1966 Mustang Coupe: Tale of the Weathered Warhorse
Ford built more than a million Mustang coupes from 1964 to ’66, making the new pony car as popular as the Beatles. (Well, almost.) As an affordable “secretary’s car”—Carroll Shelby’s term at the time—most lived practical lives and elicited no excitement in the want ads decades later. That’s why, upon spying this San Jose–built R-code notchback advertised in 2002, I didn’t think too much of its fender flares, candy-cane paint, and ’70s American Racing Vector wheels.
And yet, the words “Weber carbs” snapped my calloused eyes into laser focus. The seller revealed that this weathered warhorse had been an SCCA racer and later morphed into a hot rod. It was mine for $2700.
Once home, I learned that its dual-choke Weber 48 IDA carbs, the kind that competition Cobras wore, sat atop an aluminum Moon manifold, which Dean Moon reportedly provided only to Shelby American.
Exterior features included windshield and rear-window retaining clips, tubular headers, and a crouching stance courtesy of relocated A-arms. Other mods included an export brace and mounting points for a Monte Carlo bar to stiffen the body, traction bars with dual shock mounts, a Panhard rod, and twin-piston front brake calipers. Below lurked a giant oil sump, a Toploader transmission, a Ford 9-inch Detroit Locker axle, and an oil cooler nestled behind one headlight.
Inside there was a roll bar, a brake-bias adjuster, and a Shelby American–spec switch console. Lifting the trunk lid revealed the fuel filler, twin fuel pumps ,and a big filter. The front subframes proved evidence of a frantic past as they’d been hammered to smithereens, likely from the car being jacked up furiously during the heat of battle.
This was an all-out race car. But whose? I found a 1976 Hot Rod issue that showed and described the car, but it didn’t say. Previous owners didn’t know, nor did kindly Lew Spencer, a Cobra racer and Shelby’s Trans Am team manager, who showed interest in the puzzle. “My assumption would be that some fairly capable mechanic built up a standard Mustang to be used as a private entry,” he surmised.
After months of digging, the trail wasn’t merely cold; there was no trail at all. Now, after consulting my photos and notes 22 years later, I’m sick to my stomach that I gave up (the Mustang got turned into a house remodel). And so, to borrow from longtime radio man Paul Harvey, “Now I want to know . . . the rest of the story.”
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Nice find sad loss.
Carol was not so kind on the Secretary comment. He said it was a secretary car that sells for $2395 with a three speed. “I said Lee I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Neat car, such a timepiece, so “of an era.” But I’m confused by what “R-code” means in reference to this car. Usually I would assume that was a reference to the engine code, but I’m not familiar with a R engine code for the early cars.
Mr. Stein…Personally, I do not believe that this Mustang Coupe was ever an actual Race Car. In the mid 70’s car customizers were building “Street Freaks” that were custom cars that combined racing parts and all the custom fiberglass fender flares of the Custom VAN craze at the time. No race car would have those type of MAS bond on fiberglass fender flares that rub the tire in hard turns. The Weber carb stuff was still reasonably priced and readily available. Look at the modern side mirrors and the T-bird taillights, these are custom car styling cues and not racing modifications as these items are usually removed from race cars due to weight considerations. It is very doubtful that the roll bar would pass any tech inspection of that era. Also Mr Stein, it is amazing that you found an article on this car published around 1976 in Hot Rod Magazine and yet you are still looking for a racing heritage…unlikely. Mr Stein, I contend that there is no racing heritage as this car was never professionally raced. My impression is that it was built as a custom car with many racing and custom touches as was very popular at the time. I doubt that it was ever used in Autocross in an SCCA event…it is just an old custom car with some desirable old parts. There is no more to the story than what you read in Hot Rod Magazine’s article.
As little as I know about Mustangs, Greg Janeczek’s comments do make sense and I tend to agree with his assessment. Race history or not, it’s nonetheless kind of a cool car!
The R means it was from the San Jose assembly plant.
Thanks for the clarification about the “R-code” designation; I’d never have considered applying it to the assembly plant.
It is definitely weathered but as long as it gets driven who cares.
I think the comments about the customization are half right, and the author’s presumptions are also right. All of the things Mr. Janeczek says about the custom trends of the early 1970s are correct, and that bodywork would have been impractical and dysfunctional on a race car. However, the interior treatment, level of racing component details, and actual equipment deny a career as a show car only. There is little to no chrome anything on this car, an incredible staple of show cars from 1950 to today. It could have been pirated away, but then there would be equipment gaps. The 9-inch rear end with Detroit Locker, Panhard rod, oil cooler, all talk to a genuine racing career and not to a show car, and if they were show car additions they would have been plated or polished to within a inch of their lives. A further clue would be the engine details, is this a K-code 271 horsepower engine or a similar service replacement block? I think what the author had here was probably a mid to late 1960s race car, possibly from the SCCA A Sedan class. That roll bar would have definitely passed tech for that class in 1966 or 1967. Mr. Janeczek is absolutely correct that the custom bodywork and wheels fit a latter 1970+ period of show car. I think what the author had here was a tired but genuine race car that had progressed to a custom car treatment that was never completed. Regardless, this was an interesting story worth reading! Like the author, I wish I knew the rest of the story…
I would agree with all comments here to a point. The car may have been a racer. The beat up frame rails could be some proof of a lot a of fast jacking. Some of the body mods could have been later additions and were not in place during it’s possible racing era. The stripped interior as well may have been a carry-over. All of that reminds me of one of my favorite cars of the 70s. The Aloha Bobby and Rose Camaro. It too possibly was an SCCA racer possibly built for Jim Garner’s team. Later it was a canyon racer around LA. The movie was a low budget (but cult classic today) film featuring Paul Le Mat and Diane Hull. This car over the years has become a bit of an icon actually inspiring copies to be built. https://www.facebook.com/ABNR1975
Mr. Stein,
I am looking at a Hot Rod Article from April 1974 about a car that Bob Hensley of Simi Valley had built after he retired from road racing. He is quoted in the article “the problem was trying to make a street-legal car from a race car without altering racing modifications.” The car is a former SCCA “A” sedan road racer that was seriously road-raced and slalom-raced for four years. Paint is Can-AM white with blue pearl overlay, and flame red with red pearl overlay stripes and scallops, all done by Larry’s Custome Creations of Van Nuys, California.
The article continues to describe the car including trunk mounted battery, dual fuel pumps, aircraft fuel filter and export brace with relocated upper control arms.
The car was called the “Road Grader” and was street driven and will turn 150 mph. Can not guarantee it’s the same car but it sure looks like it.
I have looked back at this article many times over the years and have used it for inspiration for my own 1966 coupe that I got as a hand me down from my older sister for my 15th birthday in 1974. My car went into storage in 1981 while we lived life and raised 5 kids and she came out of storage in 2020. I drive her as often as I can.
Wow, what a flashback! I remember the article about this car. I had it on my wall as a kid. It began my love of Mustangs