Classic recollections: 1965 Ford Mustang 2+2 Fastback
When shopping for a vintage ride, you can never tell where or how your new-to-you classic will turn up.
Typically, they're yanked out of hibernation from barns, warehouses or from the gearhead's garage down the street. For Dan Clarton, his all-American 1965 Ford Mustang was found buried in the back corner of a Porsche and Audi dealer in Lake Forest.
How did this example of classic Detroit muscle end up in this stable of high-tech Bavarian beauties?
“As the story goes, the car was awarded as payment to a model for a recent gig. She didn't want it but was dating the owner of the dealership. He brought it down to the business to get rid of it,” the Algonquin resident said.
In the haste to expel the pony, an ad noted the car's color as orange. “It certainly wasn't a color I was interested in, but since the hunt is always more fun than the kill, I took a chance and went in to look at it,” he said.
Clarton's curiosity paid off because closer inspection — in brilliant sunlight outside of the shop's shadowy overhead lights — revealed not orange but rather the factory Rangoon Red paint.
“I've always wanted a Mustang. It stems from a poster I had tacked up in my dorm room, which featured a collection of (Carroll) Shelby Mustangs. Right smack in the middle was a '65 Fastback. Every day I would just gaze longingly at it.”
While this 2+2 didn't have the pedigree of one of Carroll's darlings, Clarton knew it was high time to go ahead and make the purchase. “Our first daughter had been born two years earlier and I knew if I waited until I had Shelby money, my garage would still be empty,” he said.
The Ford had been well taken care of and wasn't in need of much when the sale occurred in late 1993. Over the years, Clarton has swapped in some newer parts, most notably a windshield, carpet and headliner. Under hood is the famed 289-cubic-inch V-8, but it now packs a four-barrel Edelbrock carb instead of the factory two. In 2007, Clarton commissioned the guys at Mastertek Automotive in Algonquin to rebuild and freshen up the aging engine.
They slid in a more aggressive camshaft and bolted on Shelby Tri-Y headers and Flowmaster mufflers.
“This car is simply man and machine,” Clarton said. “It lacks so much of what we take for granted: A/C, power brakes and steering, a thundering sound system. Our everyday vehicles offer all the modern conveniences, which sometimes get in the way of just driving. Besides, with both exhausts rumbling behind me, who would want to listen to a radio?”
While Dan happily keeps those pipes burbling while cruising the streets, it wasn't always this way. For years he didn't drive it much. It stayed in storage and off the highways. Then, in 2007, Clarton battled and survived cancer.
“I realized life is short and tomorrow isn't promised to anyone. I said to myself, ‘I bought it because I always wanted one — what am I saving it for?!' ”
With that new outlook on life, Clarton has made sure his Fastback 2+2 sees regular street use. While it may not bear a legendary Cobra badge, the impression of those collegiate dreams has stayed with him. His youngest daughter is named Shelby.