[Irishking]

Can anyone give a reliable ballpark figure or percentage of original 1964 1/2 through 1966 Mustangs still in existence today?

My rough definition of 'original' is a car with the original factory installed engine, transmission, drive train and body.

[302Feen]

I don't know if it's possible to even guess the percentage.

You can count me as one though. We have a '65 convertible, that has everything it came with from the factory. The only thing that's not 100% factory is that it's been repainted. The interior, and drivetrain haven't been touched and it still runs like a champ!

[Irishking]

Congratulations 302Feen. It sounds like you have a rare and beautiful factory stock '65 Mustang convertible.

I am just looking for a ballpark figure or estimate as to how many classic Stangs out there are still pretty much factory original cars.

[mccance]

I would venture to say very few. most cars were bought as daily drivers and as such were used abused and discarded traded whatever. then guys like me bought them swapped in a hot rod engine in the 70's and 80's when they were just old cheap cars and had fun with them.
I can say that the roof and decklid on my car is original but that's about it.

[Irishking]

McCance
I believe you are probably right on with your answer...'very few' truly original survivors left. They are rarer than ring necked pheasants in Indiana.

[mccance]

I suppose I will have to take your word on that, we have a ton of ring necked pheasants out this way.

[Irishking]

McCance
You can trust me on that...I never see any pheasants driving through the country here. I believe there are more coyotes than pheasants.

I used to do a lot of pheasant hunting in northeast Iowa (around Fayette) when birds were plentiful there.

[Veronica]

Hello. They built 92,705 coupes and 28,833 convertibles. One of those convertibles is in my garage with all original sheet metal, motor, tranny, etc...as we speak, but, more than that, I couldn't really say for sure. Probably not many.

[Irishking]

Veronica
Are photos of your convertible posted on this forum? I'd like to see it.

[Veronica]

Hi again. There are a couple here
1964 1/2 Mustang Convertible Pictures - 1964 1/2 Mustang Convertible Photos - Mustang Picture Gallery - AllFordMustangs.com
I have a couple more here.
The Care and Feeding of Ponies: My car
I ought to go ahead and put a few more up somewhere. I love my car.
Oops. I forgot about this.
http://www.allfordmustangs.com/photo...y.php?cat=4529

[Irishking]

Wow!! That sure is a very sharp looking 1964 1/2 Mustang convertible. I like those wheels too.

[Ivy66GT]

Originally Posted by Irishking

They are rarer than ring necked pheasants in Indiana.

I used to grow ring necked pheasants to turn loose into the wild in Indiana. The state paid us to do it. They won't stay there because of the chiggers.

My garage has 2 '66s, an original as they come coupe which I bought from the original owner and a someday will be re-built to original convertible. Only the coupe has been to Indiana and that was for about a week in the summertime. That helps explain how neither of them has ever had any rust or need for replacement sheet metal except for valence panels banged into curbs, etc.

Define original! Spark plugs, water pumps, exhausts systems? Then there probably aren't many. But otherwise there are a fair number of 'original' cars out there. I am not saying the percentage is anywhere near 50%, but quite a few.

But then we also have wild pheasants roaming New Mexico.

[66Sprint200]

We found that mine does have the original engine, trans, and rear, it has most () of the original body, we got a set of its original wheel covers, and the only things not original is the paint (all 3 shades of white), and the interior. So, I guess mine is.

[Irishking]

Originally Posted by Ivy66GT

I used to grow ring necked pheasants to turn loose into the wild in Indiana. The state paid us to do it. They won't stay there because of the chiggers.

Define original! Spark plugs, water pumps, exhausts systems? Then there probably aren't many. But otherwise there are a fair number of 'original' cars out there. I am not saying the percentage is anywhere near 50%, but quite a few.

But then we also have wild pheasants roaming New Mexico.

Ivy66GT
That is the first time I have heard chiggers being the cause for the now almost non-existent pheasant population in Indiana. I thought it was more due to farming practices and the lack of adequate cover along fence rows, etc. Wild dogs, cats and coyotes also didn't help the plight of the ring necked pheasant in Indiana.

I did give a definition of 'original'.

[Ivy66GT]

Originally Posted by Irishking

Ivy66GT
That is the first time I have heard chiggers being the cause for the now almost non-existent pheasant population in Indiana.

That's what they told us 100 years ago when we were trying to re-populate them. I think humidity was another thing they didn't like. Sort of sounded like how people react to those things as well. Notice, we didn't stay around either. We have way more coyotes out here than you and it doesn't bother our pheasants - much.

Yes, you defined original fairly well but you can always get picky in defining an 'original' engine, etc. Unless its been in a museum there aren't any of them still 100% original. You have to change things and put on new parts to keep them running. How much can you change and still call it original? And then if I change it but you can't tell, its not really original, it just looks that way.

Sorry for straying from your original question. I think the answer is 'No' since you asked for a 'reliable' percentage.