1965 Ford Mustang GT - Building A True GT

The GT is a Mustang that was and is a stalwart of the Ford line. It did service from 1965 to 1969, then took a hiatus until 1982. Many may know that GT stands for Grand Touring. But what exactly does that mean to the Mustang enthusiast? It seems even Ford had a problem keeping the idea of Grand Touring stable.

The early Mustangs, and thereby GTs ('65-'66), were Pony in nature, neither brute nor sports car. Thus the name ponycar was derived to support the new flavor of performance. The early steed seems to be a mild-mannered car about town when sporting the 289 4V, C4 automatic slush box, and mild gear sets. Even with the more furry-chested 289 Hi-Po the car was no match for the big-inch GTOs and other muscle cars of the era. Then as the years progressed, some of the GTs became monsters, all musclebound and full of testosterone. Even so, most GTs were more like their forefathers, hefting around 289s and 302s (both 2V and 4V models). Only in 1969 did Ford give the GT a more performance-oriented base model V-8 with the 351 2V.

But what about now and what about you? What constitutes a True GT? That question has as many answers as there are people to pop the question. However, we can break the owners into four basic groups. In this article we'll help you figure out where you are-or are not.

Basic GTThe GT or Grand Touring Mustang was what the Mustang should have been overall. Many of the options the GT came with are the very options we add to the Ponies in our own stables. The amenities included foglamps, front disc brakes (standard from 1965 through 1967, optional after 1967), competetion suspension that gave the GT owner stiffer springs, bigger front sway bar, quick ratio steering, and different shock damping to promote a sportier ride (which by modern standards is somewhat puny). Up front the GT had, at least in the beginning, a four-barrel 289 V-8 in basic form. Below are the engines the early GT carried.