1750.
We stopped and checked it out and they really did have one for that price. It was absolutely bare bones but I think they would have bought it if it only had a heater which it didn’t.