The 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback is a fine car in stock form, but actor and racer Patrick Dempsey wanted it significantly improved to use it as a daily driver.
To help him turn the Mustang into the pony car of his dreams, he commissioned Panoz Auto Development and JRD, the official tuner of Panoz vehicles. 3,900 hours and approximately $300,000 later, Dempsey was presented with the black Mustang you see in these photos.
Completed in 2008, the project used a number of components from both the S197 and SN95 Mustangs, including a 420 HP supercharged 4.6-liter V8, Tremec T-56 six-speed manual transmission, bits of the suspension and brakes, and some interior items.
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Dempsey later sold the car to Equus Automotive, which brought further updates to the exterior and interior. The current owner, who is based in Utah, has had it for the past three years and is now willing to part ways with it for a satisfactory amount of money. At the time of writing, and with six days until the auction ends, the highest bid on Bring A Trailer stands at $75,000.
So let’s see what you would get if you decided to bid for it – besides bragging rights for driving a car that Patrick Dempsey used to own.
On the outside, the 1965 Mustang keeps things classy with a black paint, rear wheel-arch flares to accommodate the S197 rear axle, 17-inch Torq Thrust–style wheels shod with BFGoodrich G-Force Sport tires, as well as HID headlights and LED taillights with a high-mounted third brake lamp.
Upon acquiring the car from Dempsey, Equus Automotive modified the front and rear lower valances and replaced the hood and rear side window glass. The changes made to the cabin are much more obvious and include a custom upholstered dashboard, metal pedal covers, air conditioning, power windows and door locks – all made by Panoz, with the power-window switches and climate-control buttons coming from a 2004 SVT Cobra.
Equus Automotive redid the cabin with black leather seats, a modified lower console and a retro-style Becker Mexico radio with Bluetooth; plus, it also placed its logos on the modern steering wheel and headrests.
Since it was built to be a daily driver, the 1965 Mustang restomod also features modern tech such as power rack-and-pinion steering, ABS, traction control, front and rear three-point seatbelts, a collapsible steering column, and a child-seat restraint system in the back seat. Furthermore, Panoz used computer-assisted design and custom molds to develop front and rear crumple zones, integrated side-impact protection, and a reinforced toe box for additional chassis rigidity.
The car has been driven for approximately 8,500 miles (13,679 km) since the initial build and is now offered with a complete build guide and a clean Utah title. Check out the listing and following videos for the full details.
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