It isn't the destination, but the pursuit, that makes this job awesome 25 years later. Portrait of a Thoroughbred. More dirt on 5R09K125001 - San Jose #1 for 1965.
Yesterday - we told you about a California gold rush find, 5R09K125001 (1965 San Jose Unit #1), unearthed in a private shop by Isham C. Shelby, Jr. of South Carolina, known affectionately as "JR". JR has spent this weekend going over his 5R09K125001 find with a digital camera and has chosen to share it with us at Mustang Monthly Magazine.
JR not only found the first 1965 San Jose production unit, also the earliest known production fastback, everything is there and in proper order including the car's original 289 High Performance V-8 and all of the car's original sheet metal. It is also one of those odd-duck borderline cars with a mix of '64 1/2 and '65 parts including beveled headlight bezels designed to clear the unimproved hood lip (always called a '64 1/2 hood, but this has always been a misconception), carpet that ends at the rocker panel, and other items yet to be confirmed. Sheet metal stamping dates range from June through July of 1964. Engine casting dates and date of manufacture fall in mid and late July 1964. In fact, the engine was assembled and completed on July 31, 1964 at the Cleveland Engine Plant.
This is an old Mustang drag racer that could have easily wound up on the scrap pile or as a parts car a lifetime ago. A
s fate, luck, and good fortune would have it, someone mindlessly stuffed it in a corner and pretty much forgot about it. Not only that, they wouldn't sell it either. Before you is a survivor that had million to one odds of surviving 37 years ago. Had it not been for JR's persistence and patience, this story might never have been told. Keep an eye out for this one in Mustang Monthly Magazine.