The 1965 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 was offered in a single exterior paint option: Wimbledon White with optional Guardsman Blue Lemans stripes that ran down the center of the body. With a functional hood scoop, the fiberglass hood of the car also made it something of an icon on the road. In 1965, Ford had been spurned by the SCCA, the sanctioning body for amateur sports car racing in this country. The severely independent SCCA seemingly did not appreciate being muscled by a large corporation, so Ford turned to Carroll Shelby. The SCCA said in order for Carroll’s cars to be sanctioned, there needed to be 100 of them.
The brand new 1965 GT350 was powered by a Ford 289 CI V-8 but with some Kobra Kustom accessories bolted on. Shelby started with the 271 HP K-code High-Performance version of the 289 CI V-8 and added a high-riser intake manifold, welded-tube headers and cast-aluminum valve-rocker covers, which raised peak power to 306 HP, and the pressed-steel stock oil sump was replaced with a large cast-aluminum sump with cooling fins. It also featured a 4-speed manual transmission and side-exhaust pipes fitted with 2-inch Glasspak mufflers. A 9-inch differential fitted with 3.89 rear gears transferred the grunt of the 289 to the pavement. Most notably, the 1965 GT350 had no rear seat because SCCA B Production requirements only permitted two-seater cars. In its place was a fiberglass floor with a spare tire mounted beneath the rear glass.
According to Shelby American factory records, this chassis was received at the Shelby American Los Angeles, California, facility on June 22, 1965 and work was finished on June 29, 1965. Ford used this example as a public relations car before it was shipped to Fuller Ford Inc. in Cincinnati, Ohio, for the price of $3,054.25.
This example was comprehensively restored, with the body taken down to bare metal, primed and block sanded until the desired finish was reached. Several coats of base and clear were applied. The interior was refinished with its correct dash-mounted pod with 8,000 RPM tach and oil pressure gauge, factory racing lap belts, a 15-inch wood-rimmed steering wheel and the factory radio-delete plate. Under the hood, the engine compartment was comprehensively detailed, highlighting the HiPo 289/306 HP engine that is backed by the prerequisite 4-speed transmission and Ford 9-inch rear end with Detroit locker. The floors are also finished in the correct factory-style red oxide primer with body-color overspray and blacked-out pinch welds. The overall look and unmistakable sound of the car comes from the factory exhaust that exits through the side just in front of the optional Cragar wheels with Goodyear Blue Dot tires. An example of American muscle car history, the 1965 Shelby GT350s were the first of their breed, purpose built, very rare and unique.
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