1965 Mustang 2 By 2 Fastback Front Angle

1965 Mustang 2x2 Fastback - Morphing The Memories

On This '65 Fastback The C Engine Code Stands For Cobra

By Wayne Cook

Photography by Jim Smart

Stance is a science and Karl...

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Karl And Jan Moser’s ’65 Mustang 2+2 Fastback The origins of the story begin sometime ago when Karl Moser of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was 17 years old. At that time he became the owner of a '66 Shelby GT350, inheriting the white and blue striped car from an older brother. The GT350 was surely the genesis of many fond memories, and he tellingly says that he "lived to talk about it." He sold the Shelby in 1983 for a sum of $3,200. Since that time he has always loved Mustangs. I guess you could say that Carl sounds like a lot of us, with our taste in classic Ford cars formed early on. Also, like a lot of us, when the time came for the inevitable mid-life crisis, that predisposition toward Fords had a big influence on his course of action. He yearned for the Shelby he had owned long ago and decided to create a car to rival or exceed it. After an extensive search he finally settled on a '65 C-code fastback that he found on eBay. The two-barrel V-8 Mustang was little more than a rolling shell when he got it home from Bakersfield, California.

This photo shows us what the...

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Having basically a blank canvas to work with, Karl began to ponder the possibilities for the development of his Mustang project. That's when he heard about the availability of a complete Mustang Cobra powertrain on a pallet available from Ford. These were the engines slated for the production of the '00 Mustang Cobra, which never took place. No '00 model Cobra was ever offered. The deal included a T45 transmission and a complete wiring harness with computer. Karl says that he tried to buy two of the 32-valve engine sets, but the engine he got was the very last one available from Ford. Of course, the installation of this equipment would require extensive modification to the chassis and so the 2 1/2-year-long project began.

1965 Mustang 2 By 2 Fastback Rear Wheels

Karl describes the process as "morphing the memories of his old Shelby together with the amazing 21st century technology found on the '00 Mustang Cobra." The use of SVT Cobra technology isn't limited to the engine compartment. The car is also equipped with '03 Cobra 13-inch disc brakes up front and 11.65-inch binders in the rear. In many instances, Karl was able to integrate the new technology with the old. For example, the OE knee knocker air conditioning unit is powered by modern components underhood. The same thing goes for the power steering and hydroboost power brakes. To complete the transformation, a Vortech supercharger was installed. To accommodate the larger engine, Karl installed a Heidt's Mustang II front suspension kit, which created ample room for the wide Four-Valve modular. In fact, he did all of the work on this project himself except for the paint work. Although he's had plenty of experience with painting cars in the past, the materials and techniques have changed, and Karl says he didn't want to relearn the art on this particular car. Another technology that Karl became familiar with during the course of the project was water jet cutting. He designed many components for the complex powertrain conversion, and then had them created at Water Jet Services of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Karl would like to thank T.J. Maloy of WJS for his extensive help in the fabrication of the many custom components that went into the creation of the involved powertrain installation.

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1965 Mustang 2x2 Fastback - Morphing The Memories

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