By: JP Emerson
It started with a phone call. The kind that, depending on which side of the conversation you were on, either a gave you chills at the possibilities, or a nervous uneasiness at a long-held family secret you were about to share.
Fortunately for Vernon Estes, it was he who was on the receiving end of that call. Estes, a well-established and respected member of the Shelby community and owner of Vernon Estes Classics understood that this particular car was more than just a piece of automotive history.
To the caller, a treasured piece of family history as well.
There is a saying about "If it sounds too good to be true" that we are all familiar with. Frankly, that saying is usually accurate as many "finds" in the muscle car world don't live up to their initial billing.
However, every once in a long while, the previously unknown car on the other end of the call turns out to be one of the most original, well preserved 1965 GT350s in existence.
Soon thereafter, Estes would stand before one of the most significant examples of American muscle and bring it into the light for the first time in nearly five decades.
5S335 is a completely original, 35,000-mile car still wearing its original paint, interior, and 100% of its original drivetrain. Additionally, it retains every important, Shelby specific part which would have been installed in 1965.
"The further we get on in years since these iconic cars were produced, the more uncommon it becomes to see such original, unknown examples of 1965 GT350s emerging from their decades-long hiding places" says Estes.
5S335 was purchased by Dr. William Burrow on May 1, 1966, only after having sat on the lot for 9 months! “In the hobby, we all like to longingly say "they are still out there" but with every emergence of one of these unknown cars, the field of potential unknown cars still existing narrows."
5S335 was originally delivered new to Herff Ford in Memphis, Tennessee. While not one of the highest volume or most storied Shelby Authorized Dealerships, Herff was very aptly located in, of all places,. Shelby County!"
Despite being ultra-desirable collector cars in the present day, most enthusiasts tend to forget that these more race-oriented 1965 cars were a tough sell initially to the general public. 5S335 was purchased by Dr. William Burrow on May 1, 1966, only after having sat on the lot for 9 months!
At the time of sale, Herff titled the car as a 1966 GT350 (being that many states were known for titling cars by the year they were sold as opposed to the actual model year of the car.)
As it was sold as a 1966 GT350, the car had a backseat installed (a feature typical of 66 GT350s) while the original fiberglass "package tray"/spare tire carrier remained with the car.
In fact, Estes related that the package tray had to be retrieved from the roof of an RV which was also stored in the barn. Given that the tray never spent much time in the back of 5S335, Estes says it is the nicest original example he can recall seeing."
On December 10, 1966, the car changed hands for the final time when Donald Dunford became the second owner for $2800. (The check that Donald paid for the car, the original bill of sale, and the letter from his bank about the purchase all remain with the car.)
Purchased specifically because it had air conditioning added to it… Donald felt that his wife would love that feature and promptly drove the car back to Frankfort Indiana where the car would live until the 1990s when they moved to West Lafayette, Indiana.
The car would remain "her car" and completely hidden for the rest of its days.
Out of sight, but never out of mind.
The all-too-common phrases such as "Barn Find"& Holy Grail" automobiles typically accompany carefully crafted stories designed specifically to drive "clicks" to websites or eyes to staged "reality" shows.
Where beer assistants and stacks of "cash" figure prominently packaged neatly into a thirty-minute segment on yet another automotive based network. (Read sidebar story, additional photos and video here)
The greatest finds and the most amazing automotive stories need no "fancy lights" or "makeup" because they stand on their own in truth and verifiable fact by someone who had the foresight to document everything.
“Being such raw and performance-oriented cars, it is a rarity to see a 1965 Shelby Mustang survive its early years with a high degree of its originality intact" Estes explains.
"Rarer still is for an example to survive unscathed through the restoration-crazed time period of the 1980s till recent years."
Donald Dunford and wife Alice have done just that.
In the early 1990s, the 65 GT350 was stored in the back of their barn in West Lafayette… all the way in the back with a motor home and all the other cars blocking it from getting stolen. Covered and preserved for generations to come.
"Few examples of 65 GT350s survive today in the same incredibly well-preserved condition as 5S335. this makes it one of the best of the breed in existence" states Estes.
In 2016 Donald passed away leaving the car to his wife Alice. Over the years Alice would mention many times to Karen Lank (her niece) that she had a very special Mustang in the back of the barn.
As the barn was too full for Karen or anyone else to ever get back to see it, it remained completely off the radar.
In the waning months of 2023, Alice passed leaving her estate to Karen including the barn packed full of cars, parts, a big RV and one truly, very "special Mustang".
"The emergence of SFM5S335 reveals a car that is perfect for the new owner for two reasons" adds SAAC registrar Howard Pardee.
"If the owner decides to have a survivor car, the engine compartment and interior have been cleaned up and the mechanicals sorted through, I see no reason why not just drive and enjoy it. It's a good example of what a Shelby was when it left Shelby American in 1965".
"If the owner decides to have a concours car, this Shelby is ideal as it appears to be a very solid car with no major problems" Pardee concedes.
"The important thing is that the original parts are there and don't have to be sourced at astronomical prices."
"It was a pleasure to be able to experience the re-discovery of such a high-integrity example" says Vernon…"it is the kind of experience that guys like me live for in this hobby."
As for the future direction of 5S335, Estes says, "The car could not be in better hands than with its new, preservation-focused owner who is about to embark on a no-expense-spared, preservation-focused refresh.
This work will be conducted by Jeremy Turner at Maple Hill Restoration in Virginia. During this "refresh" every effort will be taken to properly recommission the car's mechanical components while preserving its absolutely insane level of originality including its original paint, original interior, and miraculously preserved original underside.
Upon completion, there is no doubt that 5S335 will be counted among the most well-preserved examples in existence of a 1965 GT350."
Fortunately for Estes, who may live by another old saying, "Most people miss opportunity because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work"…when his phone rang, he answered.
Nothing is more expensive than missed opportunity.
Copyright © 2024 JP Emerson All Rights Reserved.
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