Posted on 05/15/2020 3:11:12 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Know of a cool barn find or have one of your own? Tell us the story and send photos to hotrod@hotrod.com
Yes, this is fundamentally a feature about a rare barn find 1966 Mustang fastback, but as the headline suggests, there's a whole lot more to its story. If you just came to see the car itself and want to know exactly how good of a barn find it really is, we'll get the specs out of the way first: It's a factory A-Code 1966 Mustang fastback with the 289 ci V-8, four-speed top loader transmission, limited-slip rearend, and, if the pictures are to be believed, it was originally painted a rare burgundy with white racing stripes. Oh, and the current owner, Steve Hachenberger of Hamilton, Montana, picked it up for $8,000.
Now that the hard facts are out of the way, it's time for the fun part of the show, the 1966 Mustang fastback's story. We'll start way back at the beginning. According to Steve, the A-Code Mustang was purchased new for $2,750 back in 1966 at Center City Ford, a dealer in San Diego, California, that went out of business in the early 1990s. Does that dealer name ring a bell?
Yup, Center City Ford was the dealer whose owner was indicted in a murder plot and charged with hiring two hit men from Mexico to kill an ex-salesman. Yeah, that really happened and we found the original Los Angeles Times story reporting on the event from back in May of 1991. Apparently, the owner of Center City Ford had been ripping off a substantial chunk of commission from his salesmen on every new car sale. One of them, a longtime family friend, ended up suing in the mid-1980s and the owner was looking at close to 3 million in reparations. So, what did he do? Allegedly, he went south of the border and hired two hit men from Mexico to end the life of his old employee and supposed friend. Someone should make a movie about this.
A bit of a tangent there, but it was just way too interesting not to mention. Back to the barn find 1966 Mustang fastback. After driving the car for a while, the original owner made a deal with his brother and sold him the car. There was some issue between the two of them regarding payments on the Mustang, so the original owner demanded the car back.
He finally got the '66 Mustang back, but it didn't run now, even with only 41,050 miles on the odometer. After attempting to find the issue, the original owner took the Mustang and stored it somewhere out in the Mojave Desert where it remained until 2005. Then, the Mustang changed hands once more to another gentleman in the San Diego area who, shortly after acquiring the car, moved to Hamilton, Montana. The new owner obviously had high hopes of getting the 1966 A-Code Mustang back on the road because he installed a brand-new set of wheels and tires on the car. But, again, he had no luck in getting it running.
This is where Steve comes into the story. In 2019 Steve got a call from the wife of the owner who, he learned, had just passed away. "The price," Steve told us, "$8,000." Looking out for the woman's best interests, Steve said, "I asked the owner if she was aware of what these things were going for right now. She replied, 'I don't care I just want the car out of here, and I know you will take good care of it. '"
When Steve took possession of the 1966 fastback Mustang it still only had 41,050 miles on it because no one had been successful in getting it running. "I replaced the fuel tank, carb, battery, and fluids; still it wouldn't start," said Steve. But then he found out why, telling us, "The reason goes way back to when the car was recovered from the brother that returned the car. It seems that out of anger he cut the fuel line to the fuel pump and taped up both ends." That was it! A spite-filled sabotage job that would have taken two minutes to enact halted this A-Code fastback at 41,050 miles for well over three decades.
Just a couple days after finally getting the Mustang running, Steve was halted again. This time it turned out the number one cylinder rusted and developed a leak because it sat for too long with water in the engine and no antifreeze. He found a '68 Mustang 289 block as a replacement and was able to reuse the old cam and heads. And now, just a year later, Steve has the barn find 1966 fastback Mustang looking good and driving once again, finally ready to move the odometer past 41,050 miles for the first time in over three decades.
“The ball would cut off the fuel line,”
I am not sure how this works ...
In the summer of 1966 I fell in love with the whole Ferrari, Lamborghini, Jaguar XKE fastback look but couldn’t afford anything like that. So I polished up my ‘59 Impala and traded for a 1965 Mustang 2+2 with a 289/225 V-8 with a 4 speed and the crappiest shifter I’ve ever encountered. Drove it to college for 2 years before entering the USAF. While in Korea for a year Dad drove it occasionally to keep the battery up. Upon my return I got married and we drove it down Hwy 1 from San Francisco before heading to my next duty station Las Vegas. Blew the heater core and the water pump bypass hose on the way but arrived safe. Got the drag racing bug in Vegas and modified my car to run low 14’s before the heads and limited displacement became prohibitive. Loved that car but moved on to a 1969 SS396 Camaro.
I think if you wanted the small block 4V you got a 302.
But pretty sure the 289 was still available in ‘68 with the 2 barrel carb.
That’s what I was thinking. Even a poor mechanic should see what’s going on.
Yeah, anyone working on these cars would use your checklist.
As you said, fishy story.
“Yeah, anyone working on these cars would use your checklist.”
I got. it from my father. Not sure where he got it.
I and my friends always used those two things first.
Just pump the carburetor to check for gas, Move the rod from the foot feed and some gas should spray out into the carb from the acceleration pump. That was the easy one that only took a minute or so, and makes the story very suspicious.
Spark was a little more complicated, and sometimes involved a good shock for the guys most closely involved!
“Spark was a little more complicated, and sometimes involved a good shock for the guys most closely involved!”
Pull the plug wire and position Screwdriver.
Yes, if things go right it’s a piece of cake.
Otherwise............ Hehe.
The 302 came out mid year 1968.
The fuel pump draws a suction from the gas tank. As the level of fuel in the tank is decreased the suction becomes strong enough to draw the ping pong ball to the fuel line. When that occurs the flow of fuel is interrupted and the engine dies. As soon as the fuel pump stops, the suction is also stopped and the ball is released. Fuel then can be again drawn into the fuel line. It only works when you are very low on fuel, which happens a lot when you’re 17, or so.
A good story, but not possible in a stock configuration ‘55 Chevy. The fuel pickup has a sock screen on the end. It would be impossible for a ping pong ball to obstruct the line.
(disclaimer: I own several 55-57 Chevys)
When I enlisted in 71, volunteered for Vietnam but got sent to Kunsan Korea (!), I returned in 73 and my father had sold my 65 Barracuda to the local Jesuit “worker” priest for $500. I just laughed (loved my Dad) and went out and bought me a 67 Chevelle SS 396. Wish I had both right now. :)
Wow. Thanks for that info. I got the story from the guy that bought the car. I just always believed him and have told that story more than once over the years. The car was hardly stock but I seriously doubt that the fuel line would have been changed. Now I will have to stop telling the story.
Incorrect. The 289 and the 302 are physically the same on the outside. The bolt pattern for the exhaust is the same. Both are interchangeable as well as the 351W. I've even swapped a 351C into a 289/302 engine bay without problem.
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