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Posts tagged HiPo 289

Scrapping the first Shelby Mustang?

Scrapping a Shelby Mustang?

Scrapping a Shelby Mustang?

A good friend of ours owns the “003” Shelby Mustang, which happens to be the 1st street Shelby (“001” and “002” were race models).  We received this great email and photo from him and are reprinting it with permission.

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Hello everyone,
As a response to the current political and economic changes in the U.S. within the past year,  I thought I should do my part in evaluating my carbon footprint as well as thinking it may be worthwhile to turn a slight shade of “green”. So I took 003 to the emission testing area on Monday morning, it is a very short drive from my house, so the car had only been on the road for a little more than 5 minutes. A blast on I-5 for a few miles may have suited the car to run better, but at 9:00 in the morning I thought the traffic would be pretty congested. When I entered the vehicle emission testing center, I could read one of the attendant’s mouth saying, “What the #&^*?” That alone was worth the price of admission. With nearly straight side exhaust pipes, people are aware you have arrived ………from a couple blocks away. Thirty years ago, I would have liked the attention, now I don’t want it, but look what you are driving on the street.   I was thinking/hoping the car would fail horribly in every section, but it passed!  Just my luck, feeling kind of rejected, I drove the car over to the local Ford dealership since the sign outside stated “Cash for Klunkers”.  If memory serves me correctly, 003 was sold as a used car to Bill Moir in July-August of 1965 through Ed Leslie’s dealership for $4,350.00.  I had heard that the “cash for clunkers” program was giving out $4,500.00 for the trade-in allowance. I thought, “How many 45 year old cars today could actually sell for what they cost new, not very many”. Seemed like a good idea to me at the time. A Ford salesman approach and seemed quite happy with the car, but he told me the program ended two weeks ago and the car was too old anyways. Someone also told me the car was too old at the emission testing  facility as well,  so much for  trying to lessen my carbon footprint and becoming more “green”. At least I can say I tried.

1964 1/2 1965 1966 HiPo 289 K Code Engine

The early HiPo (High Performance) engines were first offered as an option in June, 1964.  Early HiPo engines had a 5 bell housing bolt engine block.  Some of the other characteristics that set this engine apart include the following:

  • Solid lifters and flat tappet camshaft.
  • Autolite 4100 4V 1.12 Venturi carburetor with a manual choke.  Some K Code engines used a Holley carburetor with a list number of “3259” (these Holley carburetors were often used in Mustang Shelbys) .
  • Cast iron header type exhaust manifolds.
  • Autolite dual point distributor (later HiPo 289 engines used FoMoCo or Motorcraft dual point distributors).
  • Cylinder heads had screw-in style rocker arm studs and a recessed pocket for the valve springs.  All of the cylinder heads had a “19”, “20”, or “21” casting number on the front or rear ear of the head.
  • Heavy duty connecting rods (these were the same as the ones that were later used in the Boss 302 engine).
  • Larger diameter alternator pulley.

Mustang 289 HiPo K Code engine production was discontinued after 1967.  The 1968 Mustang J Code 302 4V engine took its place.