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1965 Mustang 
Mustang Front Mustang Rear View Mustang Passenger Side Mustang Driver Side Interior 1 Interior 2 Trunk Engine Front Engine Right Side Engine Left Side National Competition Medals
Jay Mikes bought the 1965 Mustang, shown above, in June, 2013 and restored it to be a driver and parade car. After four months of nostalgia (Jay drove a 65 Mustang while in high school), he sold the car to the Waukeegan Rotary Club. On the 50th Anniversary of Ford's introduction of the Mustang, the Rotary Club of Waukegan, Illinois, raffled off the National Show award winning 1965 Mustang. The proceeds from the raffle went to several charities and organizations in the Waukegan area. Scroll down to learn more about the 2014 Grand Prize.

Marcella's Mustang
Ford's first production Mustang rolled off the assembly line in Dearborn, Michigan on March 9, 1964. The Grand Prize Mustang (above as well as to the right) was produced in Dearborn shortly after and was purchased by Marcella Knight along with her husband Ed in October 1964. The Peoria, Illinois area native drove the car daily until 1982. Her collection of Mustangs included a 1974 Mustang II, a 1979 Mustang, and a 1994 loaded Mustang convertible. In December 1989, Floyd Scranton, a friend and reputable Mustang restorer, began restoration of Marcella's 1965 Mustang and completed the work in September 1990. The car was taken by trailer to the Southeastern National Fall Meet of the AACA and took first in the Junior Award. It later took top honors at MCA, AACA, VMCCA and MOTAA competitions throughout the central states. Marcella & Ed Knight
Mustang Monthly 
The article below from the March 1993 issue of Mustang Monthly tells the story. Mouse over the photo below to see the September 2004 issue featuring Marcella's 1974 Mustang II. Mouse over the magazine cover below to see Floyd Scranton's 1968 yellow Mustang convertible on the January 1988 cover of Mustang Monthly. Click here for a close up of the article, "A Mustang for Marcella." Thanks to Donald Farr of Mustang Monthly for the pdf file.
Mustang Monthly Article Mustang Monthly March 1993
Mustang: America's Favorite Pony Car Mustang: America's Favorite Pony Car


Marcella Knight's 1965 Mustang also has appeared in other magazines and books. Shown at left is the cover of Mustang: America's Favorite Pony Car, 2nd Edition. On page 225 is a color photo of the car shown at right. If you compare the picture at right with the Mustang Monthly photo above, you will see that it is the same photo. Marcella's Mustang is one of two examples of a 1965 Mustang Coupe featured in the book. Click here to see a larger photo of page 225.
Mustang Page 225
Ownership 
Marcella Knight passed away  in 2005. The car was sold at auction as part of an estate sale. A drug dealer near Peoria, Illinois, bought the car but drove it less than 500 miles in eight years. (Okay, technically, you would call the next owner a pharmacist). Jay Mikes bought the car in June, 2013 and restored it to be a driver and parade car. As Marcella's show car, the tires were bias ply. They were replaced with radial white wall tires including the spare tire. Power brakes were added to make the vehicle safer. The previous owner had new shocks installed. So with the new shocks and radials the car has a very smooth ride.Jay also added new battery cables and spark plug cables as well as a new distributor cap, a new condenser and points, a new coil, and a new fuel pump. A leaking heater core necesitated a replacement. Jay and his wife created a custom console cup holder which fits perfectly between the front seats and looks like it was part of the original design (see interior photos above). Because of a small leak in the exhaust manifold, a new manifold was installed. Performance was significantly improved by treating all six cylinders to a piston soak. Finally, a new three row radiator completed the second restoration. The work was done by Jay Mikes, Mustang Restorations and Mike Nowak, a retired mechanic and owner of a 1965 Shelby.

Original Specs
Engine: Six Cylinder 200 cubic inch 3.3 liter
Transmission: C-4 Automatic


More Mustangs

Mike Nowak's 1965 Shelby