64½ List of Differences

Details: Category: Early Mustang Knowledgebase; Published on Monday, 25 March 2013 19:57; Written by Klaus; Hits: 45046

On a first view it should be easy to determine the build date if you start checking the VIN of a car, but in this case it's not so easy. Ford decided that the early mustang will get the "65" status from beginning and so every serial number started with 5Fxxxxxx instead of 4Fxxxxxx. <BR>This caused a 18th month production time for the 65 mustang! The official transition date from 64½ to 65 and also the latest scheduled build date is the 31st of July. The start of the second production run of a 65 mustang was the the 1st of August. Being a weekend date the first registered scheduled build date was the 4th of August. Before that date a total of 121538 early 64½ mustangs had been build.

Regardless what the official view of Ford about the model year of this cars is, there are reasons enough to differ. So if you are interested to determine surely if your mustang is a 64½ there are some rules which don't have exceptions:
- every VIN has to start with "5"
- there doesn't exist a 64½ fastback
- there doesn't exist a 64½ luxury or GT option
- every D,F,U engine coded early mustang is a 64½
- every 64½ must have an generator
- every 64½ must be build in Dearborn (march to august) or San Jose (13 th of July to august)

Use the 64½ Decode Info to check if the dataplate options (Date code, DSO, Paintcode,...) match the requirements for a 64½ production mustang. Also this should be enough to answer the first round of questions, but what's about the other, over 100 differences between these two production years? When I searched inside the worldwide web I found several pages listing the differences, but most of them were incomplete and mostly usable for helping to determine which car it is. I wanna to go a step further with showing every difference to build up enough information for concourse correct restoration and so I decided to build up my own list.
In a first step I set up my 64½ parts page (check inside the Gallery), where you can see some of the special 64 1/2 parts.
What you see here isn't the holy bible of mustang knowledge, but I tried to do my very best to built up a correct and complete list. I hope that there are a lot of early-mustang friends out there who will help me to get the errors out and to finish it some day ...

Interior
	^{Vent Knob}	Driver's side has white "A" on it
	^{Horn Ring}	with only one contact button (2/65)
	^{Horn Ring contact plate}	fits to 64 horn ring
	^{Horn brush}	horn ring brush and insulator for use on models with a 64 horn ring
	^{Trunk Mat}	Burtex splatter - Convertibles normally had rubber plaid
	^{Caps on the door jambs}	were not painted in bodycolor on some early cars
	^{Pedal Pads}	clutch, brake and gas pedal pads do not have indentation around edge for stainless trim
	^{Shifter Bezel}	64½ auto shifter bezel dial and console shifter dial do not have red arrows
	^{Shift boot plate}	special for Man. Transmission w/o console option
	^{Shift lever}	special for 4 spd
	^{Shifter T-handle}	smaller one on very early (i.e. preprods) 64
	^{Door handle plate}	special plastic disk
	^{Door handles}	clip-on type instead of screw-on
	^{Door cranks front}	clip-on type instead of screw-on
	^{Door Cranks rear}	clip-on type instead of screw-on
	^{Door Sill plates}	different edges - not rounded like 65's
	^{Steering wheel}	can identified by the hole for the contact spring
	^{Contact plates}	for door light switches on inside door edge
	^{Lock knob}	different and painted interior color
	^{Lock knob grommets}	black plastic instead of clear plastic /FONT>
	^{Instrument cluster}	with warning light "GEN"
	^{AM Radio}	From Bendix - serial starting with TBZ, different scale
	Headliner rods	one end is removable on rear two rods
	^{Seats upholstery}	Black with cloth in the middle - unique in 64
	^{Carpet on all bodytypes}	Has a heal but no toe pad
	^{Carpet on Coupe}	Does not cover the sides of the rocker panel to step plates
	^{Seat Belts front}	chrome buckles in alligator-skin style with eye bolt ends
	^{Seat Belts Hook Pin}	round plastik fastener to secure belt hooks to bolt
	^{Seat Belts Anchor Bolt}	early style eye bolt for chrome buckles
	^{Seat Belts Rear}	Not available; no holes or anchors
	^{Owners manual}	different cover and different content
	^{Passenger seat}	not adjustable until 5/08/64
	^{Passenger seat hardware}	Seat Spacers and mounting bolts for non adjustable passenger seat
Body & Wheels
	^{Radiator Support}	air vent openings, no holes for mounting horns, voltage regulator holes
	^{Spare Wheel Mounting Bolt}	One straight bolt mounts in special bracket in trunk
	^Wheels	13" 4 lugs only on 170 CID available
	^{Wheel cover}	13" only on 170 CID available
	^{Wired wheel cover}	with ford crest symbol
	^{Styled Steel wheels}	argent wheel with silver accents instead of charcoal
	^{Brake master cylinder}	two types differ on powerbrake
	^{Brake master cyl. cap}	jar cap stamped with "fill in heavy duty fluid only"
	^{Brake light switch}	mounts in special master cylinder
	Lines	fuel and brake line clamps are screwed to floor, not clipped
	^Hood	angled edges not completely folded over
	^{Head light buckets}	have beveled edges to match hood lip
	Headlights	early 64½ headlights have raised FoMoCo script
	^{Rear quarter extension}	does not have the channel for the rubber seal
	^{Hood bumpers}	have a recessed phillips head screw instead of solid rubber
	^{Hood 2}	underside of the hood does not have drill holes between vent openings folded over and headlight assemblies are beveled
	^{Hood Hinges}	black not natural metal look
	Engine Compartment	bracket between inner fender apron and cowl cover have extra vertical tab
	Front Shock Towers	no drain in frame rail under shock tower
Engine & Transmission
	Engines	V8 - 260 & 289 cubic inch (5 bolt); 6 cylinder - 170 cubic inch
	^Transmission	are close bellhousing pattern - no ears; smaller input bearing cover
	^{Timing cover V8}	include oil filler tube and dipstick tube
	^Waterpump	Aluminium and fit's only on early cover; no alternator mount hole
	^{Valve cover V8}	No oil filler cap
	^{Valve cover PCV}	small opening for PCV valve on passenger side and different valve
	^{Valve cover PCV hose}	hose without turndown to valve and used of brass elbow instead
	^{Oil Pan}	different location of oil drain hole
	^{transverse muffler}	with transverse muffler (before 8/15/64)
	Mufflers	dual exhaust system mufflers were parallel but no resonators; pipes are turned down
	Pipe hangers	Rear tail pipe hangers for dual exhaust are not through the frame
	^{Bellhousing V8}	5 mounting bolt holes; not interchangeable with 65
	Brake hose brackets	Front have a hexagonal cut-out instead of star washer cut-out
	^{Kick down linkage}	rod linkage for all automatic

	Differential	special U-Joint with all 170 CID
	^{Radiator hose}	moulded hose with all 260/289 CID
	^Transmission	unique mount insulators with all 260/170 CID
	^{Air cleaner filter}	unique with all 260 CID
	^{PCV valve}	64½ uses a brass 90 degree elbow instead of a contoured hos
	^{Spark plugs}	BF42 plugs on 260 and 289, BF32 on hi-po
	^{Crank pulley}	tripple sheave slotted cast iron with all 260 CID w/o AC
	^{Waterpump pulley}	two sheave slotted cast iron with all gen engines
	Front drive shaft	(HIPO/4spd) before 10/05/64 28 splines
	Air conditioner compressor	different bracket
	Air conditioner idler	special pulley and bracket assembly
		No convertible reinforcement from fender apron to firewall
	^{Gas tank fill tube}	had 5 slotted holes
	^{Gas fill tube hose}	special clamps without screws

Electric
	^{Taillight buckets}	wires to bucket are sealed instead of later snap on boots
	^{Convertible top}	top sides cables with studs and no springs
	^{Fuse box}	All unique (longer)
	^{Turn signal switch}	differnt switch assembly on 64
	^{Voltage regulator}	Autolite Black or FoMoCo
	^Generator	for all 64 1/2 two type for 170 CID and 260/289 CID
	^{Generator heat shield}	for all 64 1/2 without air cond.
	^{Generator insulator}	for all 64 1/2 with heat shield
	^{Generator rubber boot}	for all 64 1/2 mounts over generator
	^{Windshield washer pump}	only one level
	^{Heater box}	no mounting for resistor circuitry
	^{Heater blower fan}	two speed with circuitry inside motor; ground cable
	^{Heater control switch}	two speed with off in center position
	^{Horn Relay}	All with gen; mounts on radiator support
	^{Power steering}	with early eaton pump only with special adapter
Exterior
	^Badges	"Mustang" emblem on fender is 4-1/2" long
	^{Gas cap}	without retaining cable
	^{Horse and Corral}	Different retaining screw location
	^{Wiper arm}	winshield wiper has smooth cap instead of flanged
	^{Wiper post}	winshield wiper post has a chromed nut extension
	Door	Outside door felts backing is black not chrome
	^{Striker Plate}	striker plate attached for door light switch
	^Distributor	has a small oil filler cap
	Distributor Rotor	unique with all 170 CID
	Distributor condenser	unique with all 170 CID
	Distributor vacuum line	unique with all 170 CID
	^{Fuel line to carb}	passes front of distributor with all V8
	^{Spark plugs}	autolite BF32 star powerplugs
	^Wiring	the wirering is completly different - for an example my generator wiring harness
	^{Yellow Coil}	unique mounting point beside carb on manifold
	^{Coil Bracket}	Bracket for mounting on manifold
	^{Starter Solenoid}	brown body instead of black one
	^{Headlight switch}	special before 8/17/64
	^{Parking light}	backing cups have no cut-out, originals are stamped lh/rh
	Pedal	Clutch and brake pedal secured with "E" clips