In its factory form, Ford’s legendary K-Code 289ci V8 offered impressive performance. However, dealerships in the 1960s were happy to provide additional services if a buyer could afford them, and this 1965 Mustang GT Convertible has received that type of attention. With a dealer-installed Tri-Power upgrade, the improved intake flow should lift the already scintillating performance to something pretty startling. The Convertible has just come off the back of a meticulous restoration, and it is hard to find fault with this classic. If you crave a K-Code that is a cut above the ordinary, you will find the GT located in Bellevue, Washington, and listed for sale here on eBay. The price of perfection is not cheap because the owner has set his BIN at $125,950. If that’s a bit rich for your blood, he leaves the option for interested parties to make an offer.

There’s a lot to unpack with this GT, starting with its overall condition. The seller indicates that the Convertible has recently emerged from a rotisserie restoration that consumed more than 2,000 hours. Therefore, it’s no surprise that the car presents superbly. Its Wimbledon White paint is perfect, with no evidence of flaws or marks. It cloaks laser straight panels with gaps that are as tight and consistent as you are ever likely to find in a First Generation Mustang. The White soft-top appears to be in as-new condition, while the same is true of the chrome factory wheels wrapped in redline tires. The distinctive contrasting red stripes look crisp, the exterior trim is excellent, and the glass appears flawless. The previous owner may have invested more than 2,000 hours in this project, but the buyer is set to reap the benefits.

When we lift the hood of this Mustang, it reveals the light that it has kept hidden under a bushel. Ford offered buyers three versions of their beautiful 289ci V8 in 1965, but the pick of the bunch was undoubtedly the K-Code version that produced 271hp. As the seller rightly points out, this motor was not a cheap option, which helps explain why so few cars emerged from the factory with one of these little dynamos under the hood. If, as is the case with this GT, the power feeds to the wheels via a four-speed manual transmission, the car would be capable of storming through the ¼ mile in 14.8 seconds. This was as good as it got with a Mustang in 1965…or was it? It appears that the original owner craved more, and the dealership was happy to oblige. If an owner had the cash, the dealer could fit a new intake and Tri-Power setup that saw the 289’s output skyrocket from 271hp to 314hp. That is a noticeable improvement, and the buyer would undoubtedly feel it when they floored the gas. I’ve read a few contemporary reports on this system, and they tend to indicate that when properly tuned, the Tri-Power configuration provides immediate power delivery with no lag or other problems. The seller doesn’t reveal how well this classic runs or drives, but the engine bay presentation makes a positive impression. Given the attention to detail lavished during the restoration, I suspect this Convertible will be a turnkey proposition for its new owner.

If you parked the Mustang on a Ford showroom floor today, it wouldn’t look out of place sitting amongst the new cars. That is because it presents so beautifully, and this theme continues when we run our eyes over its interior. The previous owner lavished plenty of time and money on this aspect of the car, retrimming it in Red Pony upholstery. He added a matching carpet set and dash pad to produce an interior that is factory fresh. There is no evidence of wear or other problems and no aftermarket additions. Adding to the car’s overall desirability, it features the highly-prized Rally-Pac gauges, the beautiful timber wheel, and a factory AM “reverberator” radio.

We will probably never see another era like the one that spawned this 1965 Mustang GT Convertible. While manufacturers will continue to offer high-performance versions of their regular models, the days of walking into a dealership and slapping down the cash for an upgrade similar to the Tri-Power setup found on this classic will never happen. The list of reasons for this is as long as your arm, but among those will be insurance considerations, emission and legislative compliance, and the risk of litigation if something goes wrong. That means that not only is this Convertible a desirable classic, but it provides a snapshot into an era that is little more than a fading memory for some people. The owner’s BIN isn’t cheap, but when you consider the car’s overall condition and specifications, it also isn’t unprecedented. The seller may have to be patient in their quest for a buyer, but I suspect that one will emerge eventually. I want to think that the buyer will be one of our knowledgeable Barn Finds readers because then I could be sure that this classic would remain protected and appreciated for years to come. It deserves nothing less.