Early Mustangs like this 1966 Ford Mustang Convertible GT350 Tribute are rock-solid places to park some money. The values of real-deal GTs and tributes alike have been on the rise for years now, and while your investment continues to mature, you have access to one of the most beloved cars of all time sitting in your garage. This recently restored convertible features all the important stuff, ranging from a 289 V8 Jasper crate engine built to Hi-Po specs, a smooth-shifting C4 automatic transmission, a fresh Pony interior, and excellent Poppy Red paint. It\'s a terrific cruiser that will make you smile every time you drive it, and grin like a fool when you see what it\'s worth in five years.

If you\'re going to have a Mustang convertible, it may as well look like a high-visibility GT, right? This one has all of the GT ingredients and hardware to back it up. Finished in 2022 after a six-year-long restoration, the gorgeous Poppy Red finish on this droptop is a thing of beauty. Sure, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and even we found a tiny imperfection or two after countless hours drooling over it, but we have to say it\'s about as nice as they come. Born Candy Apple Red, the car was taken all the way down to metal to ensure 100% coverage for the new color, and while it was apart it received all-new floorpans that were expertly installed and undercoated. All the bodywork was finished to a high-standard, the panels were aligned, the gaps were set, and the lines were set straight, and only then did coat-after-coat of that luscious Poppy Red color get sprayed on by an expert\'s hand. The results speak for themselves, and in fact our pictures almost don\'t do the car justice. It shows a few minor signs of use because nobody can resist the siren song of a V8 pony car in the garage, but this is the kind of car that makes everyone look appreciatively as it drives by. You\'ll park it and walk away backwards to admire it as you go, wondering why you\'re leaving it in the first place. It shines up nicely so you\'ll enjoy waxing it almost as much as driving it, and with cleverly added Gold GT350-style stripes running along the rockers, everyone will assume this isn\'t a garden-variety Pony. Other GT-spec features include the twin fog lamps in the grille area, shiny chrome exhaust trumpets poking through the rear valence, and, of course, the GT racing gas cap, all of which give it a slightly more aggressive look than your standard Mustang. And as far as we can tell all the chrome and stainless is original to the car, and although it\'s not as perfect as new stuff, it still shines up super-bright and looks great.

The white Pony interior was also recently installed and you\'ll find it\'s very easy to get comfortable behind the wheel, like seeing an old friend. The fresh materials and gorgeous red-and-white theme of the door panels, dash, and carpets is the perfect complement to the shiny red exterior, and the Pony-spec upholstery on the front buckets and rear bench seat always makes the Mustang feel way more expensive than it is. It\'s fitted with desirable options like a center console and GT-style 5-gauge set-up ahead of the driver, plus the interior dcor group that includes a woodgrain on the steering wheel, dash panels, and that aforementioned center console. Noteworthy upgrades include Rally gauges (tachometer and clock) on either side of the GT-style steering wheel, color-keyed red vinyl floor mats that protect the plush carpets below, and a power convertible top made of white vinyl that\'s in exceptional shape whether it\'s secured in place or stashed away underneath the matching white boot. Options are modest but you do get seatbelts up front, an AM radio, and a factory heater, although the latter two will need to be serviced to get working again. Out back, the trunk wears correct plaid mats and there\'s plenty of space for all your car show goodies.

This is a real C-code car that was born with 289 cubic inch V8, although the feisty small block under the hood today has a lot more bite. It\'s a new Jasper Engine that was built to Hi-Po specs, and it comes augmented with an aluminum intake, a big Holley 4-barrel carburetor, and a throaty dual exhaust system below. The engine fires to life instantly, idles smooth, and boasts exactly the kind of power you need to back-up all that GT flair on the outside. It\'s wearing proper Ford Blue paint on the block, a chrome air cleaner with a correct 289 decal, and a matching set of chrome valve covers, all of which are period pieces that still look great. There are fresh components everywhere you look, making this a sweet-running, period-correct Pony that can still slice through traffic with the best of them. It also features an upgraded power brake system and all-new suspension components, which means this beauty as both easy to drive and easy on the eyes. The C4 automatic transmission shifts cleanly and powers an 8

Read More

Read Less