Frame Up Restored Mustang Fastback 302 V8 C4 3 Speed

Whatever happened to the 'here and now'? You know, living in the moment and enjoying what we have as opposed to planning for the future, fighting for constant betterment and inevitably prolonging joy until it's gone forever. So many enthusiasts are so enthralled with owning the biggest, baddest, most ultimate, most valuable and awesome-est garage trophy that they completely lose sight of the reason they fell in love with cars in the first place. After all, I've never met any seasoned gearhead who reminisces about standing on the corner of Main Street and saying “Man, I bet that car will bring huge residuals someday” or “I could rack up so many trophies with that car!” That's why inventory like this sweet little '65 Mustang is such a soothing breath of fresh air. Sure, it's a stellar classic that wears a squeaky clean restoration. And yes, I'm willing to bet it'll build value just as well as it builds a trophy case. But it's not pretentious, and it's the kind of car you buy because you ACTUALLY ENJOY building on, driving in, and playing with Detroit's finest metal. Have you been nodding your head in agreement with everything I just said? Looks like this slick Ford belongs in your garage!

Take one glance at this Mustang's super slick body and you'll see what high quality craftsmanship that's performed by a dedicated group of individuals truly looks like. Those individuals work at a place called MASCAR Auto Body in Costa Mesa, California. And, according to the car's notes, this solid pony was stripped to bare metal, thoroughly reworked and transformed from a tired old mare into the thoroughbred you see today. That high quality reworking began with the addition of new quarter panels, which were only replaced because a previous owner had fitted the car with fiberglass flares. After some intense labor blended those quarters into excellent fit and finish, a smooth and glossy layer of black basecoat was sealed under a durable clearcoat shell and buffed to a fantastic shine. And eventually a classy looking muscle car, which mixes the best design of Ford's Iacocca era with the modern build techniques of a top notch restoration shop, rolled into the sunlight and never looked back!

It's obvious that Ford has always sweated the details on the Mustang. And with its completely new brightwork and bolt-on pieces, this fastback presents a finished, high quality appearance that goes far beyond nice paint. At the front of the car, modern H4 headlights and vintage bullet parking lights frame a show worthy chrome bumper and an intricately detailed pony grille. At the top of the car, like-new glass and chrome-trimmed roof vents ride behind bright stainless wipers, fresh stainless trim and a slick British race mirror. At the sides of the car, traditionally sculpted sheetmetal lays the groundwork for conservative “302” emblems and traditional chrome door handles. And at the back of the car, peaked fenders and a second show worthy bumper frame factory fresh tail lights, a highly detailed fuel filler and spotless stainless turn downs.

'Keep it simple' is a good philosophy when it comes to performance and reliability. And the builders of this top notch Mustang did exactly that by bolting an 80s-era 302 under the car's long black hood. At the top of that fully sorted V8 a chrome, correctly decaled air cleaner feeds wind into a chrome Edelbrock 4-barrel that's clamped onto a fresh stainless fuel line. At the base of that carburetor, an Edelbrock Performer 289 intake rides between factory Ford heads that are equipped with high performance roller rockers and covered with finned, Cobra-style valve covers. In front of those heads, a reliable points distributor sends fire through black MSD Super Conductor plug wires which snake around coated long-tube headers. In front of those plug wires, a new V-belt spins a fresh alternator between reproduction Ford hoses and a new mechanical fuel pump. And at the front of those hoses, a correct fan and a correctly decaled shroud help cool a factory Ford radiator. Aesthetically, the bright blue small block sits in a completely restored engine bay which has been sprayed to match the car's glossy exterior panels. And nice pieces like a chrome Ford Racing breather, a classic Autolite voltage regulator and gunmetal gray hood hardware provide a perfect amount of visual punch!

What would an excellent restoration be without a great foundation? Take a look under this Mustang and you'll find solid black floors that are highlighted by a lot of fresh paint, factory undercoating and some great performance hardware. Behind the hot 302, a rebuilt C6 3-speed automatic transmission turns a tried and true Ford rear end. At the ends of the car a restored front coil and rear leaf suspension, which includes a factory sway bar and KYB Gas-a-Just shocks, maximizes launch and handling characteristics. And at the corners of the car, power front disc and rear drum brakes provide firm, fade-free stops. Step on the throttle and a fresh stainless fuel tank supplies gas to fresh stainless fuel lines while the aforementioned headers hurl exhaust into aluminized, true dual pipes that breathe through a traditional crossover and aggressive Magnaflow mufflers. Power is put to the pavement by a great looking set of Mustang wheels that are wrapped in fresh 6.95-14 BF Goodrich Silvertown 660 redlines. And everything under this Ford, from its rebuilt steering gearbox to its slick stainless hardware, is fully sorted and ready to go!

Open the door to this pristine Ford and you'll find a fully restored cockpit that's clean, functional and attractive. The car's factory bucket seats wear new pleated Pony covers between two piece lap belts and new chrome hardware. In front of those seats, a like-new dash hangs a wood grain panel and a full assortment of fully rebuilt gauges between new chrome accessory knobs and a traditional Ford radio. Below that dash, a stylish T-handle shifter rides on like-new carpet that's protected by “65 Fastback” branded floor mats. At the sides of that shifter, layered door panels are decorated with pristine stainless trim, new chrome handles and fully functional courtesy lights. And above those door panels, a factory black headliner stretches from a clean day/night mirror to an arrow-straight package tray. In front of the driver, an impressive chrome steering wheels twists around a traditional Ford Mustang horn button. And behind the passengers, a tastefully restored trunk hangs a large Pioneer amplifier above four loud Pioneer speakers that are controlled by a glove box-mounted Pioneer Premier CD player.

Naturally, the sale of this awesome Mustang includes a stack of restoration receipts.

There's simply nothing like keying up a legendary muscle car. The sound, the feeling of the engine's idle and the relentless surge of torque as you power through the transmission's gears. It's very rare to find a well-executed, paint shop fresh restoration that carries an asking price of roughly half its build cost, but this Mustang is exactly that. And if you're looking for a highly desirable muscle car that will provide you years of weekend fun, it's your kind of car!