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Ford Muscle Cars of 1965
Big Changes, Big Victories
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Shelby GT350R
models used HiPo
289s, modified to
produce at least 305
hp. Notice the export
brace between the
fenders, the angled
breather on the
valve covers and the
rudimentary ram-air
system, which were
used on all Shelby
GT350Rs. (Mike
Mueller)
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The Shelby GT350R made quite an impression in B/Production sports
car racing.
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At Ford Motor Company, 1965 is remembered as the year of the most sweeping changes after
the introduction of the all-new 1949 models. Performance continued as a major emphasis
throughout the model line-ups.
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Galaxies
Not only were the full-size models much different visually than the previous year, they were also
completely different under the new bodywork. Front disc brakes were introduced on full-size
Fords for the first time, the rear leaf springs were replaced with coils, and the front end was
redesigned to produce one of the strongest front suspension systems ever used on a production
car. It is so strong, in fact, that NASCAR has virtually adopted the design as the standard for all
its contemporary stock cars. The combination of unbreakable components and General Motors
officially dropping out of racing again, as well as considerable controversy over the Chrysler
Hemi being legal for NASCAR, led to an unbelievable 48 NASCAR wins for the big Ford 427 in
1965, including an amazing 32 wins in a row. Even former Chevrolet stalwart Junior Johnson was
driving a Ford in 1965!
To cloak this all-new frame and suspension, Ford designed an equally new body shell. The new
“Total Performance” full-size Ford models featured very square styling, instead of the rounder
look of the previous few years. Even the traditional round taillights were replaced with a
rectangular unit that featured slightly rounded sides. The base Custom series did, however,
feature round taillight lenses within the same rectangular housing, using an aluminum filler panel.
Dual, vertically mounted headlamps were positioned on either side of a simple, stamped
aluminum grille, featuring fine, horizontal bars. The body sides were completely devoid of any
simulated scoops or vents, with a single beltline feature line, a very subdued horizontal feature
line at mid body, and a slightly sloping feature line on the lower portions of the body.
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Wheelbase for all full-size 1965 Fords was 119 inches, and overall length was 210 inches.
Weights varied from 3,278 pounds for a six-cylinder equipped Custom two-door sedan, up to
3,959 pounds for a V-8-powered four-door Country Squire station wagon.
Early 1965 Fords used the standard low-riser 427 as their top power option, but midyear would
see a much stronger version, the famous “side-oiler” 427. Ford FE engines were strangely
designed beasts, with the oiling system feeding the valvetrain first, then the crank bearings, often
leading to crankshaft failure in racing engines. The “side oiler” featured a large oil gallery along
the side of the engine block, resulting in a large horizontal bulge that was easily visible on the left
side of the block just above the oil pan. Other features of the “side oiler” were a forged steel
crankshaft that was cross-drilled for increased lubrication, and notched cylinder bores at the top
of the block, to allow for huge valves, much stronger connecting rods, machined combustion
chambers, pop-up pistons, and the infamous hollow stem valves, which had a nasty habit of
losing their heads. Other than the loose-headed valves, it wasn’t long before the side oiler’s
reputation for power and reliability would become legendary. Also appearing for the first time in
mid-1965 were the famous medium-riser heads and intake manifold, which featured a slightly
taller intake port and smoother transition from intake manifold than the earlier low-riser 427s. A
special aluminum intake manifold was designed to take advantage of the smoother flow pattern,
and, as a result, the carburetor was located slightly higher than the low riser, but not nearly as
high as the high -riser racing manifolds of 1963 and 1964, leading to the designation, “medium-
riser.”
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If you didn’t see the gold engine badge
on the lower portion of the front
fender, or notice the 427-only Pyrex
headlight covers, you’d think it was an
ordinary “old man’s car.” Once the
engine was started, that solid-lifter
“tick” and healthy exhaust note would
be your first clue that a six-cylinder
probably didn’t live under the hood.
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Since NASCAR had finally legalized Chrysler’s Hemi, Ford was ready to fight back. They
reasoned, if hemi heads were good, why not add overhead camshafts to those hemi heads? The
result was the most powerful “production” engine ever built. The famous Single Overhead Cam
427 was available only as a kit from the dealership, but your $2,500 bought an engine that
reportedly cost Ford nearly $5,000 to build! The SOHC 427 would produce 616 horsepower in
four-barrel configuration and 657 horsepower with two four-barrel carburetors. Producing this
power, it utilized a six-foot-long timing chain. (NOTE: The 657 horsepower figure was never
officially released by Ford Motor Company, but was obtained directly from copies of the dyno
tests and is a 100 percent authentic figure, first released in the original publication of Super ‘60s
Fords.) Once again, in typical unbiased fashion, NASCAR promptly banned the SOHC’s use
within its sanctioned races. The excuse was that it was not a true production engine and would
give Ford an unfair advantage. This ruling came just two years after NASCAR officials allowed
the Chevy 427 MK IV racing engine to participate in all its races. This all-out racing engine was
not available over the parts counter and, in fact, wasn’t even available to the general public.
NASCAR not withstanding, the SOHC immediately set the racing community on its collective ear.
“Cammers” began appearing under the hoods of Funny Cars, Factory Experimental stock cars,
and even Fuel Dragsters. Connie Kalitta, Pete Robinson, Lou Baney, and Don Prudhomme were
just a few Top Fuel campaigners who jumped on the “Cammer” bandwagon, with much success.
The SOHC 427 was used successfully by Funny Car pilots across the nation until the introduction
of the Boss 429 in 1969. Collectors figuratively give “their right arm” for a nice SOHC 427 now,
with good examples commanding upward of $10,000. By adding the super rare aluminum blocks
and heads, as well as supercharger and tunnel ram manifolds, all of which were produced by
Ford, the prices reach up into the stratosphere.
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In an ongoing attempt to upgrade the image of
the basic Fords, the Customs featured
carpeting and a chrome horn ring, niceties
normally reserved for the higher series. A floor
shift in a Custom was, however, a very rare
sight. Notice the 1965-vintage Sun tach,
monitoring big 427 engine.
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Custom and Custom 500 models utilized
round taillight lenses within the rectangular
housings. The Custom 500 models added a
Ford crest to the center of the trunk lid.
(Matthew Little)
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Thousands of buyers found the 1965
Custom 500 a very comfortable place
to ride. The all-new 1965 models
featured slab-sided styling with sharp
feature lines. Stacked headlights first
appeared this year. (Matthew Little)
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The Custom represented the base trim level full-size models and included the chrome windshield
and rear window moldings, arm rests on all doors, two sun visors, rubber floor mats and a
chrome horn ring. The CUSTOM designation appeared on the front fenders, just behind the
headlights.
The Custom 500 represented the top level of the Custom series, and included all the standard
Custom features, plus ashtrays in all the arm rests, nylon carpeting, and a short chrome strip
running horizontally along the body side, on the front fender and front door. The CUSTOM 500
designation appeared on the front fenders, just behind the headlights.
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Luxury, quality and quiet were being emphasized in the Galaxie 500 series, and these models
included all the features of the Custom 500 series, plus chrome window frames, a Ford crest in
the center of the trunk and on the roof C-pillars, a chrome hood ornament (which had been
missing on Ford models since 1958), chrome rocker panel trim and wheel well moldings, chrome
“cross hair” trim on the taillights, and the GALAXIE 500 designation on the front fenders. “Silent
Flow” flow-through ventilation was featured on all four-door hardtop models. This feature allowed
the heater fan to be utilized to force hot air out of the passenger compartment, by means of a
register located just behind the rear window on the exterior of the body. It wasn’t as comfortable
as air conditioning, but it represented a vast improvement over the oven-like conditions of
previous hardtop models with their windows rolled up.
The Galaxie 500XL continued to carry the sporty banner for full-sized Fords in 1965, and
included all the features of the Galaxie 500 models, plus a bucket seat interior with floor-mounted
shift lever in a center console, polished inserts in the door panels and carpeting on the lower
portion of the door panels, which also included a courtesy/warning light. The Challenger289ci V-
8 and Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission were included in the XLs as standard equipment.
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Galaxie 500 models used a slightly rounded
rectangular taillight lens, which is far more
familiar to Ford fans than the round lens
used in Custom models. The Galaxie 500s
also added bright trim to the rocker panel
and lower quarter panel. (Charles Will)
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Far more representative of the “typical” 1965
Ford, the Galaxie 500 two-door hardtop was
advertised as being quieter than a Rolls
Royce, and it found thousands of buyers
throughout the year. This example sports a set
of the Galaxie 500XL wheel covers. (Charles
Will)
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Ford created a new segment in the low-priced market when it introduced the luxurious LTD
versions of the Galaxie 500. Available only in two- and four-door hardtops, the LTDs, which stood
for Luxury Trim Decor, featured all the standard items on the Galaxie 500, plus the 289ci V-8,
Cruise-O-Matic automatic transmission, simulated walnut appliqués on the instrument panel,
thickly padded seats with “pinseal” upholstery, gabardine headliner material and sun visors,
courtesy lights in the rear interior roof pillars, combination courtesy/warning lights on both front
and rear doors, courtesy lights in the glove box and ashtrays (now referred to as “ash
receptacles”), a self-regulating clock, and considerably more sound-proofing material than found
in the standard Galaxies. Ford discovered its efforts to produce a low-priced luxury car had
resulted in a model that offered an interior sound level quieter than a Rolls-Royce.
Consequently, this feature was emphasized in every LTD ad and commercial aired during 1965,
and resulted in 37,691 of the two-door models, and a whopping 68,031 four-doors finding
homes. Sales of 105,722 is very respectable for a virtually new market, with a brand new model.
It was successful enough that, within a few short months, Plymouth began offering its Fury VIP
models, Chevrolet created the luxury Caprice models in 1966, and even AMC offered the
Ambassador DPL model. I don’t know that anyone ever knew what “DPL” meant, however.
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Previous | Next
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This has been a sample page from
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Super '60s Fords - The Inside Story of the
Most Powerful Fords Ever Built
by John Smith
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In the ‘50s, Detroit built cars with style in mind . . . but as the
‘60s arrived, a younger group of car buyers had another
thing in mind: Performance! Ford Motor Company met that
demand with some of the fastest and most powerful cars on
the street. In this book, John Smith covers the entire Ford
performance story in the ‘60s, -- and not just Mustangs and
Cobras, but Galaxies, Torinos, Falcons, Fairlanes, Shelbys,
Mavericks, and every other Ford that got extra horsepower
stuffed under its hood in this fast-moving decade. Models are
covered year by year, from the Supercharged T-birds of
1957 to the last gasp of the muscle car era in 1973, and
everything in between. Performance engines and stats are
listed for each year, and an informative appendix includes
information on deciphering VIN tags and parts codes.
With 200 black and white and more than 100 outstanding
color photos, this book has the images and information that
Ford fans want on their favorite performance models, from
supercharged Y-blocks to Boss 429s.
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Click below to view sample
pages from each chapter.
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Chap. 1 -1957 The Foundation
Chap. 2 -1958 352 Big Block
Chap. 3 -1959 High Style
Chap. 4 -1960 New Ideas
Chap. 5 -1961 Back to Tradition
Chap. 6 -1962 Legends
Chap. 7 -1963 Fast Backs
Chap. 8 -1964 The First Mustang
Chap. 9 -1965 Big Changes
Chap. 10 -1966 Beat Goes On
Chap. 11 -1967 Changing Guard
Chap. 12 -1968 428 Cobra Jet
Chap. 13 -1969 Boss 302 & 429
Chap. 14 -1970 429CJ & SCJ
Chap. 15 -1971 Last of Breed
Chap. 16 -1972 - 73 End of Era
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This is without a doubt one of the best books about
Ford muscle cars ever written!
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Soft bound
8-1/2 x 11
160+ pages
200 b/w photos
100+ color photos
Item #SA25
Price: $22.95
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Click here to buy now!
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This is a book any Ford enthusiast will enjoy to read over and over.
Read the sample pages to learn more.
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Other items you might be interested in
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Shelby Mustang Ultimate Portfolio 1965-1970
Portfolio of 52 articles from leading auto magazines covering the
GT350, R, S, Hertz, Rally Car, GT500, and KR. Road tests,
specifications, performance data & more.
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Price:
$29.95
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Ford Galaxie & LTD Gold Portfolio 1960--1976
Contemporary road and comparison tests, specification and technical
data, driver's reports, long-term tests, new model introductions. 176
pages, 475 pictures and illustrations. Softbound.
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Price:
$29.95
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