Steve Magnante's 1001 Mustang Facts. Steve Magnante
available until the 1968 model year.
38 Carroll Shelby knew buyers of his GT350 Mustangs needed better protection than the stock 2-inch-wide seatbelts could provide. Thus, each of the 561 fastbacks shipped from Ford’s San Jose plant to Shelby’s Venice modification center were ordered with the seatbelt delete credit. Shelby used the Mustang’s federally mandated anchor points to install 3-inch racing belts made by Ray Brown Automotive (RBA). Late in the 1966 GT350 production run (2,378 built), Shelby switched from RBA belts to similar 3-inch units made by Impact. Each supplier stitched specific manufacturer identification labels into the webbing. Impact metal attachment hooks are slightly longer than those provided by RBA.
39 Early 1965 Mustang hoods differ from later 1965 and 1966 stampings. They have a sharp flange near the headlamp edge that could cut skin if fingers groped for the latch release mechanism. Adding a small amount of metal to the pre-stamped hood skin so the area could be rolled under during manufacture eliminated this hazard.
40 The special scooped hood used on the 1965 and 1966 GT350 was a constant headache for Shelby’s conversion team. The earliest hoods were all fiberglass with an 8-inch-diameter circular air-inlet hole that trapped pebbles precariously close to the carburetor inlet area. Within months, the air passage hole was enlarged to match the footprint of the centrally located scoop to eliminate the debris trap. Both of these fiberglass hoods were prone to warping. So, a third hood design replaced the fiberglass underhood brace with a standard Mustang steel brace. Fiberglass mat and resin held the dissimilar materials together. These hoods cost Shelby a hefty $65 each.
This fiberglass-on-steel GT350 hood was one of several configurations Shelby used as he battled quality control problems. Fact No. 40 has the full scoop.
41 Another move intended to prevent warped hood skins was the elimination of the hood hinge lift-assist springs on the later 1965 and most 1966 GT350s. A simple metal prop rod held the hood open for service. Ironically, the “kinder, gentler” 1966 models were the largest recipients of this decidedly race-only touch.
42 The first Mustang’s compact and sporty automatic transmission floor shift unit enjoyed a production run that lasted well into the 1980s aboard such varied Blue Oval machinery as the Pinto, Fairmont, Granada, and Bronco. Although Ford shuffled the material and color, the same basic ratchet mechanism and button-release T-handle has become a common sight atop the transmission tunnel. Precise and efficient, early Ford Mustang Funny Car drivers even used the unit to control their C6 automatics at race speeds nearing 200 mph.
43 Ford took some lumps from magazine critics who noticed the poor fitment of Mustang’s grille and headlamp components. Exposed screw heads, misaligned panel intersections, and uneven gaps were the result of cost-cutting measures. Ford solved the issue by making the headlamp surround a simpler, one-piece item starting in 1967.
44 As a mass-produced car, Mustang factory paint jobs often contained some runs, surface grit, and other blemishes. Sure, quality control inspectors did their best to sidetrack glaring offenses, but it’s a fact that a trained eye could pick out a flaw within a minute of looking. To get an idea of the conditions in the Ford spray booths that churned out nearly 700,000 1965 ’Stangs, Google the Martha Reeves and the Vandellas’ “Nowhere to Run” music video. Watch (stunned) as the trio dances through an active spray booth. The stunning detail is that none of the workers wears any sort of breathing protection whatsoever.
45 Ford came very close to reviving the 1957–1959 retractable hardtop roof as a Mustang option for 1966. Styling studio archive photos depict a fully functional prototype built with company resources by Ford’s Ben Smith (the man behind the original Fairlane 500/Galaxie 500 Skyliner program). A disagreement between Smith and Ford terminated the project. Smith wanted the articulated steel roof panels and trunk cover to be manually operated while the Ford marketing team demanded a more elaborate electro-hydraulic lift apparatus. A total of 48,394 full-size Skyliners were built (20,766 in 1957, 14,713 in 1958, and 12,915 in 1959). The whereabouts of the 1966 Mustang retractable hardtop prototype are unknown, although it was quite probably crushed, as were most dead-end styling exercises of the day.
46 Had Ford green-lit the 1966 retractable hardtop roof program, Mustang would have been the only pony car offered with four body configurations (standard coupe, fastback 2+2, soft top convertible, and retractable steel hardtop convertible). By contrast, Mustang’s chief competitor, the 1967–1969 Camaro/Firebird was offered in only two body styles (hardtop and convertible). The 1967–1969 Plymouth Barracuda matched Mustang’s coupe-fastback-convertible menu; the 1967–1968 Mercury Cougar and 1968–1974 AMC Javelin/AMX were single body style propositions. The Cougar was capped with a single fixed hardtop roof (a convertible was added for 1969), while the AMC pony offering was fastback only from start to finish.
47 To accommodate the folded steel roof within its trunk compartment, the rear quarter panels of the Ben Smith/Ford 1966 Mustang retractable prototype were stretched 6 inches longer than stock. Even though the 108-inch wheelbase was unaltered, the lengthened tail compromised the Mustang’s long-hood/short-deck formula with mixed results. The rear-hinged clamshell trunk panel (similar to the configuration employed on the 1957–1959 Skyliner) forced the relocation of the gas cap from the taillight panel to a spot above the driver-side rear tire. Had it reached production, the retractable hardtop Mustang would have likely earned a reputation for being tail-heavy and prone to oversteering because of the added mass concentrated behind the rear axle.
48 Ford did Mustang collectors a great favor by stamping the so-called “warranty plate” with information describing body configuration, color, trim level, vehicle assembly date, dealer location, engine type, transmission type, rear axle type, and the full VIN. It’s all very helpful in verifying how a Mustang was originally built. The downside is that while the plate is permanently affixed to the driver’s door with rivets, if the bolt-on door is lost to an accident or rust repair, so is the warranty plate, unless care is taken to retain it. The availability of reproduction warranty plates further complicates matters for today’s collectors.
49 Early and late 1965 Mustang warranty plates measured approximately 2×3 inches. For 1966, the 3-inch length was retained but the height of the tag was cut in half. Both tag configurations shared the same amount of data (see above) and rivet mounting-hole spacing. Ford stamped the tags from aluminum to prevent rust although severe climate exposure can still trigger corrosion. The aluminum tags were used until the 1970 model year when a more vulnerable adhesive-backed sticker was substituted.
50 Speaking of identification badges, the subtly elegant die-cast metal Mustang logos affixed to the front fenders of all non-GT models came in two sizes. Early 1965 emblems are smaller (4⅜ inches long) than late 1965 and 1966 units (4¾ inches). The two emblems share the same font, but the later design pulls the letters a bit taller. There is no record of why this subtle change was made.
When it comes to front fender emblems, one size fits all, right? Not so fast. Fact No. 50 tells the tale.
51 The quartet of 1966 Shelby GT350 convertibles (see Fact No. 13) stands as the only Hi-Po 289 Mustangs built with factory installed air conditioning. Although Ford engineering had not certified the Hi-Po cooling system for the added burden of A/C, Carroll Shelby worked with Ray Geddes, head of Ford’s Special Vehicles department, to successfully sway the San Jose plant manager into filling the order for four A/C equipped K-code ragtops. To deflect heat, each GT350 convertible had a white top. One of the four GT350 convertibles (6S2378, Sapphire Blue with an automatic transmission) was shipped to Geddes in Dearborn when it was new; it served as his employee car.
52 Contrary to popular belief, the 271-hp 289 Hi-Po (K-code) engine blocks did not feature four-bolt main bearing caps. Yes, the Hi-Po