AutoTrader Find of the Week: 1965 Mustang is a Familiar Take on an Unfamiliar Platform

Everybody knows the “Eleanor” Mustang.

Intended to be an updated version of a 1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 and designed specifically for the remake of Gone in 60 Seconds (2000), Eleanor has developed what is perhaps the most rabid and widespread cult following in all of silver screen automobilia (certainly when it comes to real-world vehicles — we’re not counting the Batmobile here).

In recent years, Eleanor has been controversial, as the estate of the original Gone in 60 Seconds creator attempted to trademark the car as a character, thus controlling who could and couldn’t make replicas. Never mind that the original Eleanor in the 1974 Gone in 60 Seconds was a yellow 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1. Never mind that the car in the 2000 movie is specifically identified as a 1967 Shelby GT500 — specifically based on a Ford product and using Shelby Cobra logos as key identifiers.

The whole thing was a mess. Some replica builders, including Shelby itself, were sued. Some even had cars repossessed before courts ruled that Eleanor was not “sufficiently delineated to be recognizable as the same character whenever it appears” and doesn’t display “consistent, identifiable character traits and attributes.” This means there is no copyright preventing you from making your Mustang look like the car in the movie.

The question is, however, would you have been in trouble for owning this particular 1965 Ford Mustang fastback listed for sale right now on AutoTrader and residing in Laval, Que.?

It sure does look like Eleanor at a glance. It has the same liquid-metal molded body kit, lowered repositioned fog lights, gunmetal grey paint, and matte black stripes. The taillights are the elongated Shelby versions, not the short and square ‘65 originals.

The obvious difference is that this one is a 1965 model year, which is not only inconsistent with the movie car but was also two years early for a GT500 model altogether.

In many ways, this resto-mod Mustang is much more interesting than a movie-accurate, faithful recreation. It’s more “Eleanor-inspired” before going completely in its own direction.

Built by the Quebec-based Fougal Creations, this ‘65 fastback was sourced from South Florida before undergoing substantial modification.

Outside of the body kit, the ‘65 body has been modified through a “tubbed” rear end, which was necessary to accommodate a new differential. The rear lower-quarters were modified for exhaust exits — a unique take on Eleanor’s under-door mounted side exhaust.

The trunk bay is now all-aluminum, as is the fuel tank. The engine bay shock towers were removed to accommodate a new engine.

Now powering the car is a bored and stroked “Windsor 302” small-block Ford V8 donated by an ‘88 Mustang GT that’s been hopped up with Edelbrock performance parts. Output is a healthy 320 horsepower, translated through a Tremec T5 five-speed transmission, mated with a Centerforce clutch. The wiring harness and fuse box are all new, as is the ignition system.

This ‘65 Mustang has also been upgraded with some modern conveniences such as rack and pinion steering, air conditioning, and four-wheel disc brakes.

The interior has also received a massive upgrade with design language and materials feeling inspired by modern Mustangs — the cloth racing seats with white stitching look like they could have come straight out of an S550 Performance Pack car — were they Recaro and not Sparco brand.

What this ‘65 does is capture everything that’s great behind the idea of Eleanor — a classic Mustang with modernized looks and performance, that’s ultimately set up for you to thrash the ever-loving snot out of it.

In some ways, this car feels more akin to the “testbed terror” Eleanor prototype. Or, maybe you could think of it as alternate history — what the GT350 to Eleanor’s GT500 might have been.

It doesn’t matter. This resto-mod does something unique, while not going so wildly off-book as to feel outside the realm of “Mustang” — and that’s a tricky thing to pull off.

Yes, the asking price is $129,900, so you’ll have to pass on a new Shelby GT 500 to get it. But a full-on Eleanor build would probably run you over $500,000, so this is definitely the bargain.