Survivor 1965 Mustang Fastback keeps its originality in the hands of hot-rodder

by Sam Barer

One of the greatest aspects of the Northwest is that wonderful collector cars are everywhere.  You can’t go a single sunny day without seeing at least one car you wish called your garage home.  Case and point, on my way home after delivering pictures to the owner of last week’s Lamborghini, I drove past a wonderful 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback with a “for sale” sign perched in the window.

Carefully applying my brakes (activating the ABS,) I darted onto the side street.  Call it car-crazy window-shopping, since I’ve received the no-more-cars ultimatum from my wife.  Opening the door to the house was owner Ben Smetak, a red-blooded American hot-rodder and staff member of Cool Creek Nights car shows who purchased the Mustang with the intent of modifying it. Smetak built his first hot-rod upon returning from Viet Nam in 1970, a gorgeous 1923 T-bucket. Ready for a change, he sold it this past spring before getting the Mustang. Upon research, he realized how darn original the Mustang was and didn’t have the heart to change it.  Hence, he decided to sell after enjoying it for the summer and buy another car to hot-rod.

Unlike many rodders, Smetak appreciates the integrity of original survivor cars, which we in the collector car hobby respect. 

Ford produced almost 560,000 Mustangs in 1965, plus another 110,000 that despite collectors considering them as 64 ½, are classified by Ford as 1965 model year cars.  Mustangs immediately proved one of the fastest selling cars in history, and literally invented the “pony car” market segment that later included GM’s Camaro and Firebird. In 1965, a Fastback two-plus-two coupe was added along side the notchback Hardtop and Convertible body styles on showroom floors. 

The affordable Mustang Fastback proved to be all things to all people.  In six-cylinder form it was a fuel-efficient commuter.  Fold-flat rear seats enabled children to ride with comfort, making it perfect for a family tourer.  Motivated by the 289ci pushrod V8, however, it was a sports car for the street, and in high-po tune with up-rated suspension it was capable of winning weekend road races. Carroll Shelby even used the Fastback as the basis for his legendary GT350 cars.

Returning a day later with my camera and notebook, I again meet Smetak and the pretty Mustang. This car is truly a mid-level Mustang. As a Fastback, it was more expensive than the notchback Hardtop but less than the Convertible. It has the standard three-speed transmission, rather than the optional four-speed, and offers the optional lower state-of-tuneV8 engine with two-barrel carburetor, although a four-barrel has now been added. The car maintains its original red vinyl interior to match its Ragoon Red exterior. 

We hop in the car and I familiarize myself with the user-friendly cockpit.  The deep-dish steering wheel provides a clear view of the speedometer, but this car does not have a tachometer.  Seats are typical of contemporary American cars: flat and with little lateral support. 

Turning the key, the engine springs to life with a throaty rumble.  The long, thin shift lever falls effortlessly into first gear.  Clutch pickup is smooth and high with more of a friction region, than friction point.  Torque is enough for a healthy dose of backside-kick and continues well into the higher rev range.  This is not a car for the hard-of-hearing, as all the shifting is done by ear.

Driving down twisty Delphi Road, one gets a feeling for why this pony car sold like hotcakes.  Steering is light, but feels more direct than its American contemporaries.  Body roll is evident, but well contained with the help of an added anti-sway bar fitted to the front suspension.  This is a car that responds well to hitting apexes, and gives the feeling that going a little too far and fast into corners will result in predictable front-end push.

What might be the most impressive about this car is while its mechanicals are a little archaic and interior a tad antiquated with a lack of proper instrumentation, the Mustang Fastback is still very much in style.  Look no further than your local parking lot to see the number of modern Mustangs moving people of all ages and all walks of life.  From high school students, to secretaries, doctors and hard-core racers, 2003 Mustangs retain the mild-to-wild performance, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive two-plus-two DNA that was started by this car in 1965.

Sam Barer writes for Apex, an Olympia, WA based freelance writing company. To submit a car for a future “Sound Classics” story, email soundclassics@apexstrategy.com

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