Custom builds tend to polarize opinion. This is especially true when we start to talk about an iconic classic like this 1965 Mustang Fastback. There will be some people who will decry the work, while some will embrace the changes. Regardless of which camp you fall into, you can’t deny that this is a car that will stand out once it is complete. Located in Naperville, Illinois, you will find the Mustang listed for sale here on eBay. The interest in this vehicle has been pretty impressive. There have been 43 bids submitted up to this point. This has pushed the price along to $20,600, although the reserve hasn’t been met.
The Mustang wears an interesting collection of custom touches. The most obvious of these is the fender flares. These push the wheel arches out a full 3″ per side, meaning that there is the opportunity to fit some seriously large wheels and rubber to this vehicle. I tend to be a purist on these sorts of matters, but I respect the person who chose to perform this work. The workmanship quality looks pretty reasonable in the photos, but I would like to take a closer look. If I am critical of anything, it is the choice of wheels. I don’t have an issue with the style, but I don’t believe that they are big enough. If a customizer will take the time and effort to fit such enormous flares, then the wheel and tire combination needs to fill these out adequately. I don’t believe that these do that job. Front and rear spoilers have also been added, along with Shelby-style scoops on the rear quarter panels. The owner describes the paint as a “good 10-footer.” It holds a decent shine, but he does say that the buyer might choose to treat the Mustang to a repaint. Rust is not an issue with this Fastback. The floors are clean, as are the engine bay and shock towers. The inside of the trunk has been replaced, and all of this combines to produce a Mustang that appears to be rust-free.
It isn’t just the body of this classic that has been treated to the hand of a customizer because things look very different under the hood. The engine bay originally housed a C-Code 289ci V8, but that’s gone the way of the dodo. In its place, we find a 347ci stroker V8. This is full of components that are designed to make this Mustang go as fast as it looks. The list is enormous and includes a BBK cold-air intake and throttle body, fuel injection, a ported GT40 intake, roller rockers, an aluminum flywheel, Hooker headers, an MSD ignition, and a 3-row radiator. The engine is freshly built, and it has so far cost the owner $13,000. Some details will need to be completed. The 4-speed Top-Loader transmission will need to be installed. There is a new wiring harness to be fitted, and new fuel lines will need to be installed from the composite fuel cell. The owner calls this car a beast, and it’s easy to see why.
There are no overall photos of the interior, but this one shows one of the few problems the buyer will need to tackle. The driver’s seat cover is ripped, although the one on the passenger side looks fine. The carpet is faded, but a new carpet set is included in the sale. A new headliner and trunk carpet are also there and waiting to be installed. The dash and pad appear to be perfect, while the same seems to be true of the door trims and rear trims. The owner states that there are also boxes of miscellaneous parts that will be included in the sale. Some of these are new, while some are good used pieces.
There will always be plenty of enthusiasts who would like nothing more than perform a faithful restoration on a classic car. Some people want to place their stamp on these cars and create something that will turn heads. That appears to have been the goal in this build. I do not doubt that if it is finished and returned to the street, some people will turn their heads so rapidly that they will be in danger of sustaining whiplash. It would be possible to return this Fastback to its original appearance and specifications because all of the parts to do so are readily available. I doubt that this will happen to this car. I believe that someone will complete this custom build and then have a blast driving a potent and distinctive classic. Could that person be you?
This is an odd listing, and giving Adam the benefit, he’s only going by what the ad says, but this is, or was, a VERY rare Mustang. It’s a 350 “H”, which stands for Hertz, but I read, were only made in ’66. Hertz, in conjunction with Shelby, made 1,000 “Rent-a-Racer” program Mustangs, which turned out to be a flop, as some would rent the car for a weekend, pull the Shelby motor, replace it with a regular V8 and return the car. James Garner had one in the movie “Grand Prix”. This doesn’t look like much damage, or if this is a clone, but something fishy with this one.
It’s a clone.
MorganW is right . .. This isn’t a Shelby, and that is what those cars were. It isn’t even marketed as one. It is a 65, and the Hertz cars were 66s, as mine is. It has a Ford VIN, and not a Shelby one. It has a Pony interior, and Shelbys didn’t. I could go on. Look past the paint, people. Wrong gas cap, missing emblems, no tach, the list goes on . . . Enjoy it for what it is, a custom Mustang, but don’t confuse things because of some stripes .. .
A friend of mines father did that with one. He was a crazy bastard.
There’s a lot to like here. It depends on what you want, no it’s not an authentic Shelby, but as the owner of a 1965 Mustang Convertible Shelby Clone myself I have some great parts in it and will have fun adding more parts that add to that Shelby feel and even make it better.
This Fastback does not need metal work and has a stout 347…the suspension looks like it could use some tasteful modifications…but considering how much time and money I have spent to have what I have…this $20,800 price is very good…I’m sure it will go up quite a bit more than that.
If I bought this fastback, all I would need to do is a rear disc conversion, suspension, seats…the more time consuming things are done….I’d be carving corners within a few weeks…instead of years …the paint does not look bad at all…i’d leave it.
I like the wide body kit on it and of course the 347 stroker will get things moving in a hurry. No trans in it now fuel lines and wiring need addressed, but that is one tough looking Mustang. One thing I’d want different would be a five or six speed transmission instead of the four speed, if the car was to see any street use. Nice machine.
No politics, please,,,we’re here to escape that foolishness.
Joe Biden’s car is a small block 67 Corvette.
Wasn’t there some bracing in the engine bay that went from the shock towers to the firewall? It looks like the remains of the brace is still on the driver’s side and absent on the passenger side. I don’t know much about Mustangs but I’d think those would be nice to have.
Anyone want to bet on the flares being fiberglass? Should start cracking off any minute. Not much style to them. The ones on the bare metal car looked really nice, these not so much. I’d keep the drive line and send the car to a good body shop metal worker.
If I can double my money I’m in this bet! One hit and plastic everywhere…..
Call the cops, that nice Mustang was brutally murdered.
I can’t stop laughing bud! The CSI crime lab is still doing investigations to confirm your comments!…..LOL
First glance, no. Second look… hmmm. Third look, I like it. Good start on what would be a fun car to own.