1980 Mustang Hatchback - Semi-Survivor Car
Reluctantly, I am offering for sale my 1980 Mustang Hatchback. It is powered by a 200 inline six, has an automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes and A/C. It has a black and white vinyl and cloth interior. The car currently has 109K miles.
Exterior - Structurally, this car is in excellent condition. The body is exceptionally solid. The shock towers, floors and spare wheel well have no rust or cracks. The hatch is also solid. The only rust of any significance the car had was a spot in the bottom corner of the left rear quarter panel behind the wheel where dirt got packed into it and held moisture. This was still pretty minor. That area has been cut out and replaced with a solid section from another Mustang that was in a salvage yard.
Cosmetically, the majority of the paint is original and is still in good condition. The hatch lid, rear bumper and lower section of the left rear quarter panel have been repainted. The trim on the front and rear bumpers, and grille/headlight area have been blacked out as well. The overall appearance of the car is good, but it does have some flaws. There are places where the paint has been touched up and are noticeable. The passenger door is probably the worst part of the car. It has several dings and touch ups. The right front fender also has a small dent in the wheel lip. There are a couple spots on the roof where the black paint is getting a little thin, but no primer is showing through yet. The car still has its two-tone orange stripe from the factory, but it shows some fading and has some places where it is chipped away. I guess you could look at these things as patina which a lot of people seem to like these days. You could leave the car as-is and I think it would be fine for a while, especially if it is kept indoors, but at some point it will likely need a full repaint. Still, in spite of what I've mentioned, the cars turns a lot of heads. People really seem to like it. Please note that I have a new custom made car cover for it that I will include in the sale.
Interior - The majority of the interior is original and is in very nice shape. It still has the original carpet, seats, dash pad, hatch carpeting and interior panels. There have only been a few items replaced (scuff plates, shifter seal, one seat belt anchor cover, ash tray). The one big item that was replaced before I got the car was the headliner. My understanding is that it should have been vinyl originally. It was replaced with a black cloth headliner. Whoever did the work did a very nice job with it. The car has an AM/FM radio that works, but it is a replacement (RCA). It has two dash speakers only. No holes have been cut in any panels for additional speakers. As far as the controls are concerned, everything works with the possible exception of the volt gauge. It doesn't seem to move that I've noticed. The parking brake light works a little erratically at times as well. The door seals and hatch seal as well as the seals that fit in the door frame have all been replaced. It does have one seam in the bottom of the driver's seat that is starting to separate, but has not come apart.
Mechanical - The car runs, handles and stops well and the transmission shifts as it should. I have done a number of repairs to the car including:
Rebuilt carburetor
Replaced original A/C compressor that was leaking with good used cast iron unit (from a Fairmont) and converted to R-134
New EGR valve
New starter
New rear main seal
New front crank seal
New timing chain and gears
New water pump
New thermostat
New fuel pump
New battery and cables
New oil pan gasket
New valve cover gasket
New spark plugs
New aluminum radiator (I have the original radiator that I will include with the car, but it has a leak and I was told that it will need to be recored)
New radiator hoses
New heater hoses
New belts
New muffler and other exhaust work
New hatch struts
Fluid changes (oil, antifreeze, transmission)
New 16" reproduction wheels from Late Model Restoration with General Ultimax tires (and 4-wheel alignment)
Please note that I have a new hood blanket for it but have not yet gotten the clips to install it.
There are still a couple things the car needs which I may tend to as I get time and funds. The power steering rack has a small drip and will likely need replacement. I think the drive shaft may be out of balance as there is a little vibration at higher speeds. Could possibly need U-joints as well. The speedometer gear needs to be changed as it registers 6 MPH slower than the car is actually going. The struts and shocks all appear to be in good condition, but the car is a little noisy on bumpy roads, so they may need replacement. The doors do not stay open by themselves. I have new door checks for both the upper and lower hinges, but they need to be installed.
I originally bought this car in January of '16, played around with it for 6 months and sold it. I was somewhat regretful of that decision and when I found out the car was available again, I bought it back in February of this year with the intention of restoring it. Between the time I sold it and bought it back, I acquired a '68 Mustang and am in the midst of restoring it. I had run into a large unanticipated expense (engine rebuild) and I have a lot more in the car than originally planned. I'm into the project too deep now to stop, and I decided if I can sell the '80, the funds will help me finish it without running my savings down to nothing.
I obviously think a lot of my car because if I didn't I never would have bought it back. I have struggled with the thought of selling it and am still not really wanting to let it go, but have decided it would probably be the best thing for me to do in my current situation. I would love to see someone get it that will appreciate it and give it a good home. I'd like to see it kept or restored to original, although if someone did a V-8 swap, I could understand that. This car has tons of potential. I feel like I've gotten a really good start on it and just needs the right person to take it the rest of the way. Apparently, there is a 5 photo limit for the ad. I will provide additional pictures upon request. I encourage anyone the is seriously interested in it that is in the area to come see it in person.
I have several miscellaneous extra parts and a shop manual I will include with the sale of the car.
Not included in the sale but available are an OEM hood scoop and OEM rear spoiler.
Asking $6,250 or best offer.
Scott Kelley
Hamilton, OH 45013
If you'd like to talk about it, please send me a private message and we can exchange contact information. Thanks.
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