Vehicle Description
Beautiful restoration of a solid southern car. Not a real GT but a
real A-code car with correct GT equipment. Power steering, upgraded
stereo, nice Pony interior. Well documented. A cool vintage Mustang
coupe that doesn't break the bank.First off, no, this is not a real
GT. It certainly looks convincing and someone clearly spent a lot
of time and money to get it into this condition. It's also a real
A-code car, which means a GT-spec 289 with a 4-barrel carburetor,
so it has the moves of a GT if not the pedigree. But all that's
irrelevant if you just want a super clean, well-restored pony car
to enjoy this summer. Finished in brilliant Rangoon Red (it was
originally Caspian Blue) with correct white GT stripes, it is
definitely an attention-grabber. Having lived its life down south,
there's no evidence of botch bodywork or panel patching and no
signs of accident damage underneath. Up front it wears a correct
1965 GT grille with functional fog lights, along with the requisite
'289' and 'GT' emblems on the front fenders. Panel fit is good
throughout, typical of first-gen Mustangs, with an especially good
fit on the trunk lid, which isn't easy to do. That little black box
above the windshield is for the satellite radio, but otherwise it
looks completely stock. Even the trumpets coming out of the rear
valence have the right louvers inside. Someone was doing their
homework when this car was built.According to the door tag, this
car did come with a Pony interior from the factory, so although
it's a color change, this is a real Pony interior car. The two-tone
red and off-white upholstery is just beautifully finished and gives
the simple Mustang a very upscale look and feel inside. A
wood-rimmed wheel works with the woodgrained dash inserts to warm
things up a bit, and only the GTs received the 5-gauge dash in
1965, so again, someone made sure this car was accurately done. The
original AM radio is gone, replaced by a modern digital head unit
that works with the windshield-mounted satellite unit and
door-mounted speakers to deliver a superior experience. There are
new carpets on the floors, a new headliner overhead, fresh door
panels, and, well just about everything inside the car is brand
new. Turn the key and the instrument lights come on, which is a
nice touch, and there's an aftermarket center console with
cupholders that makes this car easy to live with. Even the trunk is
correctly detailed with a plaid mat and full-sized spare tire
assembly.As we mentioned, the engine is a correct A-code 289 cubic
inch V8 with a 4-barrel carburetor and dual exhaust, which means
225 horsepower and 305 lb-ft. of torque. That's the same powerplant
that would have been used in a GT, so this one comes by its
performance honestly. The engine bay is beautifully detailed with
Ford Blue on the engine itself, a chrome open-element air cleaner,
and correct wiring throughout. There's a fresh radiator with shroud
up front, so this pony tends to keep its cool, and a factory power
steering unit makes it easy for anyone to handle. It starts easily
with a nice V8 burble from the tailpipes, but nothing that gets
obnoxious. On the street, it feels snappy and the 3-speed automatic
transmission shifts crisply but not harshly. You can see in the
photos that almost everything underneath the car is either new or
restored, so it drives properly and obviously there's no sign of
rust or rot (we have restoration photos showing this car in bare
metal). 3.00 gears in the 8-inch rear end mean it's comfortable on
the highway and relaxed in traffic, and ride quality is quite good.
Drum brakes all around are the lone tipoff that this isn't a real
GT, but they're effective and work well with the Mustang's modest
curb weight. Beautiful styled steel wheels always look great and
they're wrapped in recent 205/75/15 whitewall radials for a great
1960s look.Documentation includes lots of restoration receipts and
photos showing this car as a bare shell all the way to a finished
Mustang.This Mustang sure is pretty, and we like the fact that the
restorer went the extra mile to make it as accurate as possible.
Mustang coupes still represent great value, especially with early
Mustang prices exploding. The restoration cost several times the
asking price, making this an attractive purchase for the person who
just wants to get in and start having fun. Add in some sensible
upgrades and you get a Mustang that's welcome anywhere and looks
great going down the road. Call today!Harwood Motors always
recommends and welcomes personal or professional inspections of any
vehicle in our inventory prior to purchase.
