Whenever you see a classic car in the open, it’s often the looks that capture your attention with vibrant colors and attention to detail that exude the hard work put into it. However, beyond what meets the eye is a story as old as the chassis itself. These stories are what transform a car from a simple mode of transportation into a lifetime possession. For Olivia Yandall, a calendar photo of a 1965 GT350 Fastback Mustang captivated her 13-year-old self, turning her into a Mustang loyalist, much to the dismay of her GM-centered family.
Searching Far And Wide
After developing a liking for the 1965 GT350 cloaked in Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes pictured in the calendar, the hunt was on for a Fastback Mustang. Much of her early teens were spent canvassing the Kentucky countryside with her Uncle Steve, always on the lookout and willing to approach random doors to see if anyone was willing to sell that old Mustang sitting outside. Soon, the duo struck gold with a 1965 Fastback sitting in someone’s yard. Unfortunately, the chassis had seen better days, but the deal kept getting better.
A 1965 Mustang will always be a cool first ride, and Olivia Yandall made it truly hers by building it with her uncle before her 16th birthday.
The seller decided it was time to give up on the dream and offered Olivia not only the rust-filled chassis but also a set of new old stock (NOS) quarter panels and a coupe Mustang carcass, which lacked much of the rust found in the Fastback, all for the unheard-of price of $3,500. While the car was far from being a runner, Olivia was still in her early teen years and far from having a driver’s license.
I finally had fulfilled my dream of having that ’65 Fastback — running or not, I didn’t mind. — Olivia Yandall, owner
A Plan Of Attack
“The plan was to cut the roof from the Fastback, transplant it onto the coupe body, install the quarters, and voilà: a complete car,” says Olivia. “We spent the next two years (almost exactly to the day we brought the cars home) working every night after work or school, on weekends, and any other days we had off, churning away at the conversion.”
In the garage, all the fabrication, engine building, bodywork, and painting were completed by Steve and Olivia, working away diligently. The only outsourced work was the exhaust. Once completed, the mild 289 cubic-inch build, mated to an AOD transmission, came to life. The Ford 9-inch rearend with…
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