 1965 Ford Mustang 2+2 Fastback |
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If ever there was an automobile that redefined American styling it is the Mustang Fastback. America's original
"Pony Car" debuted in mid-year of 1964 as a notchback coupe or convertable. Dated as a 64 1/2 it was an absolute
styling marvel but just when you thought it couldn't get any better, for the 1965 model year they introduced the
2+2 Fastback. Not necessarily a muscle car, the Mustang was designed to be a four-seater sport coupe that was
light and nimble and able to satisfy more than one demographic.It was a car for any and every one it seemed and with
three body styles (Coupe, Convertable and Fastback), you could be practical,free spirited or sporty.The Fastback brought a performance look to Mustang, they even looked fast. The "Flo-Thru" air-extractor grilles behind the side windows helped out with ventilation and the fold down rear seat allowed you to carry longer items and still be able to close the trunk lid.On top of all that, the car was very affordable with prices starting at a very reasonable $2589! Power choices were limited due the car's size class, but what was available was pretty good stuff. The base engine starting in September 1964 was a 200 cu. in. in-line six with 120-horsepower. All of the V-8 options were 289's after September (the 164-horsepower 260 cu.in. V-8 was discontinued) and two of the three choices were four barrel motors. The base V8 was a 289 with a 2-barrel carb rated at 195-horsepower. The mid-range was a 225-horsepower 4-barrel engine. The standard transmission was a 3-speed manual with an optional 4-speed or an automatic. The "King of the Hill" was the 289 Hi-Performance boasting 271-horsepower@6000RPM and 312 ft/lbs. of torque@3400. Ordering the Hi-Po motor automatically signed you up for the 4-speed transmission at the additional cost. The automatic wasn't available with the 289 Hi-Po until 1966.The Hi-Performance 289 was also the only engine that was offered with the optional 3.89 or 4.11 gears. These cars with a good driver and 4.11 gears could give a good number of small block muscle and pony cars a run for the money because they were high strung without being overly tempermental.The 4-inch bore coupled with the 2.87 inch stroke allowed these motors to scream once it got rolling and the deep gears insured that you got rolling in a hurry! The Mustang proved to be a new kind of driving experiance that appealed to the masses,so much so, that the basic format has survived to this day, 45 years later!So, whether it's used as sporty runabout or a feather weight street fighter the driving experiance that is Mustang is what it always was, improved upon but not change, the light, nimble and enjoyable little sport coupe that was and always will be America's original Pony Car. |