So here's the ad in the Patriot Ledger...
"1965 Mustang: fastback, V8, 4-speed; $550.00"
Why yes, I did call right away..."Hello...I'm calling about the Mustang...what's wrong with it?...Nothing?...How do I get there?...See Yaaaa..."
So I grab a set of plates and dad gives me a ride...my parents warned me..."Leave this one stock...your going to need a reliable car for college"...Yup...OK...I promise...
So...we get there and it's sittin in his driveway...it's perfect...289 2bbl., Borg Warner Alum. T-10, maroon, black interior, console, no rust, no dents, and the paint even shines...Oh yea...38,000 on it...
"Ahhhh...I don't have quite $550.00"
"Listen", he tells me, "I just need $480.00 more to pay for my new bike...can you afford that?"
I hand the guy $500.00...and he hands me a twenty back...should have framed that one...
The first item to find it's way in the trash was the shifter...
Hurst Competiton Plus...of course...
Now it's time for the back end of the car...the hot lick was to find a 9" out of a 57-59 Ford wagon...my buddy steve tell's me that theres a 59 wagon, on it's drums, in the woods over by where the "Corvette Boys" strip the stolen vettes. So one night we fill Jim's van with tools, a jack and stands, lights and of course some beers. So we follow the fire roads to a clearing to where you don't want to get caught by the cops or worse...disturb the "boys" while their working. Sure enough there it is...what a junk...it does have a 9" tho...or I should say...it used to...
So I tell my parents that "THE STANG" was a great buy, I just had to replace the rear...and I got a free one from a buddy anyway. "That's wonderfull son..." Needless to say I had to replace the ring and pinion...4:11's...and Detroit Locker...Lakewood traction bars...shakels...adjustable shocks...Mopar Super-Stock leafs...solid bushings...oh yea...it really does "bolt in"...
So I drove the car like this for a while and messed with the rear
suspension till I could feel the body rise on acceleration...which meant the tires were being planted...
I had been collecting 289 parts for some time now, 1/2 of dad's cellar was filled with everything to build several motors, I read everything I could get my hands on about 289's. And I had to have one of everything so I could compare for myself...The problem was how was I going to pull it off with my parents...and then my buddy Dave offer's up..."Lets do it over my house"... Yaaa...Let's...
So we took all this neat stuff to Dave's parents house...Oh... did I mention his dad was the assistant principal of Westwood High...it seemed like an odd place to clandestantly build a street racer...
So on a friday afternood me and a whole crew of guys from school start in...with dreams of Art Johnson's...by Sunday night...
Intake off...Heads off...radiator out...front cover off...cam out...jack it up...set up the stands...crossmember unbolted...pan down...pistons out...
Saturday AM...the gofer brings the pistons and rods to be swaped for the dome'd TRW's along with the new ported 351-W heads which need a touch up valve job and machining for the dual springs and screw in studs with quide plates to Allied Auto Parts in Norwood. A deal has been struck with the machinist there that he doesn't leave till there done... even tho sat. is 1/2 a day for him. I think he liked Shlitz...
The cylinders got honed and the shortblock with the big Shelby solid cam was back together Sat. night...Heads, Shelby intake, 715 Holley carb, Hooker Competition Plus headers and Hooker (straight-thru) header mufflers with no tailpipes finished the package...
Sunday night...about 8:30 it fired...now that's how a smallblock ford is supposed to sound...1200rpm idle...and...no hydraulics in that bad boy...
I backed it out of the garage...five other machines started...and the guys from Westwood High...headed for...Art Johnsons...