1965 LS350 Mustang

[JacobGrant]

Hey guys, I've been stalking this forum for a while gathering ideas and insight. I am also in the middle of a pro-touring build that is in the part acquisition stages but thought I'd go ahead and start a thread since there aren't enough Mustang builds on here, or Fords for that matter.

Backstory:

This build began in 2000 when my father snagged a running and driving 1965 Fastback C-code for $2,000! Now, she was by no means pretty with her big bird yellow paint job, but she DROVE. The car was originally bought for my brother to fix up and drive which turned into a mild restoration. My dad and brother ended up replacing the quarters, trunk drop offs, and the floors. They pulled the motor and transmission and stripped the car to a bare shell plus suspension. However, my brother spent so much time with his friends that he never had time to work on the car and so he lost interest in her in exchange for an affinity for later model fox bodies and new edges that were turn-key. Long story short, he landed a '93 GT which meant the '65 falling to me! \m/\m/ I grew up around my dad flipping classic mustangs (and one very rarely optioned chevelle, the only chevy I have ever known him to purchase) for extra cash and got to see some cool cars enter and leave our yard. A father-son project was always a dream for my dad and I as My dad and grandfather restored a '69 Mach 1 when my dad was in high school. To this day, It is the only car he has never sold and it falls in line with three '78-'79 F-series Fords that have been in my family since new. So, I have a tradition to uphold. When asked why all my money is spent on a car, I quote the great Hank Williams Jr and simply respond, "I'm carrying on an old family tradition." I have always preferred the classics as no car, with the exception of a few exotics, imports, and trucks, from 1973-2000 are up to par on the styling of the 50s and 60s. So As of about 2010, the big three had really disappointed me with their overall styling and as of about 2000, their use of technology seemed to be pretty stagnant. I believe most on this forum have similar sentiments. With this in mind, it is easy to understand why Protouring cars appeal to me, especially given the incredible leap technology has taken within the past decade. Anyway, with the '65 officially mine and my brother rolling around in his 700 hp '03 Cobra, my dad and I embarked on Naomi 1.0 and using the money I made cutting grass, I was able to fund the resto. We built everything we could including the rotisserie and a custom 4-link, swapped in a 9", replaced all rust with new metal, converted to 4 wheel discs, swapped in a '89 5.0 and T5, added inboard subframe connectors, Shelby main hoop, and cloned the exterior to look like a '66 Sapphire Blue GT350. I proceeded to daily drive this car immediately after high school. (we didn't finish in time for prom or graduation due to bad experiences with two different paint and body guys...bummer)

Big Bird Yellow:





4-link:



Paint:



maiden voyage circa 2012:



first roadtrip:

6 hour drive to orange beach AL, in the summer, with no A/C...priceless



I drove her through nearly 3 years at college while slowly adding parts when my girlfriend at the time would allow me to keep some of the money I made working part time. I replaced the original '65 coils we cut to achieve the right stance with Cobra Automotive springs, installed an aluminum radiator, painted my torque thrusts gold for a more vintage racing vibe, added 4.11 gears, 750 cfm edelbrock 4 barrel, and on the day that I painted the gold rookie stripes on my fender to match my wheels.....

I was coming through a turn after a rain storm and my rear tires broke loose. I crossed over the oncoming lane and was headed for a 3x3 foot brick column that marked the entry to a nursing home that was lined with ditches on either side. In response, I cut the wheel back to the right and crossed back into my lane and jumped a 4 foot ditch. I landed driver side front first in the grass of a mans front yard. Luckily, I walked away with a 90 degree lower control arm (not an improvement), two dents in the rocker, and a bashed in qtr panel. I firmly believe that if we did not stiffen the chassis and if it had not rained and softened the dirt, Naomi would have folded up like a pretzel. The damage:



But that was in the past, I only like to dream of the future. I still live at home with my parents and work full time at Summit Racing Equipment (thank you all for your business) so I figured I'd take the opportunity to build my dream car rather than put it off until I retire.

Here are the details:

1965 Mustang fastback "LS350" (no, not LS-powered. %*$# your LS swap! ...kidding...kinda)

Suspension:

-Detroit speed alumaframe with JRI single adjustable coilovers (Front)

-Street or Track 3-link (Rear)

Brakes:
-6-piston Wilwood rotors and calipers

-4-piston Wilwood rotors and calipers

Chassis:

-6-point cage with cowl reinforcements as well as front subframe reinformcents

-Mini tubs to the frame rail

Exterior:

-Maier fiberglass fenders (2.5")

-Maier rear fiberglass flares (2.5")

-Mustangs to fear spoilered decklid, end caps, and bumper

-'67 Shelby taillight panel







I have not ordered the rear bumper yet and the 67 tail light panel will be a metal one grafted in. I cut a fiberglass one up to test the feasibility of my idea.

There is a lot to be said about the quality of Mustangs to Fear's fiberglass. I have done NOTHING to this piece except throw it on. I did not try to fit it or sand on it whatsoever. Best fiberglass I have ever used!!!

-Smoothed headlight buckets, doors, and grille support

-Custom valence with S197 BOSS 302 air intake and splitter

-GT350 hood

-Flush-mount (undecided) optic armor glass

-Shaved drip rails (undecided)

-Flush qtr louvers inspired by a 1964 Ferrari GTB (undecided)

Interior:

-Mostly black but largely undecided. I already have a trick custom made speedhut gauge cluster and Corbeau GTS II seats in black



1.2 Gs all day!



Reverse sweep speedo courtesy of the AC Cobra with '04 Ford GT font



Engine/Trans/Drivetrain:
-5.0 Coyote (If anyone can point me in the direction of a 5.2 voodoo pullout for $6k, let me know ) If I
can't source a voodoo, I'll just shoot for 500 rwp and high revs in a cross plane coyote which should be easy enough to achieve.

Headers will be an issue so if anyone can give me a far better alternative to buying DSE's $3500 coyote swap headers, I will be eternally grateful. I believe I'll be able to have a nice set custom made for around $1500 and that's if I don't make them myself which is what will probably end up happening... but if anyone has a lead on a set that is already produced that is compatible with DSE's alumaframe, that would be awesome!

-T56 Transmission

-Street or Track designed floating 9" with Moser 4.11 Trutrac (I'll probably install a lower ratio when its all said and done)



Paint:

-Going back Sapphire Blue with Performance white Le Mans stripes with "LS350" fender callouts (this car will never be another color)

As I'm sure some of you are wondering, LS350 stands for "Land Shark 350" and not 5.3 LS engine. A shark is a powerful and agile creature, which is my goal for this car. Also, I have a scar from being born premature that I have initially told everyone that asked since 6 yo that it was from a shark attack for fun so the name seems fitting, and I already get asked all the time by chevy guys if the "350" stands for "350 engine," so I'll double down and have some serious fun at car shows. (I enjoy trolling) Land Shark also has a nice ring to it!

This project has been rather slow moving in regard to work actually being done but as she sits now, I am almost ready to order Shaun's rear end and suspension package. At which point, I'll have the money to tackle the smaller projects.

I am very open to any opinions or suggestions offered concerning the items/plans of attack listed above, particularly feedback on the DSE subframe.

Stay wrenching my friends

[Peter Mc Mahon]

I like it! If your not a rich man I would advise sticking with factory coyote headers (if they clear) and upgrade when it's on the road

[no go nova]

Can't wait to see more of this build.

[JacobGrant]

I don't believe they fit, but they may be close enough to where I can modify them! Here's to hoping

Also, is anyone having issues with some of the pictures above? The top half seem to be broken

[JacobGrant]

I took detour on the road of progress and picked up another dream car of mine:



I feel like an import guy calling a sticker a "mod," but my first modification to her as soon as she got off the roll back:



She is a 289 2v C code with Wimbledon white paint, black interior, and a 3 speed with a bench seat.

Overall she is a great car and COMPLETE! The rust is pretty bad, but its really just the floor pans and the trunk area. She will receive the engine and transmission out of my mustang so that I have something old to drive while I build Naomi. I really miss the looks I got cruising down the road. The cougar may evolve into a autocross car in the future as well, but for now she will be put on the back burner.

If everything goes according to plan and I can scrape the money together, I'll have my rear suspension and rear end ordered by the 29th. Worst case, I'll have my fenders and other fiberglass parts ordered.

[DrFraZZy]

Nice score on the cougar. I am wanting to pick up a cougar to autocross. They are badass car in my book.

[Bossed]

Thank goodness it's not the other "LS", I was beginning to feel nauseous. Killer project !!

[Godbolt]

Great write up, awesome project and I too have a thing for the early Cougars. Very cool.

I order a heap of stuff through Summit, excellent to deal with even from Australia.

[JacobGrant]

Thank goodness it's not the other "LS", I was beginning to feel nauseous. Killer project !!

There's enough of those on here! lol

[JacobGrant]

Great write up, awesome project and I too have a thing for the early Cougars. Very cool.

I order a heap of stuff through Summit, excellent to deal with even from Australia.

I appreciate the compliment. I do everything I can to keep you guys happy!

I was initially looking for a 67-8 Mustang coupe to build into a street/strip car, but then I came across this cougar for 2500 and couldn't pass it up. I haven't decided what the future holds for it, but I've moved away from the street/strip idea and more toward either old school road course or another protouring/autocross car. I have a feeling that protouring/autocross always wins out in the end, but it would be hard for me to justify building the cougar into one when I have the mustang. I prefer to have a specific and unique use/attitude for each car I own that way selling one is never a consideration lol

[JacobGrant]

A quick sketch I did of my vision for the front end