1965 Ford Mustang

1965 Ford Mustang Fastback Movies and television have an impact on culture, of course, and they also impact our taste in automobiles. How many Trans Ams sold after Smokey and the Bandit became a hit? What did Back to the Future do for DeLoreans? What body style is the most famous Mustang and the most valuable movie car in history? Steve McQueen's fastback Mustang, of course. Fastbacks were always seen as the more youthful, sporty version of the Mustang and 4 out of 5 car guys agree, they're just plain cool, (not a scientific sampling).  For consignment, a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback showing 42,625 miles, but the true miles are unknown due to a title exemption. This garage kept beauty remains in mostly original condition and although more than 71,000 fastbacks were made in 1965, there are not many left that haven't been altered, modified, or over restored.  Exterior Two stage Poppy Red paint, its original color, adorns the car and helps make the iconic lines of the car pop. From the recessed character cove to the louvered rear quarters, everything is crisp in this color. The chrome bumpers, Mustang emblazoned grille, and headlights contrast dramatically with the red, while the tail lights and front marker lights provide a softer blend. Other metal work including the window frames, door handles, and side mirrors are in fine condition. 14-inch Styled Steel wheels look great, and the black Mustang center cap is a great accent. Imperfections include some edge chips, a rough area on the cowl, top of a front fender, various inclusions and chips, surface scratches, discoloration and staining, a deep scratch on the left front fender, evidence of filler at a wheel opening, touched up and untouched chips, pitted metal on the door handles and tail light housing, and overspray in the door jamb.  Interior Black vinyl door panels with stitched pattern inserts inside the black painted frame show some patina but are fully intact while the low back bucket front seats appear clean and the driver's suffers a seam tear. The 2+2 seats in the back are purposely shaped to allow the back to fold down providing a carpet topped cargo area that is voluminous. A black plastic steering wheel shows some cracks and fronts the standard horizontal speedometer by two round gauges in splendid symmetrical synergy but showing some age. The AM/FM radio is embedded in the dash to the right, above a bank of chrome vent levers. Ford's T-handle shifter is floor mounted, surrounded by loop style carpet that retains its black color in the footwells and the headliner is in great shape with the metal mounts of the visors revealing their age. Unrestored condition is how we would classify the trunk which shows surface rust and usage and remains barren.   Drivetrain With some gold colored accenting, the 289ci V8 under the hood is rated at 200 horsepower and is fueled by a 2-barrel carburetor, just like Ford built it! It's mated to a C4 3-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the Ford 8 rear with 2.80 gears. The car is equipped with power steering.  Undercarriage A stainless steel muffler highlights an otherwise original looking underside, intersecting the single exhaust that exists via a clean, steel pipe under the valance. Drum brakes are front and rear and suspension includes coil springs up front and leaf springs in back.  Drive-Ability If you daily drove a '65 as was usually the case, this might be what it would look like, even with some pampering, in 1975. Be that as it may, the car starts up and the trusty 289 and C4 combination propel us onto the test loop where the relatively skinny 215/70R14 tires track straight and provide decent handling. We're pleased to report that all functions available to the driver operate as they should and we trot this quarter horse back to the mall. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working