I’m currently 17 soon turning 18 and I have zero driving experience. I wanted to ask is getting a 1965 mustang as a first car a good idea?

I drive a '66 Mustang in England and here we can get dirt cheap insurance if you put it on a classic car policy with a low mileage limit. Mine is only 3000 miles p.a. 

However, it is definitely not a beginners car. Mine only has lap belts in the front, the steering can be vague and heavy, the V8 drinks fuel like it's going out of fashion, and having drum brakes all round means when you want to stop you have to call the brakes and they write back with an appointment.

It's great fun in the summer which is just as well because the heating and demisting are as good as useless, and being rear wheel drive makes it a bit of a white knuckle ride on icy roads so no good in the winter.

Big points in its favour are its mechanical simplicity, being easy to work on, and easy availability of spares and components, which given the number of breakdowns you'll experience in a 56 year old car, is essential.

I love having an old Mustang but would never consider it as a daily driver or a suitable vehicle for a learner.

I love my '65 Mustang 289 Coupe, but it is a f**king death trap.

They can be made fairly safe - but they still won't ever be close to a modern vehicle.

I highly recommend getting something newer, spend some time learning how to drive, then later go after a classic.

Enough of them have already ended up in junk yards - it would be a shame for another one to end up there because you didn't learn how to drive before jumping behind the wheel of one.

A lot of people don't realize it, but the first couple of years of Mustangs don't have frames.  They are basically unibody - with frame rails in the front for the engine to bolt to, and rails in the back for the rear suspension.

I've had mine for 20+ years, and it is almost completely original.  The engine numbers match the car, and it has 4 drum brakes and single master cylinder (new seals on all), points on the ignition - it doesn't even  have seat belts (legal where I live because they weren't original equipment).

I may do some upgrades/modifications to it eventually - or not.

I would ONLY buy it if it is SEVERLY MODIFIED and UPDATED! You can replace ALL the brakes with modern DISK BRAKES! replace the steering with RACK and PINION< or R & P POWER steering, the factory FORD carb with modern HOLLEY injection or HOLLEY QUAD carbs!>>>at YOUR AGE I HAD a MUSTANG G,T., and then updated to a FORD MUSTANG BOSS 302! I LOVED THEM both! My family members ALL had at least ONE mustang and they were FUN FUN FUN but not SAFE, safe, SAFE! My BOSS 302 from 1969 was TOTALLY FAST and AWESOME with KNITTED VINYL SEATS for only $3600 TAX and PLATES! TODAY that car would be worth HALF a MILLION or MORE!  You could even get the original FORD STRAIGHT SIX and modify it to be UNREAL in power if you really WANT TO! FORD ENGINES have ALWAYS been WELL BALANCED< and SMOOTHE! The SUSPENSIONS on the original MUSTANG is NOT very up to date, and it was the FIRST round in being a UNIBODY and NOT a real FRAME car!.  HERE IN MICHIGAN  we have a VERY COOL STORE< in WATERFORD that UPDATES and RESTORES older car to the NEWER STANDARDS! They are NOT cheap but VERY WELL UPDATED! they have MUSTANGS< CHEVELLES< CHALLENGERS< MALIBUS, CAMAMROS< VETTES, AMC cars, DODGES and PLYMOUTHS<  PONTIACS< and MORE! If I were YOU, and you have NO MOMEY issues, I would focus on a NEWER MUSTANG that has a FULL INDEPENDENT SUSPENIONS< DISK brakes, ANTI LOCK brakes, BOSHC injection, MULTIPLE geared TRANS< and SAFETY CELL engineering! Or get a GREAT USED TURBO AUDI car! Or BMW or even a BENZ CAR that is twenty or so years old! They EXHIBIT all these features, and MANY even have RADAR to prevent accidents! AT !7 you have ZERO road expertise! I was LUCKY! We ONLY had those types of cars in the 70s! MANY DIED IN THEM due to BALANCE and SAFETY failures, and NO  antilock brakes and NO more BODY on FRAME cars! My BOSS 302 was a TOTAL JOY but with time I am MORE mature and realize that a SAFE CAR is the ONLY WAY to go! TOO MANY accidents>>>TOO many INJURIES>>>too many DEATHS and other issues! EUROPEANS usually have the BEST cars, cuz they HATE DEATH and INJURY! FOR HEALTH REAONS alone, do NOT get an OLD MUSTANG to drive in BAD WEATHER! And a CAMARO is EVEN WORSE! The NEW BOSS 302 cars have it ALL TOGETHER! GERMAN engiens, GERMAN trannies GERMAN antilock brakes, GERMAN steering, etc! And FULLY INDEPENSENT suspesnions as well! BYE NOW and HAPPY HUNTING! Use  CARS>COM< and CARGURUS for GREAT deAls on ANY CARS< that is USED! NEITHER of my TWO MUSTANGS had AIR CONDITIONING! AND NOWADAYS all cars have HEPU filters to keep teh CABIN free of VIRUSES and BATERIA and other contaminAnts! BE SAFE and NOT sory! The BEST car I worked on from that time period was a MB 1890 SL! It had REAL ivory trimiing inside and a small FOUR BANGER that was FAST and FUN and SAFE! CHECK OUT that place in WATERFORD MICHIGAN where tehy RESTORE and UPDATE cars to MDOERN standards! An UPDATED MUSTANG may even be woth a LOT MORE to SMYONE and you woudl NMOT be wasting your money this way! i do NOGY KNOW if modern MUSTANG Suspensions ca be ADAPTED to olde MUSTANG cars, but it woudl be GREAT if they DID! 

That's a spectacularly BAD idea.

At your age and lack of driving experience, it's highly likely that you will wreck your first car.

If that car is a modern car, you will be far more likely to SURVIVE the experience.

Money cannot bring you back from the dead or get you a severed limb back.

No. Not good for a first car. Very expensive upkeep. Try an old Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla.

Yeh ideal car for a learner! Are these trolls or are teenagers so detached  from the real world and so influenced by computer games, that they ask such stupid questions about their first car?

I think it’s an American thing, British teenagers accept their first car will be a 1 litre shopping trolley. I’ve never heard anyone in the U.K.  approaching driving age , however rich their parents, saying they will get any sort of high performance car when they are 18.

I am a fifteen year old girl and I am interested in getting a mustang for my first car. ... asked question is that no teen should have a mustang for their first car. ... experience or be a lot that a first bike but best health thats there people i need my ... I'm 17 in a whoever was handling his we going to do in the same household. and ...

Yes if it is original.  If it has been modified then it has the value = to a Pinto.  Keep it original. It is worth PAYING YOU MORE money to COLLECTORS.

. As for a first car I would not drive it.  Find something small and cheap(costs you a few hundred bucks because you are GOING TO DRIVE IT EVERYWHERE MAN, ANYWHERE MAN, jumping ditches on a dare because you think you can(and then you find out you can't)  Rather damage a beater car than a collectible.

. The whole idea behind learning how to drive is following the RULES OF THE ROAD.  It is NOT "Bumper Cars" on the road.  You drive right and pay attention and you won't crash.   It is not a matter of everybody driving a HUMMER so they can destroy the other cars (there is always going to be that TRUCK that is BIGGER THAN YOU and will crush you.  The whole idea behind driving is not to get into THAT SITUATION.  That is the only way you are going to pass. My god. 18 is OLD already considering most can drive legally at 16.  So you have missed a LOT of Bush Parties and getting drunk and other fun stuff with girls.  Regular life.

A 1965 mustang is not a safe car.  It doesn't even have 3 point seat belts unless they have been retro-fitted.

As the owner of a classic mustang, it's a ridiculous car for a daily driver for anyone. 

A 1965 Mustang would be a collector's item if in good shape.  Look for a Toyota Corolla that you can afford

There's nothing safe about a 65 mustang. It is a cool car.