How To Identify A K-Code Mustang (And What One's Worth Today)

Does the Ford Mustang even need an introduction? The car has been around for 60 years, immortalized in films from "Bullitt" to "John Wick," and burned into the American psyche. Over the decades, Ford has produced some great and not-so-great Mustangs, but one of the most-prized breeds of this pony car is the K-Code Mustang. Here was a car capable of zero to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds, with a top speed of 117.

K-Codes were an option package on the hardtop coupe, convertible, or fastback from 1965 to 1967, deriving the nickname from its 271-horsepower, 289-cubic-inch V8, designated with the letter K in Ford VIN and chassis numbers. 

In 1965, it was a pricey $442.60 package on a sticker-priced $3,163 car that didn't offer the creature comforts of air conditioning, automatic transmission, or power steering. Another strike against it if you were budget-minded: K-Codes came with a shorter factory warranty of three months or 4,000 miles. In 1966, the typical new Mustang warranty was 24 months or 24,000 miles, by comparison. That's because the 1965 K-Code was a performance car meant to be driven like one, which translated into wear and tear that Ford didn't want to pay for.  

In the end, only 13,231 out of 1,760,678 ponies were bought with this option. So how do you spot this rare beast in the wild, and what are they worth today? 

[Featured image by Michel Curi via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]

With K-Codes making up less than 1% of the 1.7 million Mustangs manufactured through 1967, how can you tell which is the needle in the haystack? Here's what sets these high-performance cars apart from the herd.

The K engine wasn't the only 289 V8 available for the early Mustangs, but the K-Code package bumped up performance by 51 horsepower through upgraded parts like cylinder heads, pistons, and connecting rods. Most of these K engines, one of Ford's best engines, had the VIN on the side of the block that included the K code. 

The package didn't stop at just the engine: it also included high-performance upgrades to the suspension and rear differential, as well as the drive shaft and clutch, giving it speed in the curves as well as straight lines.

To let everyone in on its secret, these models have "High Performance 289" badging on the front fender  and the engine code K in the VIN or chassis number. The original '65s came with 6.95 x 14 dual-red-stripe tires. In 1966, blackwall or white-stripe tires became options. Inside is an 8,000-rpm tachometer, unique to the K-code engine. Underneath, a dual exhaust system vents through twin tailpipes at the rear.

One more fun fact: the 1965 K-Codes only came with Toploader 4-speed manuals, but the '66 and '67 were available with Ford's Cruise-O-Matic three-speed automatic. 

[Featured image by Sicnag via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY 2.0]

Now that you know what makes a K-Code special and how to spot one in a lineup, what would you have to pay — in current prices — to pick up one of these beauties?

A 1966 Tahoe Turquoise Metallic Mustang K-Code hardtop coupe, with a black vinyl top and 134,170 miles, is currently selling for $54,900 on the website Car-from-UK.com. It has the even-rarer GT package going for it. 

The auction house Sotheby's sold a spotless Rangoon Red 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback K-Code for $68,750. It had a white vinyl "Pony" interior, dual-red stripe tires, and "High Performance" badging, with an odometer reading 22,805 miles. 

A third example was listed on Bring A Trailer, which sold an Ivy Green K-Code in June for a whopping $83,500. That number becomes all the more amazing as the listing details that "Water leaks into the trunk when the car is washed ... The speedometer reads 5 mph fast," and the tires are 20 years old. Nonetheless, the refurbished 1965 Fastback K-Code 289 4-speed — also with the GT package — made someone very happy to have it.

The K-Code may still be more money than many people want to pay for a car. But for the true believers, it's still worth it.

[Featured image by Sicnag via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled |CC BY 2.0]