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.