A 289-cubic-inch (4.7-liter) mill of the Windsor variety, the K-Code already delivered a solid 271 horsepower in the range-topping Mustang. But that wasn’t enough for Carroll Shelby, who fitted the V8 with a four-barrel Holley 725 CFM carburetor, a high-riser intake manifold, and new headers.
The upgrades increased output to 306 horsepower, about 13% percent more than the regular K-Code Mustang.
The GT350 remained in production all the way until 1969, when Ford and Carroll Shelby parted ways. All versions are considered rare and desirable nowadays, but the first-year GT350 is by far the scarcest. That’s because Shelby put together only 562 cars. And not all of them were street-spec models.
As a result, buying a 1965 GT350 is a difficult and expensive t ask nowadays. Not only that, but these cars are also hard to spot in the metal since not too many of them are being paraded at local car shows. Not surprisingly, some enthusiasts who can’t afford to park a 1965 GT350 in front of their houses have created their own replicas based on first-gen Mustangs.
What’s wrong with it? Well, while Shelby offered various colors for the 1966 model year, the 1965 GT350 was restricted to just one hue, Wimbledon White. The options list also included Guardsman Blue stripes, but that was it in terms of color combos.
Well, this Shelby is definitely a replica and no Shelby left the factory in blue for the 1965 model year, but it’s an interesting thought. Especially since this pony car comes with almost all of the cool Shelby goodies, including the rocker panel stripes with “G.T.350” letting, the Shelby badges, the hood pins, and the louvered quarter windows.
And before you say that all 1965 GT350s should have side-exiting exhaust pipes, 14 cars were built with rear-exiting exhausts to meet state regulations for sales in certain areas.
But the Shelby awesomeness comes to an end when you look inside. While fitted with an aftermarket Cobra steering wheel, this replica is a regular Mustang inside the cabin. It has a two-tone, white-and-blue interior that wasn’t available on the GT350, and it comes with rear seats, which weren’t offered in 1965.
That’s far from impressive by modern standards, but it’s notably more than the stock Shelby GT350. More importantly, this engine sounds fantastic when the pedal hits the floor. Check it out in the video below.