By D. Brian Smith
Photography: Courtesy of Mecum Auctions
Whether you're on the hunt for a 1965 Ford Mustang or you already own a '65, it's important to know how your Mustang was originally built, when it rolled off the Ford assembly line. Should you be looking to buy an old Ford pony car, how the Mustang was originally equipped is a big key to establishing her value. Knowing this upfront can be used in negotiating a fair price, or deciding whether or not you wish to make an offer in the first place. If you're already a Mustang owner and you're restoring her to factory new, you'll need her DNA of how she was born (built) from back in the day.
Data Plate Decoding - 1965 Ford Mustang GT Fastback
Above: The partial vin code below identifies this engine as a 289, 4v (A code) that has a four-barrel carb and is rated at 225-horsepower. Nice! On the firewall you can just make out the master cylinder brake reservoir. This Mustang appears to have been equipped from the factory with four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes.
If however, you're building a restomod or some sort of vintage track day machine, the Mustang's original provenance is not as important. For the purpose of this 1965 Mustang data plate and VIN decoding exercise, the selected subject Mustang is a super well restored specimen, 1965 Mustang fastback. The photos and data are provided courtesy of Mecum Auctions. This Ivy Green beauty recently crossed the Mecum Auction block and garnered six figures! So, it's a great example to examine and decode.
From the data plate above and the partial VIN just below it, we are able to learn how this 2+2 (code 09 - fastback) was equipped from the San Jose plant (R).
Assembly Plant
| Code | Plant |
| F | Dearborn, MI |
| R | San Jose, CA |
| T | Metuchen, NJ |
Body Style
| Code | Body Style |
| 07 | Hardtop |
| 08 | Convertible |
| 09 | Fastback |
The vehicle's data plate reveals that she is a 63B, which translates to a fastback with a luxury (Pony) interior that has bucket front seats. The interior code is identified as F8. By scrolling well below this text, you'll find the Interior Trim table that says F8 is White with Ivy Gold, Luxury (or Pony) interior.
Engine
| Code | Engine |
| A | 289-4v, 225 HP |
| C | 289-2v, 200 HP |
| D | 289-4v, 225 HP |
| F | 260-2v, 164 HP |
| K | 289-4v, Hi-Po, 271 HP |
| T | 200-1v, 120 HP |
| U | 170-1v, 101 HP |
Body Code
| Body | Body Style | Interior | Seats | Special |
| 63A | Fastback | Standard Interior | Bucket Seats | |
| 63B | Fastback | Luxury Interior | Bucket Seats | |
| 65A | Hardtop | Standard Interior | Bucket Seats | |
| 65B | Hardtop | Luxury Interior | Bucket Seats | |
| 65C | Hardtop | Standard Interior | Bench Seats | |
| 76A | Convertible | Standard Interior | Bucket Seats | |
| 76B | Convertible | Luxury Interior | Bucket Seats | |
| 76C | Convertible | Standard Interior | Bench Seats |
Paint Colors
| Code | Alternate | Color |
| A | 9A | Raven Black |
| B | 2B | Pagoda Green (64), Midnight Turquoise (65) |
| C | 6C | Honey Gold |
| D | 3D | Dynasty Green |
| F | 3F | Guardsman Blue (64 only) |
| H | 5H | Caspian Blue |
| I | Champagne Beige | |
| J | 3J | Rangoon Red |
| J9 | Rangoon Red | |
| K | 3K | Silver Smoke Gray |
| M | 5M | Wimbledon White |
| O | 0 | Tropical Turquoise (65 only) |
| P | 4P | Prairie Bronze |
| R | Ivy Green (65 only) | |
| S | Cascade Green (64 only) | |
| V | Sunlight Yellow | |
| X | Vintage Burgundy | |
| Y | Skylight Blue (64), Silver Blue (65) | |
| Z | Z9 | Chantilly Beige (64 only) |
| 3 | 3B | Poppy Red |
| 5 | 5A | Twilight Turquoise (64 only) |
| 7 | Phoenician Yellow (64 only) | |
| 8 | Springtime Yellow (65 only) |
At the risk of being redundant, we've already identified the exterior hue of this fantastic fastback as being a code R car, which translates to Ivy Green Metallic. As with most life size objects, the Ivy Green painted pony car looks better than the small paint chip just below.
Above: Ditzler PPG exterior paint hues are indicated above for the 1965 Ford Mustang, Fairlane, Falcon, and Galaxie.
Interior Trim
| Code | Interior |
| 42 | White with Blue |
| 45 | White with Red |
| 46 | White with Black |
| 48 | White with Ivy Gold |
| 49 | White with Palomino |
| 56 | Black Vinyl & Cloth |
| 82 | Blue Vinyl |
| 85 | Red Vinyl |
| 86 | Black Vinyl |
| 89 | Palomino Vinyl |
| 22 | Blue Vinyl |
| 25 | Red Vinyl |
| 26 | Black Vinyl |
| 28 | Ivy Gold with Gold |
| 29 | Palomino Vinyl |
| D2 | White with Blue |
| D5 | White with Red |
| D6 | White with Black |
| D8 | Whit with Ivy Gold |
| D9 | White with Palomino |
| 62 | Blue & White Luxury |
| 65 | Red Luxury |
| 66 | Black Luxury |
| 67 | Aqua & White Luxury |
| 68 | Ivy Gold & White Luxury |
| 69 | Palomino Luxury |
| F2 | White with Blue, Luxury |
| F5 | White with Red, Luxury |
| F6 | White with Black, Luxury |
| F7 | White with aqua, Luxury |
| F8 | White with Ivy Gold, Luxury |
| F9 | White with Palomino, Luxury |
| 32 | Blue Bench |
| 35 | Red Bench |
| 36 | Black Bench |
| 39 | Palomino Bench |
| 76 | Black Fabric and Vinyl |
| 79 | Palomino Fabric and Vinyl |
Build Date
| Date Code | Production Month |
| C | March 1964 |
| D | April 1964 |
| E | May 1964 |
| F | June 1964 |
| G | July 1964 |
| H | August 1964 |
| J | September 1964 |
| K | October 1964 |
| L | November 1964 |
| M | December 1964 |
| A | January 1965 |
| B | February 1965 |
| Q | March 1965 |
| R | April 1965 |
| S | May 1965 |
| T | June 1965 |
| U | July 1965 |
| V | August 1965 |
The build date for this baby is 30R, or the 30th of April 1965.
DSO (District Sales Office)
| Code | District |
| 11 | Boston |
| 12 | Buffalo |
| 13 | New York |
| 14 | Pittsburgh |
| 15 | Newark |
| 21 | Atlanta |
| 22 | Charlotte |
| 23 | Philadelphia |
| 24 | Jacksonville |
| 25 | Richmond |
| 26 | Washington |
| 31 | Cincinnati |
| 32 | Cleveland |
| 33 | Detroit |
| 34 | Indianapolis |
| 35 | Lansing |
| 36 | Louisville |
| 41 | Chicago |
| 42 | Fargo |
| 43 | Rockford |
| 44 | Twin Cities |
| 45 | Davenport |
| 51 | Denver |
| 52 | Des Moines |
| 53 | Kansas City |
| 54 | Omaha |
| 55 | St. Louis |
| 61 | Dallas |
| 62 | Houston |
| 63 | Memphis |
| 64 | New Orleans |
| 65 | Oklahoma City |
| 71 | Los Angeles |
| 72 | San Jose |
| 73 | Salt Lake City |
| 74 | Seattle |
| 81 | Ford of Canada |
| 83 | Government |
| 84 | Home Office Reserve |
| 85 | American Red Cross |
| 89 | Transportation Services |
| 90 | Export |
| 91 | Export |
| 92 | Export |
| 93 | Export |
| 94 | Export |
| 95 | Export |
| 96 | Export |
| 97 | Export |
| 98 | Export |
| 99 | Export |
The District Sales Office (DSO) is 72, which works out to be San Jose. That makes perfect sense, as the Mustang was built in San Jose.
Axle
| Code | Axle |
| 1 | 3.00 |
| 3 | 3.20 |
| 4 | 3.25 |
| 5 | 3.50 |
| 6 | 2.80 |
| 7 | 3.80 |
| 8 | 3.89 |
| 9 | 4.11 |
| A | 3.00L |
| C | 3.20L |
| D | 3.25L |
| E | 3.50L |
| F | 2.80L |
| G | 3.80L |
| H | 3.89L |
| I | 4.11L |
The rear axle is a code 1, which means that this pony car has a rear axle that has a 3.00:1 final drive ratio inside its differential.
Transmission
| Code | Transmission |
| 1 | 3-Speed Manual |
| 5 | 4-Speed Manual |
| 6 | C-4 Automatic |
The transmission, as the photo above and the code 5 just above reveals - this Mustang's 289-cubic inch V8 engine is backed by a four-speed manual transmission. Giddy up!
The vehicle's trunk looks exactly like it would have looked from the factory. Those double redline tires and the Style Steel GT wheels are outstanding.
Now that you know how to decode your 1965 Mustang's data plate and decipher her VIN tag, we have a big question for you. Are you going to restore your Mustang to factory fresh or transform her into a canyon carving, pro touring machine? Regardless of what your answer is just know that Classic Industries can help you find most, if not all the parts you need to make your build dreams a reality.
Get Your Ford Mustang Parts @ Classic Industries
There's a very slight chance that you've recently purchased a 1965 Mustang that is in as good a condition as this pristine specimen that we've examined and decoded here. In that case, you wouldn't be in need of any Mustang parts for a while. However, it's much more likely that you do need some trinkets for your favorite vehicle in your pony car paddock. In that instance, you can initiate your search for Ford Mustang parts online. You can also supplement your online parts search by also obtaining the Classic Industries' Mustang Parts & Accessories Catalog. Happy hunting, shopping, building, driving, and enjoying your Ford Mustang!
