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This sale, and the cars strengths and weaknesses, comports w 039's recent sale at 1.1M.
The 65 market right now looks extremely strong across the spectrum.

Hi Charles,
I totally get it.
Not a ping to the concours guys who consistently 'up the game' to all of our benefit.
Actually, running the SAI owner's manual 'book' caster w the locker was never intended (imo) for street ops, u-turns are a tough customer, better suited for high-speed longitudinal stability.
Keep up the good work.
-Steve A

1.1 super-large for a '65, YOWSA.
Those strut rods are a real head-scratcher though, glad to see the owner/restorer was more concerned w drivability than concours-correct. Very few of us left seeing street duty.

The crankshafts utilized were highly modified C1TE 8 counterweight raw forgings, originally intended for a 292 Y-block truck application.
They were initially obtained by Ak Miller in his capacity as FoMoCo's Performance Advisor for 'outlaw' use in his 'Cobra Kit Special'. This was a Tojeiro/AC chassis'd, fiberglass bodied roadster for the 1964 Pike's Peak Hillclimb event. The intent was showcasing the efficacy of Cobra Kits in which Ak worked in close collaboration w SAI in developing and promoting on behalf of Ford.
In getting this going, Ak worked w longtime associate Alex Alexander, owner of Crank Shaft Company (CSC). Hank Bechtloff was an employee of CSC who is credited with doing the work.

Specifically:
-the 292 inherently shares the same cylinder bore spacing as a 289 (which is also why Gurney utilized Y block OEM shaft rockers on his later Gurney-Weslake cylinder heads);
-the C1TE required significant machine work on shortening the snout, thinning and re-contouring the forward counter weight and forward main journal, and significant modification/creation of the aft flange which the raw forging fortuitously allowed. This got it into the 289 block;
-once in, the (originally intended) 3.300 stroke was reduced to 3.25, and crankpin diameter reduced from (intended) 2.188 to 2.00 (a 289 crankpin is 2.123);
-CSC and Ak utilized a CSC I-beam/capscrew connecting rod (itself an impressive piece circa 1964). Connecting rod inserts from a 215 Olds application were utilized;
-from this CSC did have a short term marketing of this set up with the capability of up to a 3.45 stroke through offset grinding;
-it was not a secret, nor was a seller;
-it was covered in the aftermarket press with little fanfare, the Oct 1964 Hot Rod mag being notable;
-the Shelby American engine shop of this period was comprised largely of CS hires from Culver City, Gardena, and Whittier. These were the guys who built the then-terrifying engines for the 289s: roadsters, FIA, USRRC, Dragonsnakes and Daytonas;
-the 325 project was concurrent with SAI's reception of the GT40 program from FAV and SAI's initial push to go 289/wet sump with their on-property staff;
-this was prior to any Dearborn involvement or any SK,XE,C6FE,C7FE parts for the 289;
-this was all to change after LeMans 1965 through classic 'mission creep' as Dearborn took increasing control to the point where they were shipping sealed E&F and HM FE engines, through the later TP302 debacle, etc. All at the expense of the SAI engine team, many of whom re-migrated to Culver City and the remaining  SAI engine shop was basically reduced to sell formulaic 'R-model' engines via catalog. (It probably wasn't until the 1969 Revson 'Shelby' B302 program utilizing  Falconer & Dunn that local engines were used;
-couple loose ends: CSC was a super top tier operation, this was no Speed—O-Motive nor later PAW, and yes Hank later split off circa 1971...still a legend.
This entire topic is classic Ak Miller, a major player, whose seminal involvement w early SAI is largely lost to history and not a part of the SAAC narrative.     
(pics attached)                     

396k for a 'driver' 65 ain't bad (even if it did have many of it's bonafide parts-which is unknown).
This car could soak up another 100-200k to bring to pristine.

Peculiar. This 325 cu in hp/tq interplay is way off (by being the same) for a 90 degree presumably hi-perf V-8 (as opposed to say an agricultural pump-motor).
Although it could be many things, most initially look to an intake tract/ cyl head restriction, especially if/when the tq is in an 'expected ballpark'.

Vern,

Thank you for posting and populating this substantive thread. Really 'ups the game' for our forum.
Two points:
-McCoy Ford is still around, under the same family ownerwship: https://www.ocregister.com/2012/11/14/after-75-years-ford-dealership-keeps-rolling/;
-thanks, especially, for the inclusion of those 'staff meeting minutes'. They are dense in factual detail on matters in addition to the package tray carpet topic.
For instance, over the years my tracking of initial Ford VINs, to assigned 65 SAI VINs, to chassis component date codes, to engine block date codes clearly (empirically) showed that batched 271HP engine availabilty drove deliverlies (in the mid-production period) for Mustangs from Milpitas to SAI.
The April 7 minute report of Bruce Junor is the first document I've seen addressing this.
Arcane, I know! but of interest to certain 65 GT-350 owners.

-Steve A

Thanks guys!

Been trying to contact Jack for weeks on the company phone/email without response.
Has anyone had better luck recently?
Thanks!

Brian,

Thanks for all of your efforts (including the hyperlinks).
It is such a help to so many of us.

Can't help but notice the obvious: Mecum has really cornered the Shelby-American market.

-Steve A

FWIW: my ancient files label these as JFK/Idelwild, see attached (despite the thumbnail mis-label jpegs).
Aircraft is a CL-44 of Slick Airways.

I am so impressed to see mention of Valley Clutch on this Forum!
I had the distinct pleasure of knowing both Frank and Pat going back to the Quonset Hut days on Arrow.
Those men live on to this day with the racers of the original Irwindale. Absolute classics! Esp Pat's legendary 'dead squirrel' toupé. Frank passed early and Pat closed up the new shop perhaps 20(?) yrs ago. But boy do they live on in bench-racing circles in these parts.
One of my cars (at 500hp) still has a 'gold' clutch, with numerous disc changes/surfacing and has never slipped. My GT-350 ran a solid roller B302 until recently, again w one of Pat's gold clutches, same, nary a problem and I'm thinking of putting that mid-80's long plate behind the recently stock spec'd original 306hp just out of a wierd 'nostalgic loyalty' (?). I can't come up w a reason why-not-to. Crazy.

Yes, a 52" like out of a 1957~ Ford will work, the tubes do not narrow down so you'll have to switch plates and u-bolts, was very popular mod in the day when '57 Fords were in junkyards.
Granada style 9in housing, w factory disc brakes, are also 52" width is also a popular easy option for a non-concours application. 
Curries' used to use 8" tubes on a 9" pumpkin which was 'ok' but noticeable for those really looking, they may have since changed (?). Mitch Jackson used to supply them to Currie, but he has since passed.
There were 100% reproductions being made a few years ago, when the Hipo K Exchange Forum was up, status unknown now.

https://youtu.be/j03RWXoGoYU?si=eTqLOfJJE6uz_Rlv

...that classroom of girls-sooo cute. where are they now?

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