The Shelby American (Winter 2021)

Glen was a bit more colorful. Race car driver Dan Gurney made several 100 mph laps around the track. Of the two originally built, only one of the Mus- tang I prototypes remains today and can be seen at the Henry Ford Mu- seum. And no, it does not resemble the 1964-66 Mustang at all. Numerous photos exist on the web for viewing, in- cluding a video of how the Mustang I was developed that opens with a clip of the car travelling around Watkins Glen track with Dan Gurney at the wheel. 1963 Mustang ll Prototype Specifics The first feature that distinguishes the concept car from the standard Mustang is the front nose with its ‘grill covered’ square headlights and curved valence. Adam pointed out that the nose is integral to the two front fenders – they are all one piece. I thought it was an amazing fiberglass creation, but Mark Haas set me straight – the nose is all steel. He added that the fenders are steel and generous amounts of bondo were added to the entire car to produce its final shape. The fabricator welded pieces to extend the body, then bondo was added to form the curves. Mark seemed to know as much about this car as Adam did. Both the front and rear lack a bumper. Another feature unique to the Prototype was a removable hardtop that enables this car to set four-inches lower than a 1965 Mustang. We as- sumed that the additional weight – close to 100 lbs. – caused Ford to scrap the removable top concept. The Mustang ll came equipped with an electric trunk release, an emer- gency brake that was concealed under- neath the car and 14˝ dia. 5-lug aluminum aftermarket wheels made by “Hands” mounting Firestone tires. The frame was cut out to fit certain items and rubber was placed between each leaf spring to keep this concept car from squeaking at the auto shows. The four-speed transmission is origi- nal. The gas pedal is hinged at the base like the Falcon, instead of free hanging like a Mustang. All four tires are original. The fiberglass backed Naugahyde two-tone seat covers showed some cracking close up, but were still very attractive. The Mustang style emblem in the middle of the back-seat rest, and orig- inally found on the front fenders, is more graphically detailed than that on the mass-produced Mustang. The Pro- totype Pony looks more like a bucking wild mustang than the running pony that you see on the early Mustangs. The original front shocks are stamped, the chromed oil dip stick has a fancy handle and some nice engraving near the tip. The two bullet chromed side mirrors were a nice touch. The original 289 Hi-Po 271 HP 4V engine was found to now have a dual- quad Holley 4V set-up with a match- ing high-rise aluminum intake mani- fold, vintage 1965 Shelby valve covers and Shelby-like air filter. Someone had crudely taken 22 ga. galvanized sheet metal to form the air filter cover. The Holley 4672 carbs were date- stamped to indicate they were manu- factured the 4th week of March 1966. Was this a test for a future Shelby Mustang addition? Dual Quad Carbur/.ors The dual quad carbs were strictly for Ford Motor testing, not Shelby American, according to Jim Wester- velt, Ford Carburetor Department em- ployee and Owls Head Museum volunteer. According to Jim, the dual quads were added to the Mustang ll Prototype and another car after he left Ford. Westervelt helped set up the Prototype’s original 4V carburetor after Dearborn Steel Tubing returned the completed product.Westervelt was one of the few who took the Prototype out for test spins near where the Ford airplanes were stored, and on the Ford test track. Jim attested to the fact that “ it was fast, and could fly. ” Peter Curtis, Automotive Conserva- tor at Owls Head, befriended several DST employees and learned that our Prototype began life as a hard top, was later set up as a convertible, and fi- nally switched to a removable hard top before being delivered to Ford. He mentioned that you can still see the rag top brackets and hinges mounted in the back of the trunk area. Peter also learned from the DST employees that the lifters on the 289 cu.-in. engine are unique – they con- tain a special wax that expands when hot. “ When the car is running cold, it sounds like a normal 289. When hot, it ounds like a dragster. All because of these special lifters. Strangely enough, only the oil gauge was hooked up so none of the other gauges are func- tional. DST used a separate set of cal- ibrated gauges when testing the vehicle back in 1963. ” The seats were set farther back The SHELBY AMERICAN Winter 2021 71