Beskrivning
Ford Mustang 1966 GT Coupe, 4. 7ltr, 289cui, in beautiful Wimbledon White. Stunning example of the sought after factory built GT model with the upgraded 225hp "A" Code engine.
"Sally" rolled off the Dearborn, Michigan plant on 22/ 10/ 65 and was owned for 11 years before being sold into a private collection where is remained for 24 years. She was then sold into another private collection for a further 16 years, before eventually being purchased on eBay and imported into the UK in 2015 with only 22, 706 miles on the clock. I bought the car January 2023 so, in total, 3 USA and 2 UK owners.
For those of you looking to identify a genuine GT version, these are the clues (I've included a few photos as proof):-
Externally
1. GT petrol cap
2. Rear panel cut-outs for the exhaust tips
3. Side stripes
4. Mustang lettering on the front wing
5. GT badge on the front wing
6. Disc brakes on front
7. Front fog lamps and bar built into the grill
Engine bay
1. Lip on inside of fog lamp wiring hole (see photo)
2. VIN stamped on the inner wing must have A or K as the 5th digit (see photo)
3. Wider sway bar
Internally
1. Under rear seat, additional plates on left and right to support the GT dual exhaust hangers, in addition to a small, 2-stud plate in the centre where the bolts are mounted under the rear of the car (see photo)
2. Fog lamp switch bottom left of steering wheel
3. Disc brake pedal has the medal stamped into it
If any of these are missing it is not a genuine GT and I can confirm all these are present and correct, with further photographic evidence available upon request.
This car comes with an incredible history file, including the original purchase receipt and, unbelievably, the original set of keys still has the paper dealership tag attached! Whilst there are some receipts from when the car was in US ownership, the most impressive records are the huge file of receipts from the work carried out by the former owner after he imported it, totalling almost £14k. I have also kept receipts for the work I have done, albeit there aren't many as this car has wanted for nothing except servicing (carried out in 2024). Furthermore, and despite it not being a requirement, it has been put through an MOT every year since it was imported and has just passed it's MOT again, with no advisories.
On its arrival in the UK, the car was virtually as it had left the factory in 1965 and Paul, the UK buyer, was a little reluctant to change that. However, after a lot of soul searching, he decided to carry out some "sympathetic modifications" most of which were to upgrade to a specification he would have ordered, whilst others were to improve the overall driving experience. These include:-
Torque Thrust Wheels
Power Brake Booster
Tri Y Headers
Stainless Steel H Pipe
Upgraded Power Steering
Export Brace
Edelbrock 4BBL carburettor
Alternator
Electric fan and radiator
Rear leaf springs
Interior completely removed and Dynamat sound-proofing fitted
New carpets, door cards and custom mats
Pony re-upholstered seats in contrasting black/ white, they look fabulous against the rest of the car's interior
Rally Pac gauges
Centre console
Bluetooth Retro Slide Radio
LED bulb upgrades.... plus a whole lot more.
Following my purchase in 2023 I carried out the following:-
New spark plugs and HT leads
Vintage 20w/ 50 oil/ filter change
Transmission fluid/ filter change
Air filter clean (they are reusable)
New battery
Rear main oil seal
This is by no means a "concours" car but, overall, the condition is incredible considering it's nearly 60 years old. It's a real head-turner. The white paintwork still gleams in the sun, as do the chrome bumpers and trim. The headlining looks like it was fitted only yesterday and the engine bay is really clean. I cannot take credit for the amount of work that has been done to this car to keep it in tip-top running order and looking so good. Paul did all the hard work and I have dozens of photos to share with any interested parties showing the numerous jobs he undertook.
During my ownership (and Paul's for that matter) it has always been garaged (insurance requirement) and, last winter, I went to the expense of purchasing a climate-controlled Carcoon to store it in (not included in sale but could be negotiable).
The car will be sold with all the provenance, 3 sets of keys, interior full-size dust cover, original check boot liner and even a couple of show winning trophies!
You'll struggle to find another genuine GT Coupe in the UK with such low mileage that looks and drives as well as this for the money I am asking. So please bear this in mind if you are seriously interested, however, I am open to sensible offers. As mentioned, I have a huge file of receipts and photos, some of which I shall upload as part of the advert, others can be requested. Any questions, don't hesitate to ask. As soon as I saw this beauty advertised on carandclassic. com I knew I wanted it. I drove 150 miles to Gateshead to meet the former owner, Paul, and I could tell how passionate he was about the car just from the way he described the process of buying and importing from the USA, then spending 8 years lovingly restoring or replacing whatever was needed to bring the car up to the standard it is now.
The specification on the original sales receipt shows:-
289 Cu In. 4. 7L, 225HP, ‘A’ Code V8 with 4bbl carburettor and C4 ‘Cruise-o-Matic’ gearbox. Factory-built GT including:- manual front disc brakes, larger single master cylinder and proportioning valve, grill-mounted fog lights, GT gas cap, F70x14 tyres, GT rocker paint stripes, GT side emblems, special exhaust trumpets protruding though the rear valance. Special handling package, which included; increased rate front and rear springs, heavy duty shock absorbers, 16:1 quick ratio steering and larger diameter front roll bar.
Also specified on the original invoice (included) is the black vinyl roof ($74), interior décor group ($94), power steering ($84), AM radio ($57), deluxe seat belts ($14), tinted windshield ($21), visibility group ($29), 695x14 white wall tyres ($33) and wire wheel covers ($58).
Total cost including delivery $3, 405. 20
What I also love about the car is the ownership history. It was ordered late 1965 by Don Fuller, from Elkhart, Indiana, a Korean War veteran (with a Purple Heart and 3 Bronze stars to his name) and later a TV executive, for his wife Rose. Don wrote in an email to Paul back in 2015, "Rose wanted that new little car being built by Ford as a runabout to get the groceries" as she'd seen it on tv. So off they went to the local Ford dealership, Jordan Motors of Mishakawa, and placed the order. The car was delivered to the dealer in November of that year for them to collect. Don sadly passed away only 3 years ago, which is such a shame as I really wanted to try and contact him or his family and update them on the whereabouts of Sally. However, that wasn't to be, but the history of ownership is as follows:
1965 to 1976 - Don and Rose Fuller, Elkhart Indiana
1976 to 1999 - Bill and Elsie Goodsene, also Elkhart, Indiana, private collection
1999 to 2015 - Dave and Peggy Howard, Grandville, Michigan, private collection
2015 – 2023 – Paul Terry, Gateshead, winning bidder on eBay, imported with 22, 706 recorded miles and owned until February 2023, mileage 37, 000 when sold to myself. I have only added 1, 500 miles since buying it from Paul.
The fact that all the previous owners held onto the original plastic key ring, the original keys, the owner-card and the owner's manual, all presented to Don and Rose when they first collected the car, is unique and such a rarity, especially for car that's not only nearly 60 years old, but that it's crossed "the pond" and now in use in the UK. And with such low mileage too is so impressive.
This is a genuine head-turner, when I take this out on the road, people just stop and stare, especially at petrol stations. I once filled up, went into the kiosk to pay and when I returned to the car there was a guy sitting in the driver's seat chatting to my wife! He said sorry, but he just had to sit in what he said was his "favourite American car". This has happened on numerous occasions and makes me feel very proud to be the current "custodian" of Sally. It just puts a smile on my face every time I take her out and I know it will do the same for the next lucky owner.
