5S305 - Bring A Trailer

[silverton_ford]

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



Description:
This 1965 Shelby Mustang GT350 is one of 504 street production examples built for the model year, and was first invoiced to Paradise Ford Sales in Scottsdale, Arizona on June 28, 1965. Finished in Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes over black vinyl upholstery, the car is powered by a 289ci HiPo V8 mated to a replacement Ford Toploader four-speed manual transmission. Additional equipment includes Cragar 15″ cast alloy wheels, a four-barrel Holley carburetor on a high-rise intake manifold, a Detroit locking differential, Kelsey-Hayes ventilated front disc brakes, a fiberglass hood, an R-style front valance, Koni shock absorbers, override traction bars, dual side-exit exhaust outlets, a trunk-mounted battery, a Hurst shifter, and a dash-mounted tachometer. Chassis SFM5S305 is said to have been traded to a dealer in Tuscon, Arizona, before being purchased by the second owner in California where it was fitted with a fold-down rear bench seat. It was purchased in 2015 by the current owner from a four-decades owner in Lake Havasu, Arizona. Service over the past year consisted of overhauling the engine and transmission along with replacing the shifter assembly. This GT350 is now offered on dealer consignment with the original sales invoice, Shelby American literature, service records, vintage photographs, and a clean Arizona title in the name of the owner's LLC.

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 is said to have been stripped to bare metal and refinished with blue Le Mans stripes by Rico Duran of Duran Quality Painting in Baldwin Park, California, and fitted with an aftermarket R-style front valance in 1990. 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. A replacement passenger window was installed in 2022, and photos of body panel and hinge date codes are provided in the gallery below.

Optional Cragar 15″ cast alloy wheels are wrapped with 225/65 BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires, while a matching spare is secured in the trunk. The suspension is equipped with Koni adjustable shock absorbers, lowered front control arms, a 1" front sway bar,  override traction bars, and rear limiting cables. Kelsey-Hayes front disc brakes incorporate ventilated rotors, while 2.5"-wide drums handle braking at the rear.

The cabin features low-back bucket seats trimmed in black vinyl along with a matching fold-down rear bench seat was installed under previous ownership. Aircraft-style lap belts are equipped for front occupants, and additional appointments include a Hurst shifter, a glove box, sun visors, a fire extinguisher, and pony-branded rubber floor mats.

The wood-rimmed steering wheel frames instrumentation that includes a horizontal-sweep 120-mph speedometer flanked by gauges for fuel level and coolant temperature. Shelby-built mustangs were also equipped with an oil-pressure gauge and a tachometer mounted in a central pod. The five-digit odometer shows 13k miles, and the speedometer gears were previously replaced. Total chassis mileage is unknown.

The car is said to be equipped with the original 289ci Windsor V8 that was reportedly overhauled under previous ownership in 1980 and was rebuilt once more in June 2022 by Heath Elmer Restorations. Work consisted of boring and decking the block, polishing the crankshaft, and replacing the pistons, rings, pins, camshaft, lifters, springs, bearings, freeze plugs, oil pump, and timing chain. Further work consisted of replacing the starter, thermostat, and fuel tank along with overhauling the radiator. It is 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 replacement exit pipes ahead of each rear wheel. Component date stampings are provided in the gallery below.

The replacement Ford Toploader four-speed manual transmission incorporates a Hurst shifter, close-ratio gears, and it sends power to the rear wheels via a replacement 3.89:1 Detroit locking differential. Records indicate that the transmission was overhauled in 2022 and fitted with a replacement billet shift fork, pilot bushing, and speedometer drive gear. The shifter assembly was replaced in May 2023. Additional photos of the underside are provided in the gallery.

The invoice to Paradise Ford Sales lists optional special alloy wheels at an additional cost of $267 as well as a total price of $4,856.75.

A collection of vintage photographs and literature are also viewable in the gallery below.

[CharlesTurner]

Expensive transmission missing from that one.

[sfm5]

Interesting that someone would install a fold down rear seat and get rid of the package tray & spare tire configuration. It's such a feature of these cars.

[shelbymann1970]

Expensive transmission missing from that one.

But some posters pointed out the top loader is a better transmission 

[Coralsnake]

Just curious is the rear mount battery correct for this car?

What are the round covers on the doors for?

[Bob Gaines]

Interesting that someone would install a fold down rear seat and get rid of the package tray & spare tire configuration. It's such a feature of these cars.

Now yes it is considered taboo but back in the day when the cars were more daily driven it was considered just another "owner personalized" modification like stereo,fat tires etc.

[FL SAAC]

Nice ride !

[shelbymann1970]

Interesting that someone would install a fold down rear seat and get rid of the package tray & spare tire configuration. It's such a feature of these cars.

Now yes it is considered taboo but back in the day when the cars were more daily driven it was considered just another "owner personalized" modification like stereo,fart tires etc.

I wonder if the seller will answer your question on the auction about the build date.

[camp upshur]

1. Re the eng assy dte: he shows a receipt for having the block decked ($140). That most likely removed that date, however, this car arrived the same day at SAI as mine (5/9/65) and the block casting date is the same day as mine (4/19/65);
2. The engine parts (save dist and perhaps water pump) appear 'mostly there'. The lost parts: T10M, diff and carrier, f shocks, r springs, radiator, windshield etc etc along w the package tray are what's missing;
3. Re package tray: how are the repros these days? Earlier (?) repros didn't have the same matting as viewed fr the trunk and the surface stipple was incorrect. Any good ones on market now?

[5s386]

I did a quick inspection of this Shelby some years ago in Lake Havasu, Az., and it had the original engine in it, before the current owner's purchase.  I looked at it again a few months ago, and was impressed how well it looked. It has been cleaned up, and made more correct to stock condition. At that time, a buyer offered the seller a fair price. Let's see how well it does on BAT.

[shelbydoug]

Interesting that someone would install a fold down rear seat and get rid of the package tray & spare tire configuration. It's such a feature of these cars.

Now yes it is considered taboo but back in the day when the cars were more daily driven it was considered just another "owner personalized" modification like stereo,fart tires etc.

What are fart tires? Is that a derivative of NART like on the Ferrari's?

[Bob Gaines]

woops 

[nightmist67]

Somewhere in the history of my 1965 GT350 not only were the T-10 transmission and spare tire shelf replaced with a toploader and fold-down seat respectively, but the standard interior was replaced with a pony trim interior.  Back in the day these cars were not necessarily recognized for their rarity or uniqueness; they were just another disposable vehicle.

[shelbydoug]

woops 

[Vernon Estes]

Just curious is the rear mount battery correct for this car?

What are the round covers on the doors for?

Battery switched to the front, give or take, in the 325-335 region from what I have seen. Only car I've personally owned in that range was 5S327 which was a rear battery...although it hardly counts as a reference for battery location as all drag units got rear batteries...even in 66s when all 4 were carryovers. 351 and 360 were drag units also and had rear batteries despite being late enough that they would have otherwise had front mounted batteries.

Kind regards,
Vern