A few months back I was headed home from my regular haircutting joint when I spotted this lovely sky blue pony parked in front of one of my other old regular haunts- a quaint little Thai restaurant in Gardena, Ca. just up the street from my old alma mater, El Camino College. With both an itchy CC camera finger and an empty stomach, I just had to stop.
The lunch special was delicious, but spotting this cool blue beauty was definitely a superb dessert. This is how I personally feel early notchback Mustangs look best- clean, simple, and unadorned, without the usual muscle-era boy racer gimmickry. While its fastback sibling is a natural for being all tarted up with scoops, spoilers, racing stripes, fat tires and whatnot, the humble base coupe looks far better “naked” in my opinion.
The only deviations from stock on this one are the ugly aftermarket rub strips ( they do prevent door dings, but unfortunately they also look like ca-ca ) and the wire basket wheel covers. Those hubcaps aren’t stock, but I do believe they are genuine Ford items- most likely from a Fox-body Fairmont / Zephyr / Futura, or possibly an early shoebox Panther if memory serves me correctly.
The only indication that this docile-looking steed may have some extra oats under the hood are the large megaphone exhaust tips poking out from under the rear valence. Or maybe they’re just there for looks. Who knows? The fender badges indicate that this is already a factory V-8 car, so giving this horse a bit more giddy up than it had in stock form wouldn’t be much of a stretch.
Had this been my car, I probably would have went with the factory GT-style exhaust treatment, with the pipes peeking through chromed openings cut out of the rear valence panel itself. The owner is probably happy with it just the way it is, though.
The various boxes and bags piled in the back seat, as well as the worn and faded aftermarket steering wheel cover, indicate that this old war horse is actually used and driven like a proper car, rather than some pampered garage queen. Check out the bulky and heavy factory add-on AC unit under the dash.
An early vintage V8 Mustang with its factory air conditioning still present and intact- that’s definitely something you don’t see every day. Back in the days when these were cheap and plentiful used cars, all that AC gear was usually the first thing to get chucked into the nearest dumpster when some lead-footed kid got his hands on one of these. Seeing a clean survivor with AC still present is a breath of fresh air ( no pun intended… ok maybe just a little ).
As clean and well-preserved as this little stallion is, its proud owner clearly isn’t just horsing around.
This is my favorite iteration of classic Mustang as well, I never liked the fastback shape of the 65-66 very much and the core roots of the Mustang are better exemplified in the hardtop, they were a stylish small(relatively speaking) coupe that had something for everybody.
If this were mine I’d lose the rub strips(a ding or two always looks better than “ding protectors”) and throw on a set of slot mags, shackles and traction bars to match the exhaust tips. I wouldn’t want to cut up the nece factory valance to run the GT style tips through it.
I wouldn’t want to chop up a perfectly good factory valence either. I’d buy a cheap aftermarket repro and do it to that. In the meantime, the original uncut unit would be stored safely in box in my hallway closet.
When my parents got my mom’s ’66 Coupe repainted in ’77, I fought tooth and nail to not have that ugly molding put on. I lost. When a more extensive refurbish
took place in ’82, I finally raised enough stink to make them back down. I even prevailed in having the shop remove the ugly trident molding from the rear quarter indent. This was deleted when the the factory decor stripe was ordered.
It was my plan to have this added.
The shop forgot to add it and and they refused to take it back to have that done so it was a pyrrhic victory.
I also won another battle, to have the die-cast dealer logo removed from the trunk lid. In retrospect, I should at least have the shop keep it rather than allowing them to chuck it. Another pyrrhic victory.
For me the rub strips’ future would depend on whether they’re stuck on or held by clips drilled into the body. If it’s the latter they’d be worth keeping because 1) they’re old, possibly period accessories from when the car was new; and 2) they’d require significant bodywork and a full repaint to get rid of right.
Due to our family moving from Georgia to South Carolina the summer before my Senior year at High School, I found myself having to make new friends all over again. Billy took me under his wing my first day and we became fast friends until he passed at far too young an age in the late 1990s.
I in my ‘71 Vega notchback and he in his ‘65 ‘box top’ (as he called it) were the terrors of the roads. We lived the same direction, so it was always a bit of a road race until his turnoff. If I left first, I’d simply smoke him out (Vega engine, FTW), and could easily leave him in the curvy parts of the road. If he left first, he’d simply out-accelerate me (at least until we hit the curves). His car had come with a 289, but he had blown it and his Dad helped him build a 302, which also threw bits after hard driving. Another 302 replaced it, but stock this time (which is what it had when I met him).
He ran Dodge wheels on the car, which I thought looked sharp.
Looks like he had the proper Fighting Gamecock plate, too.
Go Cocks!
Nice old ‘stang. From what you see at car shows these days you’d think every early Mustang had the GT package, Pony interior and a 4 barrel 289 4 speed. In reality this was what most of them really were. 289 auto, maybe even a 6, base trim. If it’s still in regular use, all the better. I’m not really a Mustang fan, but I’d consider taking this one home. Have to locate a set of the original wheel covers though.
Hard to tell from the pictures where the wheel covers came from but these early Mustangs did have optional wire wheel covers, my aunt had a 66 V8 coupe that had them.
I’ll never understand why people ruin the looks of a vintage car with run strips….and then put them where they are next to useless. These would be more practical/usefull at the bottom of the indentation, not the top even if the top is the widest part of the car.
I once owned a 66 V8 coupe, black on black, and I was an idiot for selling it.
At least the factory one was an arguably more elegant design, with a natural radiating spoke effect, unlike the cheesy overwraught things from 15 years later.
The problem with dual exhausts on these early Mustangs is, due to limited room, Ford used a transverse muffler behind the rear axle. If duals were ordered, they weren’t really true duals as there were two inlets and two outlets from the same, transverse muffler.
In that regard, frankly, I’d just keep one of these nice, old 65-66 cars bone-stock (including the single exhaust). It would make a superb daily-driver, and because of wide parts availability, worry about a fender-bender wouldn’t be so bad. Original Mustang parts have got to be the single most reproduced for any old car. Virtually anything can be sourced, up to and including an entire new body. The only thing that’s needed from an original Mustang is the VIN tag to be able to get it registered.
I might switch to a modern EFI unit, say a late-model 302/automatic (for reliability), and a disc brake upgrade (for safety). But that’s about it. The interior and sheet-metal would stay as it came from the factory.
I think we can all agree that if you wanted to use a classic car as a DD, the Mustang is a fine choice. Simple to work on, huge aftermarket support, and no worries about depreciation. Of course, this is said through the lens of a Pacific Northwest resident, where rust is a non-issue and snow driving happens maybe for a week a year, if that.
Here in Michigan, thanks to age and rust, these aren’t seen often in everyday use.
And usually when they DO come out, they’re in boy/girl racer format, stripes, scoops, etc.
Thanks for showing this one in its clean, uncluttered state.
Loved my 66 coupe for the those clean, crisp looks and how sweet it was to cruise in. Sold it as it’s more of a death trap than most with the gas tank as the trunk floor. A light tap will start an inferno as the fuel splashes into the cockpit.
That’s how I like my Mustangs… plain, clean, bone stock, no stripes, no text on the side that says, “MUSTANG”… it’s kinda obvious what the car is, guys. ;o)
My V6 is just that, plain and simple, with all the cool stuff on the inside.
The light blue on the subject car is perfect, but I have to agree with the door ding strips. They do not belong. A better solution… just be careful where you park the car. With 175K on the clock (and yes, that is a recent picture below) there’s not a door ding to be had.
A buddy of mine back in high school always had a stable of these, although ‘66 was his year of choice. This was 1978, but at 12 years old then his ‘stangs always looked nice. Of course his Dad owned a body shop, so that’s cheating. ?
Oops, forgot the pic of my baby…
I agree on being careful with your parking choices. People I know joke about how and where I always park, but that’s OK with me. My ’09 Mustang, which looks almost identical to the picture of yours and has 146,000 miles on it is also door ding free as was the ’03 Mustang (228,000 miles) I had before it. My ’79 Malibu that I bought new only has one door ding on it.
Of course, I am careful with my wife’s car too and my ’66 Mustang coupe.
I also agree with some of the others about not adding a lot of boy racer items to an old Mustang. Mine has a lot more options than most, but they are all original ones. I don’t like a cluttered up car. In fact, when I ordered my ’09 Mustang I checked the “stripe delete” box to eliminate the word MUSTANG from the bottom of the doors.
I get the parking thing honestly from my Dad. He turns 80 tomorrow and STILL parks far away from a store entrance. From him I learned to choose wisely when it comes to parking.
You were able to order your Mustang in 2009? Wow. I didn’t think ordering a car was even a thing anymore. I lucked out; mine was on the lot that way. My Dad always picked his cars from stock, so even as a kid, I don’t ever recall the experience of ordering and then waiting for a car. His 2014 Mustang that he had up until last year had the lower rocker Mustang stripe, but given a choice, he would’ve done without it. Fortunately for him, it was not a huge contrast of color/tone, so it was very subtle….
Every new vehicle starting with my Malibu except one that I have bought since 1979, 6 in all, I have gone into the dealership and ordered just like I wanted. Two of those the dealer found in stock at other dealers , so they were still just what I had ordered. The only thing about those two is that they already had 200 miles on them when I took delivery. At least one of these two had been built long enough to have sat on a dealer’s lot all winter. It, a 2003 Mustang turned out to be the best car I have ever had.
Since I drive manual transmissions it would probably be difficult to find just what I want on a dealer lot. By the way, every one of those vehicles was black.
My younger brother and I have similar parking practices. His Honda Accord Coupe has 350,000 miles and has no door dings.
People in our small town probably think that I am super nice to my wife because when we go shopping I always let her off at the door. Actually, part of that practice is so I can find the ideal “end” parking spot.
My last 3 Mustangs were ordered in February and usually showed up early April.
Wow, that is so cool, Rick. I do the exact same thing for my wife. People are probably thinking, “What a guy ;o)” – LOL. Truth be told, I am being selfish about where I park my car.
I do the same with her car as well, however she is not so careful where she parks and it shows. She has less that half them miles on her car as my Mustang, and there are door dings, and scrapes down the side from other inconsiderate drivers. Its frustrating that every time I wash her car, I find a new scratch or scrape.
Now this Lancer has a new ailment… the clearcoat is peeling, presumably from the conifers under which she parks, what with the sap and all. While Patina is somewhat revered on this website, you and I know otherwise… Shiny is Best! – Sadly, I think the ship has sailed on the Mitsubishi. ;o(
@ Guardstang – I need to do that one day – order a car just how I want it. The anticipation of the delivery must be totally worth it. I’ve just never done that, and neither has my Dad. It also must be nice having the car exactly as you spec it out. Is it more expensive to order vs. taking one from inventory? It would seem a dealer would be more likely to want to unload inventory, thus be more willing to discount such a car.
I saw a late model Mustang the other day and it made me realize that it seems these are not as ubiquitous as they once were. I don’t see as many new Mustangs now as I did back in the day. I do see lots more Hondas, Genesis’, Hyundais, Toyotas, Kias, and so on. Both my sons and their ladies drive Japanese cars. Ah how the demographic has changed.
A cousin of my Dad’s had a twin to this one until he traded it on a 68 Delta 88 ( really????)
His wife took delivery of the first 67 Cougar to hit their town. I can remember going to the dealership and seeing it on the truck. Originally white like the ads, it was blue then green before it was traded on a 78 LTD.
Thanks! Hadn’t thought about them in years. Brings back nice memories!
My first car was a ’66 Coupe, and a had a ’70 coupe a couple of years back. These are fun cars but some safety issues have to be addressed. The gas tank serving as the trunk floor was a bad design compromise. (This was fixed in the 1971 redesign) Also the back of the rear seat is just sealed from the trunk compartment with a heavy paper seal. There are aftermarket, steel bolt on tank covers that may help direct fuel leakage under the car. There is also a steel plate that can installed behind the seat back cushion to help seal the trunk from the passenger area. It’s also important to keep the full size spare in it’s factory location. It spans the distance from the rear tail lamp panel to the rt. side wheel well and adds a bit more structure to the rear end construction.
On my ’70 I used the steel seat back panel and a heavy rubber trunk floor mat along with the full size spare. The best choice would be a fuel cell type replacement tank.
A neighbor of mine bought a white 1965 Coupe,whitewalls,6 cylinder, full wheel hubcaps.. as soon as they came out…within months as I recall. She was an older woman( probably in her 40’s…. but everyone looks old, when your 12). The car was the talk of the neighborhood, we kids took turns having our picture taken next to it.She traded in a 1953 grey Ford Mainline (?) as I recall…..what a step up, FORD clearly had done their marketing homework, she kept it until sometime in the 1970’s. Another older gentleman in my town took possession of the first Mustang 2+2 in New England …traded it in 1971 for a new Ford Pinto. 🙁
Very nice. That shade of blue looks a little “hot” for 1965-6, more like the baby blue Ford was painting cars in the 70s. Or maybe this is another example of how hard it has become to reproduce obsolete paint formulas.