65-66 Mustang Reproduction Front Parking Brake Cable

The original Ford 65-66 Front Parking Brake Cables were made obsolete several years ago. Up to this point, only a plastic covered replacement was available.



That has changed, because we now have this exact reproduction that features the metal covering, the bracket and the rubber firewall sleeve. These cables for the 65-66 models just arrived, and we should have the 67-68 Front Parking Brake Cable soon.



Don't forget that we also have the exact reproduction cable available for the rear on a 1966 model.

1965-72 Ford Car Master Parts and Accessory Catalog on DVD

This is just a great source of information on one DVD. We have been very pleased with the quality and, of course, it is Ford Licensed. The Ford Car Master Parts and Accessory Catalog is the original manual used by Ford Technicians and Parts Counter People in the '60's and '70's to identify the correct service part for a Ford vehicle. It contains a comprehensive list of thousands of part numbers, thousands of diagrams, when part numbers changes in the middle of a production year, and other information necessary for any vintage car restoration. This manual covers the following models from 1965 to 1972:

Mustang

Maverick

Bronco

Thunderbird

Torino

Pinto


Fairlane

Falcon


With 6,089 pages this massive catalog has been both hard to find and extremely expensive. However, with today's computer technology, the entire manual has been digitally scanned into a high resolution DVD at an affordable price. And because it is in Adobe Reader format, catalog pages can be viewed, printed, or enlarged to 1600%. So, for the first time the novice and the experts have access to the same restoration information! PC Windows compatible. Advantages of a DVD format:·


All 6000+ pages fit onto a single DVD

Searchable - easier to find parts than printed versions

Print only the pages you need (if pages get soiled in the shop, just print a new one)

Zoom-in to over 1600% - this allows you to see the exact details of a part, unreadable in printed books

No software to load or install. Everything needed to view files are contained on the DVD.

Please order Part Number LT-919.




Ever wonder what the old printed version looks like? It's big and heavy!

Customer Car-1967 Purple Mustang Coupe

Today we have a very unusual car. Yes, it is purple. Yes, that is the original color. We will let the owners, Curly and Karon Long tell you about it.

About three years ago, a friend, knowing I had an affinity for Mustangs told me about a neighbor of their mother's that had one for sale. I bought my first one in '65-289 white fastback, which I regrettably sold. I bought a new '96 red convertible GT Gold package, which I still have-over 96,000 miles and going strong. I bought another red GT convertible in 2006.

The rest of the story on the '67 is that, when I went to see it for the first time, I really wasn't that interested in it. So, I made the guy a low-ball offer that I didn't expect he would take. But, OOPS, he took it.

So I've been on a sympathy restoration, that is what Jay Leno calls them, ever since. I thought the car needed more TLC than it had been getting so I trailered it home and began to investigate it. It had been repainted. It was a pathetically poor job. I decided I'd try to get it back to as much original as possible. I got the Kevin Marti report to help with the original paint color and other options. With the help of a lot of parts from Virginia Classic Mustang, some extensive body work and a great paint job, it is where it is today. Other than some body parts, the interior, engine, etc. are original and in respectable condition. I still have some questions for which I'm still looking for answers: The Marti report indicates a "Fleet Order" concerning the special Purple color. What or why was this special Purple color ordered? I would also like to know what dealer in the Chicago area ordered the car.

I'm going to start taking the car to some National Mustang Club of America shows starting this year and hope to pick the brains of some there to learn more about the car. In all the years of being around Mustangs, I've never seen a Purple Metallic one.
We want to thank Curly and Karon for sending us this information and the pictures. That's a very unique Mustang. We've never seen a Purple one either!

If you would like to see your car here, click here to drop us a line.

Mustang Sway Bars

One of the original modifications made to the 65-66 Shelby GT350 Mustangs was the addition of a one inch front sway bar. This is one of the best modifications that you can make to your Classic Mustang.

The stock front sway bar on a standard '65-66 Mustang was a small 5/8 inch size. This one inch kit will greatly improve your Mustang's handling abilities. The kit comes complete with frame brackets with insulators and end kits. The bushings are all made of a thermoplastic rubber. This material performs and lasts like polyurethane, but without the annoying squeaks.

We have Front Sway Bar kits for the following models:

65-66

67 (all except Big Block)

67 (Big Block)

68-70 (all except Big Block)

68-70 (Big Block)

71-73

We also have Mustang Rear Sway Bar Kits for the following models:

65-66

67-70

71-73

68-70 OE Replacement Only

71-73 OE Replacement Only

1966 GT350H "Clone"

We really want to thank Joe Boland for sending these images and information about his 1965 (66) GT350H "Clone." Joe really enjoys his Mustang, and it has never been on a trailer. Joe attended SAAC (Shelby American Automobile Club) 31 at Virginia International Speedway a few years ago and had a blast running around that great track! Most of the pictures are from this event. It's always great to see, I should say "hear," Joe pull into our lot here at Virginia Classic Mustang. We usually know who it is before we even look!

Joe always has more upgrades planned, but here is the current information that he provided about his cool Mustang:

1966 GT350H (Hertz) “Recreation”
Made from Red on Red 1965 Mustang 2+2, 5F09Cxxxxxx.
Owners: Joe & Barbara Boland.
1973 Ford 302 V-8, Approx. 240-250HP (194.2 RWHP 9/2006).
Weiand Stealth High Rise Manifold with new Holley 600 cfm 4 bbl. Carb.
Green Washable 14” Air Filter Element & K&N X-Stream Top Air Filter.
Re-built 1973 Ford C-4 3-Speed Auto. Transmission with Shift Kit.
1973 Ford Maverick 8” 3.00:1 Open Rear.
1965 Shelby Style Driveshaft Safety Loop.
Tri-Y headers, Flowmaster 40 series Mufflers & 2 ½” Aluminized Exhaust.
Shelby Style Export Brace & Monte Carlo Bar.
New 14-Circuit Painless Wiring Harness with 4-Way Emergency Flashers, New Auto Meter Gauges mounted in 1966 Instrument Panel.
Kenwood AM/FM/CD Stereo with 6-Speakers (Stereo Dash unit, 2) 5 ½” Pioneer Kick Panel .
1965 Shelby Package Tray, Spare Tire Mount & Trunk Mounted Battery.
Grab-A-Trak 620# 1” Lowering Front Coil Springs with Polyurethane Insulators, new Spring Perches & KYB Gas-Adjust Shocks.
Shelby Quick Ratio Steering Kit (Pitman Arm & Idler Arm).
Grab-A-Trak 4 1’2 Leaf mid-eye 1” Lowering Rear Springs & Polyurethane Shackle Kit, Cobra Automotive Heavy Duty Spring Plates with integral Traction Bar Brackets, Heavy Duty ½” U-Bolts, KYB Gas-Adjust Shocks, Traction Master Traction Bars & SMR Sub Frame Connectors.
SSBC Power Front Disc Brakes & stock 10” Rear Drum Brakes.
American Racing 15”x7” Torq Thrust-D Wheels with 215/60R15 Tires.

Ford Rotunda Compass

Just a quick post about a cool little accessory that some of you may have never seen. I guess you could say that it is the '65-66 version of a GPS system! It is actually just a compass that was a Ford Rotunda Accessory. It even takes a battery that powers a small internal light. The picture (and GPS joke) is courtesy of our friend and regular contributor, John Murphy.

66 Mustang Trans Am Coupe

This is one of the neatest Mustangs I have heard about. A 1966 coupe with a race history going all the way back to the 60's. A race history which includes a class win at the 1967 24 Hours of Daytona.

Many people don't realize that in 1966 Ford wanted to go racing to capitalize on the success that Shelby had enjoyed with the GT350. They delivered 20 1966 coupes to Shelby American to be prepped for the Trans Am race series. One of these, car #6, was actually prepared for FIA endurance racing.

One of the first things I noticed about this car are the lights on the doors. These were needed for car identification during the night portion of endurance races. The car owner, Jan Nelson, who has been involved with the car since its earliest days, told me that they are trailer lights from a local auto parts store! That is how they did it originally and that is how the car has been restored. Notice that the quarter ornaments are still in place. Not necessary for a race car but required by the rulebook.

I will post more information, and pictures, in a later post. I would like to thank Jan Nelson and Frank Dobias for showing me the car and answering about a million questions.

69-70 Fold Down Seat Trim is a match

Hi, its Sam from http://www.folddownseat.com/. Brant (Virginia Classic Mustang) sent me a set of 69-70 seat trim to evaluate for my website and for use in an upcoming magazine article (thanks Brant!). I have to say that I am very pleased with this new reproduction set. I installed the 69-70 specific trim pieces with no problem (the rest of the trim is the same as the 65-68 pieces already evaluated in detail on my webpage). In fairness though, I have to point out two things about this reproduction chrome trim.

First off, you need to be aware of the fact that this is a 13 piece set of chrome trim, and you are getting brand new chrome trim pieces at roughly $20 each. I pay $110 each to get original seat trim pieces replated locally. In that context, the reproduction chrome is not on par with high quality triple plated chrome. It is simply unrealistic to expect high quality chrome at the price this set sells for. It still looks good at a reasonable distance, and you really have to get up close to see the difference. The surface of the chrome that covers the carpet and is seen with the seat folded down is highly polished and smooth, and looks great. The surface of the chrome that is on the side of the seat, mostly unseen, is not as polished and smooth, and looks ok. That is the big difference in the chrome. The area of the chrome finish you are most likely to be disappointed with is unlikely to be seen once installed in the car.

The second thing is that the angle in the chrome going down into the recessed area is slightly different between the reproduction and the original. The trim piece still fits good, and still works well with the metal latch guide, but the metal latch guide does not fit perfectly in the recess on the reproduction like it does on the original.

The pieces are pictured in detail on my trim page here...http://www.folddownseat.com/Reproseattrim.htm

Overall I think this is a good reproduction, well worth the price, and would make a great addition to any 69-70 Mustang fold down seat as-is with no modifications necessary.

If anybody has any questions, or would like more detailed high resolution pictures, please feel free to contact me at Sam@folddownseat.com.

Thanks again to Brant for the parts to evaluate as well as the venue here to provide this information to the public.

Sam

NOTE: We now have these Mustang Fold Down Rear Seat Chrome Sets in Stock!

Click here to order:

65-68 Mustang Rear Folding Seat Chrome Set

69-70 Mustang Rear Folding Seat Chrome Set

We want to thank Sam for his honest (and we did not edit his post at all!) evaluation. Check out his web site!

Mustang Towne Tops (Hardtops)

Again, we want to thank our friend, John Murphy for providing the great information and pictures about this Hardtop that was available for the '65-66 Mustangs. It is truly a unique accessory, and John knows more about these tops than anyone. These pictures are of the top installed on his beautiful 1966 Mustang Convertible that we have featured here in our Blog. Also check out the article about this Mustang in the January 2008 edition of Mustang Monthly.

Here's John's story:


Here are more images and information than you will probably need or
want about the Towne Top. Included you will find photos of the mounting
brackets and hardware, an instruction sheet that came with all of the tops,
a short history of these tops and details showing how different areas of the
top mate to the car. This top was made by Dory Development Co. of New York,
the design beginning shortly after the introduction of the Mustang on April
17, 1964. Mr. Moss had already made removable tops for the Corvair
convertible, and as soon as he saw his first Mustang he knew they were going
to be a popular car and wanted to supply a top for this stylish personal
sized car being sold by Ford dealers across the nation. He employed one
salesman who contacted "Ford dealers, upscale garages and trend setting auto
parts suppliers" and urged them to market the Towne Top. I have most of the
sales records for the Towne Tops showing where each was sold. At a retail
price of $289.00 they failed to attract the attention of many buyers, and
at some time the remainder of the inventory was destroyed.

As an interesting note, the Dory Development Corporation was not the
only company who designed and sold "take off" tops for the early Mustangs.
Parrish Plastics manufactured tops as well. You can see a picture of a
Parrish Plastic Company top in "Mustang Does It", a very nice hardbound book
published in 1978 by the Evergreen Press (Ray Miller, author). In 1994,
Jerry Hensley wrote an article for Mustang Monthly showing both types of
tops. The Parrish top used the rear glass from a Mustang coupe while the
Towne Top used a flat glass rear window. Both mounted pretty much the same
way, and both tops are very rare. Parrish also made tops for mid year
Corvettes (1963 - 67). At this time, we know of three of each brand of top
that are in good enough condition to be mounted on a car and used. I have
information locating several other tops but they are at this time either in
storage or "undergoing restoration"

I have driven this car with top attached at speeds in excess of 85 MPH
and can assure you that with fresh weather striping it is as quiet as a
coupe. The car is very tight and solid with the top on and also very quiet.
It is a "two man" job to install or remove, the top weighing about 85 pounds
and also too large for an ordinary sized person to grasp. The Towne Tops
came in either black or tan, and options included a stainless bar making it
look a bit like a Crown Victoria of the mid fifties, and a dome light.

Should you know of one of these rare accessories we would ask two things -
share this information with the owner, and ask him or her to contact John
Murphy, 309 13th St., Pawnee Il 62558 and share the story of their top.
Thanks for your interest in this very rare accessory for an early Mustang.

1965 GT350 Mustang

When you get a chance, check out the April 2008 edition of Mustang Monthly. That's our very own '65 GT350 Mustang featured. As always, our friend, Jim Smart did a fantastic job with the article. Jim has been writing about Mustangs and Shelbys for probably over 25 years now!

289 High Performance Mustang Convertible

If you have ever visited our showroom here at Virginia Classic Mustang, you have probably seen our early '65 289 High Performance (K Code) Convertible. This Mustang has been around longer than any car we own. It was purchased around 1981 or 1982. We restored it, showed it, and it's been in our showroom for quite some time.

Recently, we decided to "re-restore" this Mustang. It is now at Maple Hill Restoration. It will probably be several years before the re-restoration is complete. We hope to provide periodic updates with photos. Stay tuned...

The 289 High Performance Mustang

It is no secret that my favorite Mustang is the 289 High Performance "K Code," which also includes the '65-66 GT-350's. The book pictured here, LT-50, is now in it's fourth edition. It is a great book for the K Code owner or enthusiast and explains with text and pictures what makes the K Code Mustang unique. Many consider it the "bible" for the K Code 289 High Performance Mustang.

You may want to also visit the companion web site - http://www.hipomustang.com/ and the fantastic forum on the site. You will find lots of great information there.

John Murphy's 1966 Mustang Convertible

Story by John Murphy, owner of this 1966 Mustang Convertible.

This car is loaded with creature comforts and is an absolutely rust free example of a 66 Mustang. The reproduced invoice lists the equipment, and we have had many enjoyable miles in this car over the last 20 plus years. In the evenings with the top down there is nothing better, and when the broiling sun is at high noon the top goes up and the air conditioning goes on. Tunes from an AM/FM radio on an oldies station, this car is a pleasure to drive. Have taken it to New Mexico, the East coast and the Florida beaches, and is a great road car. 17 - 18 miles per gallon can be expected which by today's standards is not great, but typical of cars with automatic transmissions and air conditioning during the mid sixties. The convertible top is white and helps keep the car cool on hot summer days. This car was restored in 1987 with the help of a great many members of the Central Illinois Mustang club. Mark Patrick installed the seat covers, and my good friend Kenny Crow furnished not only the paint booth but also the talent to apply the Ditzler base coat/clear coat in Springtime Yellow. Mechanically freshened with .030 bore; balanced, hardened valve seats and careful assembly, you really cannot feel it idle. The thermactor system is fully functional, and the bottom of the car is completely detailed to replicate its condition when sold in the fall of 1965. The car was shown in the MCA concourse driven category and now is an MCA retired car, still attracting positive comments at major Mustang shows. Always driven, never on a trailer! I feel fortunate to own such a nicely equipped example of an early Mustang, and Janice and I are committed to being good caretakers. Again, these cars just simply must be driven to fully appreciate their full value.

This car now is equipped with a removable hardtop, an extremely rare accessory. In the future you will get more images of the top and copies of the original sales literature that was given to Ford dealers as "sales aides" so they could sell customers of new Mustangs a winter top.

We want to thank John for providing this story and the pictures of this incredible car. This Mustang Convertible was also recently featured in the January edition of Mustang Monthly Magazine. You are probably thinking that he is lucky to have his beautiful High Performance Fastback that we have featured here, and then you see this Mustang Convertible! What a great collection!

Mustang Power Steering Cylinders

Yesterday, we talked about having a choice between different quality levels of the same part. Here is another great example-the Mustang Power Steering Cylinder. There is an imported reproduction offered that is only really correct for the 1967-70 model.


For just a bit more money, you can buy a much better USA Made cylinder. It is available in the correct 1965-66 size and the 1967-70 size. We sell lots more of the USA Made ones than the imported ones. We also have virtually no returns on these nicer parts.
Also, don't forget the boot kit. This is one of our most popular parts.

Mustang Outside Chrome Door Handle Kit

There are several parts that we offer that allow you to make a choice between a "show quality" part and a "budget" part. One of the best examples is the Mustang Outside Door Handle Kit. We offer the imported versions for 65-66 and 69-70 models and 67-68 models.

There is also a USA Made version specifically for all of the 65-70 models:

• 1965-66
• 1967-68
• 1969-70

Well, you are probably wondering what the difference is, besides the price. The USA versions are more complete by including the rear button mechanism. More importantly though, they feature much better and more durable chrome. The button mechanism works better also.

I had original N.O.S. Ford door handles on my own car. I actually took them off and installed the USA reproductions. The chrome looked better than the Ford ones and the buttons worked much better.

We hope to feature more Mustang parts here that offer you a choice such as these door handle kits.