Your post is a little confusing but the choice is between two running cars.

a. '67 w/ 351 and "cancer" (rust) for $9800
b. '68 and no rust for $6000

IMHO, there should be no debating. Get the rust free car and you are way ahead. The body work and sheet metal will add up and take much more work than the $3400 in powertrain upgrades done to the other car.

Add $3400 to car B and you are still ahead without the rust. (I know that getting a 351, 5 speed and new rear will cost more but that was your number)

Edit: Now I understand, car A is $5500 and he said he put $9800 into it. There is a reason he is selling it at such a discount and I'll bet it is the afore mentioned cancer.

 

Cheaper IMO to build power than to totally (and properly) correct unibody rot.

John

 

I'd get the rust free car if that is what your asking.
Lynn

 

Yeah, choice seems pretty clear to me!

 

I hate bodywork so based on the info given the 68 would be my choice. Motor work is easy and fun. Switching from auto to manual isn't too bad. IMHO "posi track" is only needed if you drag race or drive in snow. Other than that it's kewl to say you have it, but it doesn't do you much good in reality.

Inspect the 68 good though! A true rust free Mustang would be a rare find.

 

Easy question...low rust, even if it had no engine!

 

i vote for the rust free

 

i would by a non rusty than a rusty ! the only exception would be if it were a b2 or 65-66 shelby and the price was right with ivana selling it !

 

buy both, swap engines and trans, resell rusty to recoup some cash

 

Yeh thats where I am leaning, also found the 68 has power disc brakes and had AC from the factory but has been removed except for brackets. Got to say the 67 was a real runner but the dam cancer is a tad scary and just from what i can see makes me worry about all the hidden cancer. The guy knows he screwed up putting so much into the motor and tranny and rear end. He paid $4000 for the car and spent another $9800 in the past 3 months on the power train. The guy doing the work informed him of the bad cancer problem after he finished all his labor and suggested that he find a donor car to put the new power train in. Real great place of business. Heres your cool mustang and by the way it runs great but the body is crap. have a great day and thanks for the business.

Again thanks for the input I felt the same way rust free is the clear choice but damm its hard to pass up on the great deal on the power train. Too bad I can convince my wife I need both

 

Id go for the non rusty if it were me. Ive got a 70 fastback that needs alot of metal work. I have $2500 in sheetmetal not counting the welder and tools to do the work. I cant imagine the labor cost to pay someone to do the work. Ive spent countless hours and weekends in the garage. I just bought a 1969 Mach 1 390 car. I had to pay a pretty penny for it. Its 95% rust free and needs to be restored. Its does run and drive thou. Its worth every bit I paid for it because I dont have to do barely any metal work. If you go the other route just check over the cowl and frame rails good. There a pain to replace and very time consuming. Trust me you dont want to be breathing welding fumes and rust/dust while your friends are out burning up the roads!

 

Yep, easy choice. You could get the 2V car over 300 hp for under a grand, and have money left over to replace the missing AC parts. Then you'd have comfort, power, and no rust.

 

Buy both is the right answer. Total $10.5 K for both, a few days worth of work, maybe another $4 K for a paint job on the 68 and you've got a great car for under $15K . Sell of all the parts for some cash and no one's better than you! Get to wrenchin'!

 

Buy the ratrod. Horsepower always wins in my book

 

Who cares if it has a few more horses under the hood if your feet are dragging the ground (road), or if there is little-to-nothing left of the "structural" parts. Thats gonna take a lot more to fix than a really nice rebuild.

Unless you want to save a rusted up one, the rust-free will almost always be cheaper in the end. Build the engine how YOU want it.

 

I made the mistake of buying the car with no power and a ton of rust lol. I'd wait until the right car comes along. Perfect body is much harder to obtain that good power

 

Well I think the consensus is clear and I'm with them. Unless you love bodywork and are really good at it, you have to go with the clean car. Building go-fast stuff is way more fun than cancer repair.

 

Nobody wants to buy a rust bucket. Not even you. Most projects stall because the owners were in the middle of fixing some body fault, and they need the tools, the know-how, the money, the time. In the end, it is still a rusty car but now you can't see the rust anymore.

 

Thanks so much for the input. i am passing on the rust bucket. I looked at the 68 and it is 100% rust free. has PDB, PS, Had factory A/C it is a deluxe optioned C code car in over all very good condition body super straight and no signs of body work. Would make a great GT/CS Clone with the original sea foam green color. Also looking at a 66 pony car 289 A code car from pics looks amazingly clean in and out also 100% rust free is a two owner car only $8500 vs the $6000 for the 68. I am not a small guy so the 68 is a little better fit for me but the 66 is too clean to be true can' see it till tomorrow night will have cashiers check in hand if it is truly as clean as what the pictures show and from what the owner disclosed is all true. Thanks again everyone and I will update as to what pony I add to my corral. I am leaning towards the 66 with pony int 289 A code and vinyl white top. and a engine compartment that looks clean enough to eat off of. Thanks Taz

 

Earlier I posted to buy both.

I am in the process of some mechanical upgrades of a 70 mach1.

$$$$ so far

Engine Kit, Pistons, rings. bearings, cam, gaskets, freeze plugs

$475

Machine work , block, heads, head work, balance. turn crank

$1350

Trans - 5 speed and clutch, shifter

$2795

Thats almost 5 grand and its still in pieces in a storage unit.

Buy both tell the spouce you're not spending 5 grand you are saving 5 grand by getting it this way.

Tell her its like a 50% sale at NORDSTROMS OR WHEREVER SHE SHOPS. You would be stupid not to buy it. ( tell her it will make her butt look small)LOL

 

you made the right choice.

I made the mistake of building up a rusty 66 with a badass drivetrain. Then I finished and put no more than 1000 miles on the car, before getting disgusted with the paint and body. I then got so disgusted with it after seeing how much it would cost me to fix it, that I've now got a completely rust free donor in the garage to transfer everything over.

Should have not been impulsive and built a rust free one from the beginning.

 

Ok I am buying the 68 Coupe Came with factory A/C PS and PDB chrome trim option and hood with turn signals. It is a C code car with c4 auto. Looks to be all original even carpet and seats super clean no rust at all under side is great bad is the motor just real dirty and small coolant leak at T-stat. All body seams line up perfect bumpers flawless paint a bit faded. it is on a scale of 1-10 a solid 9.0 on the body and a 6 engine compartment wise and int is about a 7.5 will make a great and fairly easy restoration car. I am picking it up today for $5800. More than I want to spend with todays economy. But over all a good deal. The 66 is much nicer but also $2700 more and not my fav. body style or color combo looks like grandpas car not so much muscle car look. I know I will eat up that $2700 that I saved buying the 68 on my restor cost but It will be my work not someone else's and that I like more than driving a car that I can take no credit as to how it looks. I will post pictures later.

 

here is the 66 I passed on

 

Here is the 68. I know the 66 is a killer deal at $8500 but its just not my style I want more of a muscle car look and that just looks like grandma and grandpa all over it. I am 45 years young and my first car back in 1985 was a 67 coupe and never liked the 65-66 models as much. Fastback another story.

 

Congrats. Looks like a great starting point. I went the stupid route and bought the rustiest piece of crap I could find due to my excitement. Due to my inexperience it looked good but was hiding the rust in all of the usual places...it will be a learning experience.