1965 Ford Mustang, T Code 200 cu in 3.3 L, Automatic, Prairie Bronze Restoration

1965 Ford Mustang

1965 Ford Mustang in Prairie Bronze, T Code 120 hp Engine (200 cu in. 3.3 L inline 6), automatic transmission, complete restoration.

Backstory:

This Mustang is one of the Late ‘65’s manufactured in Dearborn, MI on March 15, 1965, and first sold in Indianapolis, IN, where it lived its whole life until 2014. I bought the car from an old gentleman who kept it in a barn under a tarp for decades, as his wife was not strong enough to drive it. Although thrashed by time, the Mustang never did acquire serious midwest rust, and has never seen an accident. A perfect candidate for restoration.

I imported the car into California and completed a comprehensive total restoration of the vehicle along with Mustang specialists throughout Los Angeles. It has been affectionately named ‘Indy” as a conclusion to the story.

Restoration:

From day 1, the objective of this restoration was to adhere to originality; we wanted a truly original Prairie Bronze T code Mustang. 1 year and 6 months later, our restoration is complete with only 3 augmentations to originality: A new front end disc brake conversion (for safety), electronic ignition (for dependability) and inset parchment and Palomino door panels to augment the parchment headliner. Else, the Mustang looks as it did when it left the plant in Michigan, 51 years ago.

Mechanical systems:

Fuel: The entire fuel route is new, from the gas tank itself, straight through to the carburetor. A point worth noting is that this Mustang has an original Autolite 1100 Carburetor, and not a Chinese reproduction. They are difficult to come by.

Electrical: A majority of the wire loom in this Mustang was unscathed by time and weather. The battery, solenoid, alternator, coil, distributor, sensors, and electronic ignition are all new and part of the restoration. Additionally, a modern stereo made by Retro Sound (Zuma) was installed, which is a precise replica in appearance to the original Mustang Stereo. These Bluetooth / USB / iPod enabled stereos are amazing, and no modification to the dashboard is required, including the Pioneer speakers made for the vintage Mustangs.

Environmental: A total workover of the heating and ventilation is completed, as part of the restoration. The entire system is new and functions normally.

Interior: Easily, the most special aspect of this Mustang. The interior was meticulously worked back to originality, a Palomino color scheme; every aspect was brought down to metal, treated, correctly painted, reupholstered, and exacted to mimic the original interior. There are no seat belts in the rear seats, as was the case when new. This is an easy option to add should you be interested. Incredibly, this classic is very quiet in the passenger compartment, can easily regulate temperature, and doesn’t smell like fuel. The trunk has also been completely restored, including the spare tire and accessories.

Engine:

We purchased and installed a remanufactured engine with an extensive warranty which was installed in November of 2015. At the time of installation, the odometer was frozen and unreadable, and so it was reset with the zero mile engine. As of today (April 26, 2016) the vehicle’s mileage is 1,160 miles, and the engine break in period is over. The core is fantastic, no leaks, solid compression, and clean plugs.

With the engine install, we put in a new radiator, water pump, oil pump, sensors, PCV, Air Cleaner, Torque converter, starter, cables, and mounts. Additionally, the transmission was rebuilt prior to the engine install. A complete re-working of the engine compartment was completed in this process to include correct paint colors, decals, seals, hoses and clamps, etc.

Additional notes:

The tires (Hankook white walls) are all new with the same mileage on them as the engine, with exception of the spare; it’s a full size, but not a new tire, yet safety checked. The differential was rebuilt, including a complete flushing and reworking of the housing, axles, and hubs; new bearing and bearing seals were installed. The entire underside of the car was media blasted and coated prior to installation of the drivetrain, and a completely new exhaust system installed (nothing fancy, just what was used in the original configuration). The car also has all new front and rear shocks, transmission mounts, and emergency brake assembly.

The exterior paint is new, of course. It was painted in Covina, California by an individual with 35 years of automotive paint experience in February of 2016. Took him a while, but he knocked it out of the park, using Ford’s formula from the door code for Prairie Bronze. We did not spend 15 thousand painting this car like some would do. It is a very nice paint job, but we didn't go after painting all of the weird difficult to get to crevices under the trunk lid, etc. Those surfaces were fine to begin with. The work was color sanded and buffed, a new windshield and seal was installed, as well as a total chrome package (minus the trunk lock and windshield wiper arms / those are original still). The Mustang has the 60’s era California black plates on it with current registration, clean title, no issues.

Some serious restoration folks have been super critical of the underside of this car. Ironically, that's an aspect that we spent a lot of time focusing on. It is cleaner than my daily driver, a 2015 Civic, while the Mustang is 51 years old. Under the car, I was not able to contend with the rear leaf springs; they are the originals. They work fine, dont squeak, and it wasn't a priority in the restoration. As a consequence, those rear corners of the car's underside haven't been re worked. It is one of the last remaining aspects that prevent this Mustang from being a show car.

Last comments:

For the next owner to carry the torch, in my experience, it will cost about $800-$900 to take this car into show car status. New leaf springs, new windshield wiper arms, a new trunk lock trim ring, and new door hinge rollers so the doors don't go 'click' when opening them all the way. You may want to consider some muffler adjustments, as the harmonic resonance of an riginal configuration muffler impacts different people in different ways. Although the whole exhaust system is new, everyone has their tastes. You may ask why I don't just do these things? Well, if your really interested, just ask me what it cost to get this Mustang to this point. Then, surely you will understand! haha

Many of the parts on this Mustang include a transferrable warranty. I keep an extensive file on this car which includes receipts, maintenance logs, sources, etc. All of this goes to the buyer, along with a box of relevant parts, paints, two sets of keys (door locks keyed to the ignition, trunk keyed independent of the ignition) and a new car cover (although I have to admit I cut the antenna hole in the car cover on the wrong side, so there is a small hole-

More and more Mustangs are disappearing every year, and many are being restored incorrectly. It’s to the point now where you can buy a brand new replica for $90,000 because people want them still. The trick is to own one, know how to drive one, and you will surely have an investment on your hands. Everyone know that the value of these cars will go through the ceiling over the next 10 to 20 years. So here’s your chance. We did this car right, and we put our soul into it.

We will help you figure out the shipping for this vehicle wherever you may be, however, we do not want to get into the details of shipping internationally. Hawaii is no problem, having organized this a couple of times in the past.

I strongly encourage you to see the vehicle in person before a purchase is made, obviously, like most vehicle sellers do, or send your mechanic. And I would have no problem discussing the car with you over the phone at length before the commitment to a trip like that should be made.

This is an as-is sale of course. Even though the car is essentially new, it is still 51 years old. Due to the nature of such a transaction, we do not wish to take returns for this sale.

Thanks for reading, please contact me if interested or if you have questions- Both me and the car are located in Los Angeles County.

• Condition: Used
• Make: Ford
• Model: Mustang
• Type: U/K
• Trim: Coupe
• Year: 1965
• Mileage: 1,270
• VIN: 5F07T663976
• Color: Prairie Bronze
• Engine size: 3.3L 3277CC 200Cu. In. l6 GAS OHV Naturally Aspirated
• Number of cylinders: 6
• Fuel: Gasoline
• Transmission: Automatic
• Drive type: RWD
• Interior color: Palomino
• Vehicle Title: Clear
Want to buy? Contact seller!