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Ford Mustang 289 cubic inch V8 1965

General description : The thing with being the biggest celebrity in the world is that you need to find a way to keep the success going. That was the case with the early Ford Mustang, whose initial sales projections of under 100,000 units were surpassed in the first THREE MONTHS. Demand was so strong that more than a million Mustangs would be built in that first year, but Ford designers knew that they couldn’t just sit back, they had to push the Mustang into new territory. Working with the marketing team who realized that Mustang buyers weren’t the single ladies and older people they expected, but rather young men who wanted a bit of performance with their practicality. Enter the Mustang GT, a mid-1965 introduction designed to keep those youthful buyers interested. It wasn’t actually a separate model, just an equipment package, which, at $165, had to be the biggest bargain in the universe. It included the A-code 289 cubic inch V8 with a 4-barrel carb, the Special Handling package with stiffer shocks and springs, front disc brakes, a quicker steering box, plus visual enhancements like the fog lights in the grille, rocker stripes inspired by the GT-40, and trumpet-style exhaust tips poking through the rear valence. All that for $165? Where do I sign up?

You could get the GT package on any of the three Mustang body styles, including convertibles like this stunning black-on-red 1965 Mustang ragtop. Wearing a high-quality restoration, this former MCA award-winner remains in outstanding condition throughout. Code A Raven Black is this car’s original color and it gives the GT an aggressive look that many early Mustangs just don’t have—we love it! Of course, with black there’s no place for substandard work to hide, and you can easily see that big money was spent getting the sheetmetal laser-straight before a drop of paint went on. Gaps are excellent, even around the trunk, which is one of the toughest areas on a Mustang to get right. There’s also a lot of restored chrome and stainless trim that looks exceptional, as well as the requisite red GT stripes along the rockers, tying in with the red interior. Proper GT badges were reinstalled on the fenders and the fog lights up front are fully operational. You’ll also note correct exhaust tips, three-element taillights, and proper ‘289’ emblems on the front fenders. This GT gets everything right in the cosmetics department.

Inside you’ll find a code 65 red “luxury” interior, also known as the Pony interior. Like the rest of the car, it’s virtually in new condition and shows extremely well with no wear and very few signs of use. Other options include the center console (the red armrest with cupholders is removable), Rally-Pac on the steering column, and deluxe AM/FM radio, which is from a later car and powers discreet speakers in the kick panels. All GTs received the comprehensive five-gauge instrument panel and the woodgrained inserts were part of the Pony interior package. The woodgrained wheel has one split in it, but new ones are relatively inexpensive and it’s easy to fix, but that seems to be the lone demerit in an otherwise first-class interior. Everything works, from the gauges to the clock to the black power convertible top which stows under a matching red boot. The trunk is also neatly finished with a proper trunk mat and a full-sized spare tire assembly that’s never been used (you’ll note it’s a bias-ply; more on the tires in a moment).

The engine is a correct A-code 289 cubic inch V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor and 225 horsepower. It’s correctly detailed in black (Ford Blue didn’t happen until 1966), and has been dressed with Cobra aluminum valve covers that were a dealer option, and a correct open-element air cleaner with a chrome lid. By the time this car was built, the early generator was replaced by an Autolite alternator, and in this car’s case, the carburetor is a 4-barrel Holley that makes tuning for best performance easy. Take a closer look and you’ll find correct tower hose clamps, a FoMoCo solvent bag on the inner fender, and a yellow-top coil for authenticity. Power steering is a great addition in any Mustang, but power brakes were not available with the GT, so make sure you’re comparing apples to apples when looking at other cars. Markings and decals were faithfully reproduced, which is what helped make this car a show-winner, and no matter how hard you look, you won’t find many signs of use. This is just a beautifully done car.

Underneath, it’s equally clean, although not quite to the same level as the engine bay. The floors were professionally replaced and painted satin black, along with most of the other hardware, giving it a clean look that makes for low maintenance. All the factory support braces and reinforcements for the convertible are still in place and the critical torque boxes show no signs of rust, damage, or previous repairs. The front disc brakes use the correct calipers which were unique to the early Mustangs and the exhaust system is a proper reproduction that sounds muscular but never loud. And don’t think the C4 3-speed automatic is a liability, because this muscular ragtop feels downright fast and the transmission is eager to snap down a gear when you need it. 3.00 gears out back make it a fantastic cruiser and this car just loafs along on the highway at 70 MPH—rarely have we driven an early Mustang that was so effortless at speed. No issues, no damage, no rust, and thanks to a recent tune, it starts easily, idles well, and pulls strong at any speed. One drive and you’ll understand why these were such strong sellers in 1965 and why they remain favorites today. Handsome styled steel wheels are correct and carry 195/75/14 redline radials, but a second set of styled steel wheels and correct bias-ply redline tires are included with the sale, just in case you want to put it back on the show field.

We’ve only seen one Mustang better than this and interestingly enough, it was the same color combination. It was also $20,000 more expensive. So if you want a fantastic Mustang convertible with exceptional quality for far less than the cost of restoration, you won’t do better than this. It looks good enough to still score well in competition and drives so well you’ll never want to park it. To us, that’s the best kind of Mustang to own. Call today!

Harwood Motors welcomes and encourages personal or professional inspections of any vehicle prior to purchase.

http://www.harwoodmotors.com/vehicles/inventory_details.php?id=1122

1965 Ford Mustang 289 cubic inch V8 is listed sold on ClassicDigest in Macedonia by for $49900.

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