Vehicle Description
1965 Ford Mustang Coupe
Since it was introduced 4 months before the normal start of the
1965 production year the earliest Mustangs were referred to as the
1964.5 model by enthusiasts. Nevertheless, all 1964.5 cars were
given a 1965 standard VIN at the time of production. Production
began in March 1964 and serial number 1, (5F08F100001), was sold on
April 14th, 1964 at the George Parsons Ford dealership in St.
John's Newfoundland, Canada. The official introduction followed on
April 17th at the 1964 World's Fair. The gentleman whose name will
be forever written in Mustang history was Captain Stanley Tucker.
He walked into George Parsons Ford and found an all too eager
salesman who sold him the car....3 days before the model officially
went on sale. The rest, as they say, is history.
While all first year Mustangs were titled as 1965's the early
production cars are referred to as 1964.5 cars. Slight differences
are noted between them, and the standard production 1965 Mustang
and this car retains many of them. Purchased in 2011 by our
consignor's in-laws then by our consignor. Since then, a multitude
of repair and restoration work has been done including a repaint,
floors repairs, replacement doors, fender and rear quarter panel
work. During his time of ownership, the car was treated to a bunch
of upgrades including a Bluetooth stereo and Vintage air, this is a
car meant to be driven and enjoyed, not trailered from show to
show.
Exterior
Before receiving a respray the body was sprayed with epoxy primer,
then polyester primer, then white epoxy primer before being treated
to 4-5 coats of 2011 Toyota Cardinal Red, a dead match to the
Rangoon Red according to our consignor, then finished with 3 coats
of clear before being sanded flat and 3 extra coats of clear were
applied. The lower fenders and doors have not been wet sanded so
any flaws noted could be remedied by a thorough wet sanding and
follow up treatment. The restored metal is very straight and the
thin mustache like chrome bumpers and bumperettes present well with
a deep reflective shine. The corralled horse within vertical and
horizontal chrome spears fills in the honeycomb style grille and
looks just fab. All gaps are good, and the freshman year Mustang
cove is showing off proudly. Bringing up the tail end are the
iconic taillights and smiling thin chrome bumper below. 14-inch
steel wheels with faux wire knock off covers adorn the corners and
are wrapped in Uniroyal thin white stripe radial rubber. Our
consignor even went so far as to do a bang up job restoring the
trunk area with more Rangoon Red paint, a plaid mat and a matching
plaid spare tire cover. Delicious eye candy!
Interior
Looking inside we are met with door panels covered in pristine
black vinyl tuck and roll with black textured steel door frames and
shiny chrome window cranks and door releases. Black standard
buckets are up front and a rear bench that are keenly done with no
marks or tears and have recently been replaced. A chrome T-handled
shifter can be seen growing from the carpeted center hump and is
well within the driver's reach. A dual eyebrowed dash pad sits atop
the black full metal jacket dash which contains the original
instrument cluster, various chrome knobs and sliders,
AM/FM/Cassette/Bluetooth radio, under dash Vintage Air ducts and
glove box door. A new black rimmed 3 spoke wheel is perched atop
the fixed steering column and new clean black carpet floods the
floors and is protected the correct sewn in black rubber mat on the
driver's side. An ivory vinyl headliner hangs above with notable
wrinkling.
Drivetrain
Under the hood in the well restored engine bay we see a 200ci
inline 6 cylinder. This mill is of a 1965 vintage and had new valve
seals installed along with being resealed and repainted during the
redux. The transmission was leaking profusely so a rebuild was
performed with new seals, clutches, bands, and torque converter.
This is of the C4 variety which is a 3-speed automatic and pushes
power back to a Ford 7.5" rear axle with 3.25 gearing. Of note is
the 1964.5 specific generator has been removed and replaced in
favor of an alternator, an electronic ignition system replaces the
points, and an aluminum radiator was installed to keep things
cool.
Undercarriage
Some surface rust can be seen but our consignor kept things this
way to show off the originality of the metal below. Solid floor
pans, toe kicks, and rockers can be seen from underneath with just
a few patches noted that were performed during the restoration.
Independent coil spring front suspension and rear leaf spring
suspension are noted as are power drum brakes on all 4 corners. A
single exhaust system snakes its way back through a stock style
muffler.
Drivability
A pump of the gas and twist of the key and we were off like a prom
dress. Acceleration was adequate from the 200ci I6, handling was
good, and braking was bias free thanks to the power drums. All
functions were functioning, and I enjoyed my time behind the wheel
of this 1st year pony.
Not every car can be a number matching garage queen that is rarely
enjoyed. If you are seeking a concours restored car that you want
as a "queen" this is not your car. If you are an early Mustang
aficionado and want to drive your classic car, then look here. A
clean, nicely preserved car, smooth runner, this could be your
pony...Uhhhh Mustang!
VIN DECODE
5R07U103530
5-1965
R-San Jose, CA Assy Plant
07-2 Door Hardtop
U-170ci Inline 6 Cylinder 1bbl
103530-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is a 336,000-square foot classic and special
interest automobile showroom, featuring over 650 vehicles for sale
with showroom space for up to 1,000 vehicles. Also, a 400 vehicle
barn find collection is on display.
This vehicle is located in our showroom in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, conveniently located just 1-hour west of Philadelphia
on the I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. The website is
www.classicautomall.com and our phone number is (888) 227-0914.
Please contact us anytime for more information or to come see the
vehicle in person.
