1965 Ford Mustang

Convertible

289 HiPo

Manual

5F08K999999

Clear

Gasoline

I purchased this particular car in either 2001 or 2002. It had been sitting since approximately 1976 when I made the car mine. Upon arrival to my home it proceeded to set for more years while I chased life. It was not a running and driving car when I purchased it but it was pretty much totally original and had never been tampered with except for the previous owner having it repainted in a darker blue. It's overall untouched condition is what drew me to it. Several years passed and I finally decided to move forward with doing something with the car. At that point, the original engine was removed for the first time and a no-expense spared rebuild took place. The engine was fully checked and rebuilt. A new clutch, pressure plate and release bearing was installed. To finish everything off an exhaust system was also bought and everything was placed back into the car. Before doing so, the engine bay was treated to a good cleaning and new paint was applied. The car was then cranked and was back up and running for the first time since 1976. Man it sounded good! Shortly after that, this story takes a little bit of a twist. A good friend of mine residing in Las Vegas learned of my possessing this fairly rare car and he reached out to me regarding it. A deal was quickly struck and the car now changed hands. Away to Las Vegas it went. Once there, my friend rolled it off the trailer and sent it away to a restoration shop for it to begin enjoying a thorough restoration. A while later the car was returned to my friend but by then his interests had changed. The car was again put out to pasture in my friend's driveway where it would sit baking in the hot, dry Vegas sun for a another number of years. During this time the car was not moved or cranked up and the sun was relentless in it's cooking of the freshly applied paint. As you can guess, the car quickly deteriorated and this caused my friend to lose even more interest. So, in June of 2017 I struck a deal with him and the car headed back to my home. To prepare it for shipping, parts and pieces were hung back on the car and it made it's way back to North Carolina. With the car back in NC, I took it back to the shop that had rebuilt the engine originally and asked them to get the car back up and running and driving. They proceeded to change the fluids, replace the spark plugs, add a new battery, replace the water pump and rebuild the original carburetor. The brakes were also freshened up at that time. I can now say the cars runs beautifully and it can be safely driven which was my initial goal because I wanted to be able to take it out for a drive even if it was not the prettiest car in the world. By the way, the engine probably still has less than 5 hours of run-time on it. Now my interests have changed and I too am ready to let it go. I recently purchased another car that is currently receiving all of my attention. While the car still needs work, it is a running, driving and numbers matching 289 HiPo convertible that I can attest to it's originality. Some of the statistics that I have found regarding these HiPo cars is that there were approximately 7,273 HiPo Mustangs built from 1964.5 - 1965. Of those, only approximately 1,057 have been located and reported with 182 of them being convertibles. Keep in mind the Ford records for these particular years were lost in a fire so the numbers I have listed are what I will call educated guesses and that is where I will leave it. I recognize a nice C or A code convertible can be purchased for approximately what I am looking to get out of this particular car but why not consider this very rare HiPo K Mustang that you can drive and enjoy while you are preparing to take it to the next level? Once finished you will have something that is numbers matching that is beginning to command some fairly substantial dollars in both the private and public auction sectors. Before diving in to finish the car, drive it for the summer or for 5 summers. Your choice. To talk a little more specifics about the car. I have included 24 descriptive pictures of what it is and is not. I have a total of approximately 150 additional pictures that I will gladly share with any interested party. You simply need to reach out to me with your email address and I can send you the link. My goal is that anyone that looks at all of the pictures will have a very good idea of the condition and completeness of it. Again, parts were hung for shipping purposes and they may need some tightening and/or adjusting but I would not be afraid to drive this car as-is. There are also additional parts that come with the car such as the door and side glass, visors, various chrome and other brackets and such. Included are new door panels as well. I cannot guarantee every single item is included but I believe the vast majority of stuff is there. You will need the various gaskets/seals, chrome items such as door handles and letters. The nice thing about it though is that anyone that deals with these old Mustangs knows that parts for this particular car are relatively inexpensive and plentiful! The convertible hydraulic lines are new and the weathered, ripped and worn electric top goes up and down effortlessly. The only item that I will suggest the new owner address sooner than later is the ignition switch does not always return to it's resting spot after the engine has been cranked. I have to make sure I physically move it back or the starter may stay engaged. I believe this part can be lubed but I have not tried it. Summary of the car:Numbers matching. The VIN# stamped on the engine matches the Title, Door Data Tag and the fender aprons. Have original door data tagOriginal transmission and rearendFreshly rebuilt engine along with new clutch assembly and exhaust systemFresh brakesNew carpet, door panels, interior panels along with other items that I have surely forgotten aboutTires are in great condition and wheels are goodOnly partial floor pans replaced. You will see some surface rust on the replacement items but a wire brush will take care of thatOriginal under the hood (all panels original and un-altered in any way)Minimal metal work done under car and in trunk area (see pics)Title is free and clear in my nameCan be driven as-isElectric convertible topReplaced quarters, fenders and some items in the trunk areaNo known rust repairs neededPer Door Data Tag: Body - 76A(Convertible); Color - Y(Silver Blue Metallic); Trim - 22(Blue Crinkle Vinyl, Standard Interior); Date - 23R(April 23, 1965); DSO - 13(New York); Axle - 5(3.50:1, Conventional); Trans - 5(4 speed)Build date is such that this car could have been a GT and my friend had planned on making it into one. That is why the car has a GT rear valance panel but that can be easily replacedI know this has been very long-winded but my goal was to present "over-the-top" information and pictures for this auction so that a buyer can get totally comfortable with the car without physically seeing it. I do encourage any interested individual to come and view the car if possible but please keep in mind that inspections must be completed prior to the auction ending. If you win the auction, I consider the car sold and payment will be expected without an accompanying inspection. Questions are also welcomed for items that I failed to address in the pictures or dialogue. The title is free and clear in my name and I reserve the right to end the auction at any time and for any reason without prior notice. The car is being sold as-is with no written or implied warranty. Car will not be released until all funds have been verified by my bank. That means that even if you plan on paying with a certified check, I must have it in advance of the Mustang being picked up because my bank will have to confirm everything before the car will be released. Sorry but there are some bad people out there that will stop at nothing to cheat others out of what they have worked so hard for. Shipping will be at the sole discretion and cost of the buyer but I will help any way that I can. I am willing to store the car at my home in a safe and protected garage for a reasonable amount of time but the payment guidelines above must be followed.