1966 Mustang K-code HiPo / GT

Hipo # 6R09K141968

HiPo # 6R09K141968 came from out of the San Jose, California plant as a Springtime Yellow fastback with the optional GT performance package, the optional Deluxe Interior package plus an additional 7 more options. It remains this way to this day.

My personal take

Gems like this rarely come up for sale. I believe that this very special Mustang is best looked at through the lens of on-going PRESERVATION versus restoration or modification of any kind. It retains the vast majority of its ORIGINAL factory Ford parts as opposed to fully restored cars which are typically loaded with foreign reproduction parts – at a certain level they cease to be original. Additionally, this car retains ALL of the critical unique HiPo parts that, if missing, can be very expensive if not near impossible to find. This single fact cannot be overstressed. It’s also important to note that an original high integrity BODY with original Ford metal like this one is super hard to find.

To many, including me, the ultimate 1966 Mustang is the combination of K-code performance equipped FASTBACK, combined with the GT performance option with the cherry on top being the deluxe Pony interior package. However, if you ADD to that the critical value attributes of substantial originality, interesting provenance, more RARE options and strong eye-appeal – then you truly have the ULTIMATE investment Mustang.

Although I have bought and sold many HiPo’s, this one has been the hardest one to let go. It has that perfect patina that just speaks to me and it’s a pleasure to own and operate. Even though I am in this business, I have kept this jewel for nearly two years before making a decision to sell. My hope is the next owner(s) continue to enjoy and preserve it as it deserves.

PROVENANCE  /  2 owners over 56 years

Amazingly for a period of 56 years this Springtime Yellow HiPo effectively had only 2 owners. It was never passed around, never wrecked and never rusted out, and it remains in excellent condition to this day.

This is the history as I was best able to put it together. In spite of my best attempts, I have not been able to reach the original owner from California who kept the car for 24 years, but I have spoken with the second owner out of Arkansas who owned the car for approximately 32 years until my purchase in 2022. (NOTE: there have been a couple of dealers involved between these two individuals but they are the only two ‘actual owners’ of this car)

It was built at the San Jose, California plant on December 9th, 1965 and sold by Galpin Ford in Sepulveda, CA to its original owner, William Schiff of Granada Hills, CA. Mr. Schiff would own the car for 24 years before it passed to the 2nd owner who would be its caretaker for the next 32 years. At some point just prior to selling it, the original owner treated the car to a repaint in its original Springtime Yellow, and in his pride of ownership, installed the small dash plaque bearing his name William Schiff (very cool provenance).

I was told by the 2nd owner that he purchased the car (in 1990/1991 time period) with the California Pink Slip registered to the original owner and with the original California Black Plates still on the car. You can see the California plate # RZE420 in the photo of the 2nd owner the day he was bringing the car home on a trailer. This same tag number RZE420 is also documented on the photocopy of the California Pink slip registered to the original owner Mr. Schiff. All of this is found in a documentation binder that will come with this car.

At the time of the 2nd owner’s purchase he was told that the mileage was original, but like me has no way to confirm it. He did confirm that during his next 32 years of ownership that he put no more than 3,000 miles on the car which is supported by the last inspection sticker he got which is dated April of 1993 (31 years ago). That inspection sticker remains on the car to this day and it shows that the mileage was documented at that time by the Arkansas inspection tech to be 52,793. This is wonderful provenance/documentation surrounding this car’s impressive history and now, some 31 years since it was last inspected, the odometer is reading only 56,181.

This car’s provenance was further supported by the near mint condition of the 41 year old tires that were still on the car when I purchased it in 2022. These very tires had been installed by the original owner back in 1982 which was documented by the original Goodyear receipt in the glove box. Although the tries still looked like new, for safety reasons, I replaced them. However, I documented them in photos to preserve the provenance. These same tires can also be seen in the cool photo of the 2nd owner and his son on the day they got home with the car back in 1990/1991.

It’s interesting to note that when changing out these tires, I was shocked to see that the original (made by FORD) Style Steel wheels could literally pass for NOS. They are hands down the nicest original examples I have ever seen. More evidence of the car ‘speaking for itself’.

It runs and drives fantastic without any bad habits and the raspy sound of the solid lifter HiPo engine is simply intoxicating, as is the exhaust note. The shift points in the transmission are HiPo correct allowing it to rev-high before going into the final ratio allowing you to enjoy the torque of this Hall-of-Fame engine. It starts easy, does not get hot, and everything works with the exception of the clock and radio.

Paint & Body

The paint job is now some decades old. However, it still presents as a nice slick, highly reflective finish over an excellent ORIGINAL body. Under close “super critical examination” the paint is showing some aging flaws and minor chip ‘touch ups’, but under normal viewing it presents something much closer to a very nice show/driver finish.

There are no patch panels or rust repairs on this car. Simply put, it’s one of the nicest original bodies you could hope to find including the original rot FREE floors (when this good we refer to them as FREAKS). The doors open and close like factory new doors and the car is super tight. It’s not only a California born car, but it was also stored indoors the last 32 years by its Arkansas owner who only drove it approximately 3,000 miles.

Original panels (near IMPOSSIBLE to find this original)

–   original Quarter Panels
–   original Floor pans
–   original lower Inner Quarter Drops
–   original Frame Rails
–   original Rockers
–   original Inner Fenders
–   original Fenders  (pssg fender may have been replaced with a factory unit)
–   original Radiator Core Support
–   original Deck Lid, Hood, Doors
–   original Vin Stamp inner fender and original Door Trim Tag

True factory GT ‘package’

–   Quick Ratio Steering
–   Dual Exhaust with factory hanger braces under seats & in Rear Frame Rails
–   Special Suspension
–   Fog Lights
–   Special Stripes and Badging
–   Special Pop-open Gas Cap

Factory Deluxe Pony Interior ‘package’

–   Pony Seat covers
–   Special Door cards and Safety lights
–   Simulated Wood Steering Wheel
–   Simulated Woodgrain Dash facia
–   Carpeted kick panels

Ultimate early Stang / ALL 3 of the ‘option packages’

–   High Performance option Package (i.e., K-code)
–   GT Performance & Appearance option Package
–   Deluxe Interior option Package (i.e., Pony Interior)

Additional OPTIONS  above & beyond the above “option packages”

–   Rally Pack tach/clock (factory Ford HiPo 8,000 RPM tach)
–   Am/Fm Radio (factory Ford unit)…. RAREST of all 1966 OPTIONS
–   Style Steel Wheels
–   Remote driver’s Mirror
–   Day Night interior Rear view Mirror
–   Deluxe Seat Belts / Seat Belt warning light
–   Emergency Flashers
–   Dual Redline Tires (now modern radial Redlines)
–   NOTE: Power Steering was added by original owner and it’s too nice to remove

Vin # decoded.

The VIN stamp on this car’s inner fender is the factory original stamping. Additionally this car is listed on page #133 in Tony Gregory’s book, The 289 High Performance Mustang.

6R09K141968
–   6 = 1966
–   R = San Jose California assembly plant
–   09 = fastback body with deluxe Pony Interior
–   K = High Performance model (i.e., HiPo)
–   141968 = unique sequence build number

Trim Tag codes decoded & correct to car

Original factory installed Door Trim Tag ( NOT a reproduction). The car remains true to its factory build codes.
–  63B  … body = Fastback with Pony Interior
–   8      … color = Springtime Yellow
–   66    … trim   = Black deluxe Pony Interior
–   09M … build date = December 9th, 1965
–   71 … DSO = Los Angeles district sales office
–   5      … rear axle ratio = 3.50:1
–   6      … transmission = C4 automatic

HiPo components identified & correct to car

–   O5AE-6015E  correct HiPo engine block casting
–   #21 right side HiPo only head casting
–   #20 left side HiPo only head casting
–   C4ZE-9430-A  right side HiPo only Exhaust Manifold
–   C30E-9431-B  left side HiPo only Exhaust Manifold
–   6ZF stamped on HiPo only Autolite 4100/600CFM carburetor
–   C6ZF F Carburetor Tag (for ‘Automatic-tanny’  HiPo only)
–   C50F HiPo only Dual Point Distributor
–   C casting on transmission servo plate – HiPo only
–   correct HiPo only Manual Choke pull cable operation from inside car
–   correct HiPo only Nine Inch rear differential
–   correct HiPo only rear axle Bumper Plate and 3rd member Bumper rubber
–   correct 3:50 standard HiPo rear axle ratio
–   correct HiPo only factory Ford 8,000 RPM Tach
–   correct Carter 4201 button top fuel pump
–   correct ‘SOUND’ from the ‘Mechanical Lifter’ HiPo engine
–   documenting PHOTOS of the internal engine bottom end components (Hatchet counterweight, Beefier Main Bearing Caps, thicker Harmonic Balancer, & some Orange paint markings, ALL are HiPo ONLY)

 

HiPo ENGINE Block decoded

–   5K15   05AE-6015E  = correct HiPo engine block casting & date of October 15th 1965
–
–    5K22  Stamped Engine ‘assembly date’  = October 22nd. 1965 (block has NEVER been decked and the date is stamped in two locations)

–   ALL the HiPo codes and components listed above ‘document’ this to be correct for a HiPo drivetrain that would have been installed by the San Jose plant at the time this car was built, including the ‘engine assembly date’ stamp of 5K22 (October 22, 1965). The assembly date for this engine is within the possible time window correct for this car’s Build Date of December 9th 1965 (09M). Everything lines up, however, the vin# stamped on this HiPo block is not a match.

–   HiPo vin Stamp on the lower portion of the block (while correct for a San Jose K-code built in the same general time frame as this car) does not match the car. My initial thoughts (speculations) are that it’s one of the following two possibilities, 1) it’s a replacement block from another HiPo that happens to be from the right Plant within the right time frame (….. possible & the next best thing to perfection), … or 2) it’s the original block and was simply mis-stamped at the factory (…. also within the realm of possible given that human error made by $4 an hour line employee has been seen by me and many others on these cars). Either way, the fact is that this car (with the exception of a matching vin# stamp on the block) is more HiPo correct and retains more original Ford parts, including the body, than the vast majority of the K-codes that that I have ever seen (for sale or otherwise).

Value attributes

All of the critical value attributes are present & extremely hard to find in a K-code fastback to the degree they exist in 6R09K141968.

– Rarity & Desirability
– Provenance
– Originality
– Options
– Condition
– Eye Appeal

– ……….. bonus, it’s reliable has no bad habits and it’s fun to drive.