5S459 - Bring A Trailer

[silverton_ford]

Link: https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1965-ford-mustang-shelby-gt350-fastback/



Description from the website:

This 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350 is one of 504 street production examples built for the model year during the first seven months of construction of Shelby American's Mustang variant. Chassis SFM5S459 was completed at Shelby's Los Angeles facility on June 28, 1965, and was consigned to Tasca Ford Sales in Providence, Rhode Island, before being invoiced to Sullivan Ford in Bangor, Maine, on September 23, 1965, with alloy wheels and Le Mans stripes. The car was delivered to its first owner in Dearborn, Michigan, in spring 1966 and passed through a series of owners in Michigan and the Northeast before being sold in 1989 to a Florida owner who undertook a multiyear refurbishment. It received further refurbishment work by Canepa Design in California in the mid-2000s and was acquired by its current owner in 2014. Finished in Wimbledon White over black vinyl, the car is powered by a 289ci HiPo V8 mated to a Borg-Warner T10 four-speed manual transmission and a Detroit Locker differential. Additional equipment includes a four-barrel Holley carburetor on a high-rise intake manifold, Kelsey-Hayes ventilated front disc brakes, Koni shock absorbers, rear overrider traction bars, dual side-exit exhaust, a front-mounted battery, a fiberglass rear package tray, and a dash-mounted tachometer. This GT350 is now offered by the seller on behalf of the current owner with copies of factory order slips and invoices, correspondence from SAAC Director Howard Pardee, owner's manuals, invoices dating to 2013, and transferable New York registration in the owner's name.

Development of the GT350 model began in summer 1964 after Ford enlisted Carroll Shelby to create a variant of the Mustang to homologate for competition in the SCCA's B Production class. Incomplete K-code Mustang fastbacks were sent from Ford's San Jose, California, plant to Shelby's Venice facility for transformation into GT350 specification under the lead of project engineer Chuck Cantwell. In early 1965, Shelby began shifting production from Venice to its facilities near Los Angeles International Airport.

All 1965 GT350s were finished in Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue rocker-panel stripes, and this example was delivered to original consignee Tasca Ford with optional blue Le Mans stripes. Features include a steel-framed fiberglass hood with a functional scoop and quick-release pins, a mesh grille with an offset running-horse logo, sail-panel louvers, and a bullet-style driver-side mirror. According to 2006 correspondence from Canepa Design, one of the inner fender panels is a replacement.

Cragar cast alloy wheels are wrapped with 7.75-15 Goodyear Blue Dot tires, as is a matching spare that is secured atop the fiberglass package shelf in the cargo area. Kelsey-Hayes front disc brakes incorporate ventilated rotors while 2.5"-wide drums handle braking at the rear.

The cabin is trimmed in black vinyl over low-back bucket seats with color-keyed door panels, carpeting, and rubber floor mats. Additional features of the 1965 GT350 model include 3" aircraft-style lap belts and a fiberglass rear shelf in lieu of the standard Mustang's rear seats.

The wood-rimmed steering wheel features slotted spokes and sits ahead of a horizontal-sweep 120-mph speedometer flanked by gauges monitoring fuel level and coolant temperature. The five-digit odometer shows 33k miles. A central two-gauge pod housing an oil-pressure gauge and a tachometer was among the equipment distinct to the Shelby-built Mustangs. The tachometer was rebuilt in 2017.

The 289ci Windsor V8 was shared with K-code Mustangs and was topped with a four-barrel Holley 715-cfm carburetor and a cast-aluminum high-rise intake manifold to produce a factory-rated 306 horsepower in street versions of the GT350. Additional GT350-specific features include a finned aluminum "T" oil pan with hinged baffles, open-letter valve covers, and tri-Y exhaust headers leading to exit pipes ahead of each rear wheel.

The Borg-Warner T10 four-speed manual transmission incorporates an aluminum housing and close-ratio gears and sends power to the rear wheels via a 9" rear end with a Detroit Locker differential. Suspension characteristics distinguishing the GT350 from regular Mustangs include lowered front control arms, a 1" front sway bar, overrider rear traction bars anchored inside the cabin, and Koni shock absorbers all around. Shelby also utilized longer pitman and idler arms than those used on standard Mustangs.

The Shelby American invoice to Sullivan Ford is dated September 23, 1965, with payment the following day, and lists Le Mans stripes at no charge and special alloy wheels at an extra cost of $214 for a total cost of $3,888.04. The stripes and special wheels are also listed on the August 1965 invoice to Tasca Ford and order slips from Sullivan Ford, which are shown in the photo gallery below.

A Shelby Serial Number Verification certificate from Howard Pardee is dated 2006 and notes that the Ford serial number provided by a previous owner corresponds with the Shelby number. A 2014 email from Pardee also notes the corresponding numbers and is shown in the gallery below. A copy of the car's entry in a previous edition of the SAAC register is also included, as is 2006 a letter from Canepa Design noting previous refurbishment work. The car is said to be featured inside the cover of the 2014 book Shelby Mustang: 50 Years by Colin Comer, who serviced the car after assisting the seller in purchasing it in 2014.

The car is registered in a state that does not issue titles for vehicles of its age. It is being sold on its registration.

[Dkutz]

My birthday is coming up if anyone wants to buy me this.  My dream car

[silverton_ford]

Reserve not met - $367,000

[SBCARGUY]

Lack of seller involvement... Lack of Pertinent Information... Hence the result...

[sfm5]

It should be noted there were some serious concerns/questions raised in the comments that were never adequately addressed by the seller. I think this held back the bidding. When CC350 jumped in at the 11th hour and cleared some of those concerns the bidding started to increase but by that time the damage was likely done. That and a complete lack of engagement by the seller throughout the auction period.