64 1/2 vs early 65

[Lswhat]

whats the concensus on the first cars being 64 1/2s or early 65s. i heard theat they are not calling them 64s anymore because they are aholes and want to mess with facts. just wondering what everybody thinks.

 

[bifs66]

whats the concensus on the first cars being 64 1/2s or early 65s. i heard theat they are not calling them 64s anymore because they are aholes and want to mess with facts. just wondering what everybody thinks.

As one who awaited the arrival of the new 1965 Mustang and actually purchased a shiney new Ivy Green example, I can tell you that they were designated as 1965s by Ford. If you can find an early Mustang with a "4" in the VIN instead of a "5", let us know. The "1/2" designation was typically applied to significant updates to models that had been on sale for many months already. This is why they called the newer (Jan/Feb) fastback versions of the existing 1963 Falcons and Galaxies as "1963 1/2". In later years, when Mustangs began to attract restorers, the "newcomers" began to call the early 65 Mustangs "64 1/2" as a quick way to distinguish those cars from the later 65 versions. I have read where some claim that their title lists their early car as a "64"; but if true, it may have been the result of some state or local regulation that required it be listed according to some purchase date. However, unless the VIN carries a "4", it's a 1965 Ford.

 

[65conv50]

whats the concensus on the first cars being 64 1/2s or early 65s. i heard theat they are not calling them 64s anymore because they are aholes and want to mess with facts. just wondering what everybody thinks.

I'm another early owner. I ordered my first Mustang on April 18, 1964 (they were introduced on April 17). I still have the bill-of-sale on that 1965 Mustang. Nobody called them 64 or 64 1/2 back then. The ads even proclaimed "First of the 1965s!!!" There were several changes when the rest of the 65s were introduced in the fall of 64 (such as dropping the 170 and 260 engines, changing from generators to alternators). That has led people in later years to call them 64 1/2 to differentiate (there were smaller changes in March of 65, too, incidentally). But the 64 or 64 1/2 is just a convenient shorthand, not an actual year designation.

Technically, as for VIN and designated model year, there is no such thing as a 64 or 64 1/2 Mustang.

 

[Ozsum67]

Same animal. For most, it is a bragging right so they can say they have one of the 1st Mustangs. Depends if you see the glass half full or empty and how you say potatoe or patatoe

 

[big block 460]

hey my son just bought a 65 mustang some one told us that is was a early 65 because it had no tail lights is there a early 65 and a late 65 whats the deal so what i am reading there isn't a 64 or 64 1/2 mustnag ???

 

[mr-fixit]

hey my son just bought a 65 mustang some one told us that is was a early 65 because it had no tail lights is there a early 65 and a late 65 whats the deal so what i am reading there isn't a 64 or 64 1/2 mustnag ???

No tail lights? How about a pic of that! If you mean reverse lights, they were optional, became standard on the '66 model.

 

[big block 460]

yeah back up lights sorry about that
we are going to add some kind of lights

 

[65conv50]

yeah back up lights sorry about that
we are going to add some kind of lights

Check with the Mustang parts suppliers such as NPD, Virginia Mustang, and others. They will have repro backup lights and valences to fit that will allow the backup lights to be added (if you really need them) and still retain authentic appearance. Backup lights were optional from day one, and did become standard in 66, but the appearance of them did not change. The folks who used that criteria to determine "early" or "late" were not adequately informed.
The easiest way to tell is to look under the hood or at the instrument panel (if original). Early ones had generators ("GEN" on the instrument light), later ones had alternators ("ALT"). There are numerous other minor differences, but none are visible from just looking at the outside (unless it has the "260" emblem on the fender. 289 could be either, but the 260 was unique to the early ones).

 

[HistoricMustang]

Hey, I had a brand new one also. A baby blue, convertible, 260, 3 speed.

One quick check. The 64 1/2's had a unique hood! At the edge of the hood next to the headlight bucket there was an extra "roll" in the sheet metal if I remember correctly. The curved portion about 2 to 3 inches long.

Correct?

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com