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!