1965 Mustang GT Coupe Restoration Complete – San Diego, California

After a year long restoration, the 1965 Ford Mustang GT Restomod is now complete. The customer was all smiles when he said “it’s fast.”  The freshly restored A -code coupe was entered in it’s first car show, and received 2nd place in the 1965 Modified Class at San Diego Mustangs by the Bay. I believe it was due to the finger print I forgot to wipe off of the door handle. It was still a great show, and all the hard work from JBA Performance Center, Custom Autobody & Paint, and Ar-Jays Upholstery paid off.

Project Highlights

• Complete Rotisserie Restoration
• JBA built & Tuned 302 Block Stroked to a 331
• 438 HP @ 6300 RMP 400 FTLB @ 4400 RPM at crank
• Tremec TKO 600 five-speed
• Modern Driveline hydraulic clutch kit
• Currie Enterprises 9-inch posi rear end with 3.83 gears
• JBA ceramic-coated headers and Exhaust
• Global West Sub-frame connectors
• Borgeson integral power steering system
• SSBC dual aluminum master cylinder with brake booster
• 4 Wheel Willwood 13″ brakes
• Polished Torque Thrust II 20×8-inch wheels
• Pony Interior Conversion
• Stock appearing AM/FM radio with Focal sound system

The Crew
JBA Restoration Specialist – David Toth
JBA Engine Builder – John Elderhorst
JBA Lead Mechanic – Tim Naylor
JBA Mechanic – Steve Fenn
JBA Exhaust Fabricator – Scott Case

Special Thanks To
Ar-Jay’s Upholstery
Custom Autobody and Paint
Al & Ed’s Stereo

Follow the progress of the restoration:

Restoration Part 1

Restoration Part 2

Restoration Part 3

Custom Instrument Gauges and restoration

Air Conditioning Box Restoration

1965 Mustang GT Coupe Restoration – Part 3

The 1965 Mustang GT coupe at JBA Performance Center is getting close to completion. The dash components and air conditioning are installed, so the only things left in the interior are the steering column, install the seats, and finish the doors. Once I get the door glass, then I can adjust all the side glass, and install the door panels and quarter panels. Notice that the white face instrument gauges are illuminated red. They accent the red and white Pony interior. As far as the driveline, the TKO 600 transmission is in, and the Currie 9 inch with 3.83 gears are in, so small parts are the only things left to install on the JBA built 331 stroker engine. The Wilwood brake system was completed with the installation of the rear brakes.  Once it’s done, then off to Custom Auto body and Paint in Kearny Mesa for the final buff. Can’t wait to get this baby on the road.

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1965 Ford Mustang Air Conditioning Box Restoration

Just finished restoring the Air Conditioning Box on the 1965 Mustang restoration. The casing on the box is the same material as the heater box, but the internals are very delicate. To get a factory looking appearance on the casing I carefully sand blast the case. Afterwards, I spray clear coat to bring the color back to a factory looking finish. The internal wiring and switches are not available, so careful cleaning was the only option. Also, the wiring and the thermostat probe are routed through the AC evaporator core. Kind of strange how they did that, but it is very compact inside. The reproduction evaporator is more dense, so I had to slightly re-route the thermostat probe and wiring. A few weeks earlier, I had the AC Bezel re-chromed, and then I re-painted it with the factory Argent spray paint. Next, I installed new AC Vent Registers. Since the emblem and knobs were in good shape, I hand painted the markings on them. To get clean lines on the front bezel, emblem and knobs, I use a rag and carburetor cleaner, and lightly wipe off the over spray. It’s a great trick to do on parts like those. Do you know how hard it would be to mask off the those tiny parts? After refinishing all the parts, the two halves of the box have to be carefully sandwiched together. All the internals have to fall in together just right. One last tip. Whenever a screw or bolt sits directly on the casing, I use a washer to spread out the clamping force. These boxes are a little brittle after 40 plus years. Hey, I just realized that the Coin Tray is missing, I will have to order it tomorrow.

Scott Drake Parts List:

• 65-66 AC Evaporator Core – C5ZZ-19860-A
• AC Box Condensation Drain Hose – C8TZ-19858-A
• AC Vent Registers – C3AZ-19A671-A
• AC Vent Registers Clips – C3AZ-19A683-K
• AC Under Dash Wiring Feed – C5ZZ-19800-ACF