For Sale: 1965 Ford Mustang in Lithia Springs, Georgia

With all the merely "pleasant" 1965 Mustangs around, it's nice to see one that walks with some swagger. Dig the stance, the slick silver paint and Foose wheels, the great-running 289 V8 full of the good stuff, a quick-shifting 4-speed gearbox, and the fresh black interior that's sporty and all-day comfortable. The only thing it doesn't have is a pack of Luckys rolled up in its shirt sleeve, because the attitude is perfect.

Silver black always looks fantastic on vintage metal, but on this car, it's really more of a disguise. A low-profile coupe with serious blasting powder under the hood doesn't really need to advertise too much with obnoxious loud paint. Since most guys won't expect much of a fight from an early Mustang Pony, it's easy to take advantage of them once you stand on the gas pedal in this street brawler. Of course, that doesn't mean the bodywork isn't straight, because it certainly is, and it's obvious that considerable time and effort were invested in the paint booth getting the Silver finish to sparkle. It's been enjoyed out on the road since it was completed so it's no longer a perfect trailer queen, but it does have a wonderful shine and deep luster that still knows how to turn heads. And if you wanted to restore some former glory and go chase a trophy or two at your local car show, a professional buff-and-polish would kick it up that extra notch. Clearly the builder's were thinking carefully about curb appeal when this car was coming together, and slick additions like the front chin spoiler, GT fog lamps in the grille, and the contrasting black GT stripes on the lower body really separate this beauty from the crowd. It also carries a nice batch of shiny chrome, including sparkling new bumpers fore and aft, bright trim-work around the crystal clear glass, a classic 'stallion in the scope' front grille, and great-looking 'GT' and '289' badging on the front fenders. Out back, you get a sporty gas-cap and bright red taillights to match the crystal-clear headlights up front, and the aftermarket Foose wheels complement the livery perfectly.

More significant investment happened inside, where a rather rare front bench seat anchors the super-clean, fully restored black vinyl cabin. You almost have to do a double take to spot the front bench when the center armrest is down, but the popular factory option is indeed present, and just like the clean matching seat out back, the upholstery is very fresh and showing almost no signs of use. Black-on-silver is an awesome color combination that works perfectly on this vintage Mustang, and the matching black door panels, plush carpets, taut headliner, and fresh dash pad really dress things up inside. Other smart upgrades include fat wood-rimmed steering wheel, a rare under-dash factory A/C box (not hooked up), and a Kenwood AM/FM/Cassette that feeds a pair of Pioneer speakers on the package shelf. Factory gauges work in concert with an under-dash auxiliary unit to keep an eye on the small block up ahead, and the chrome shifter jutting from the floorboard is topped with a cue ball knob, practically taunting the driver to go out and bang through the gears to scare the neighborhood. Out back, the trunk is fully finished in correct plaid mats, and it includes a full-sized spare tire assembly.

No early Mustang is complete without a 289 under the hood, and the snarky small block that powers this pony has a few upgrades that make it a blast on the street. Up top, there's an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor, an Edelbrock performance intake manifold, and an upgraded Mallory ignition system, and with the beautiful lope this small block has at idle, even more so when the taps are open at higher speeds, it's obvious there's an upgraded cam inside as well. Finned Cobra valve covers and a chrome open air cleaner dress things up under the engine bay, as do the chrome shock tower braces and matching chrome fender bar brace that helps to stiffen the body. An electric fan kicks on automatically to keep the engine nice and cool, and it starts instantly with a great performance Ford small block bark - there's simply nothing else like it. That excellent soundtrack is punctuated in large part from the block-hugging headers that breath easy through the dual Flowmaster mufflers and turn-downs that dump just before the rear axle. A quick-shifting, close-ratio 4-speed manual transmission is exactly what you want in a vintage street fighter and you're certainly not going to hurt the heavy-duty 8-inch rear end by having a little fun on the street. It drives beautifully with rack-and-pinion steering, Macpherson struts, and a sway bar up front and upgraded air shocks in the rear, and it stops with authority thanks to a thoughtfully added front disc upgrade. Killer 17-inch Foose wheels look great and wear staggered 225/45/17 front and 245/40/17 rear performance radials with plenty of tread left.

Fast fun in a universally loved shell, all for a reasonable price. Treat it as the foundation of something incredible or just take it out and tear up some pavement, it's hard to make a mistake with an awesome early Mustang like this. Call today!