Vintage Mustang looks great & crushes the competition on a tight track.
Classic American performance cars like the 1965 Ford Mustang don’t get much credit for being great road-handling vehicles, but The Mustang Source forum member Elk Grove Ford Guy has proven that a handful of upgrades can transform the first-gen pony car into a corner-gripping monster. His project created a great-looking classic Mustang with an aggressive stance, but more importantly, it handles well enough to roll to an autocross championship.
Little back ground on the car. I have had this 1965 Mustang Fastback for almost 12 years now! I’m the 3rd owner! Other than the paint everything on this car has been apart, rebuilt or modified in my garage.
Roller camshaft, aluminum headed 302 assembled by me! T-5 5sd trans, 9″ rear axle, 4 wheel disk brakes, rack and pinion steering, and many, many other mods that I don’t want to give out.
Needless to say, in addition to what is listed, this 1965 Mustang clearly has some suspension upgrades, late model wheels and low-profile tires.
Round One of the Season
In addition to providing information on his 1965 Mustang, the OP detailed the first event of the autocross season, which was actually two events in one. The first race was hampered by rain, but the classic Ford was able to win the CAM-T class while following that up with a third-place finish in race #2.
At that point, the OP ordered and installed a camber kit, allowing him to make more suspension adjustments before the third and fourth race of the season. Once those parts were installed and the alignment was straightened out, this ’65 Mustang was ready for the rest of the racing season.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
