This is the "newest" mustang a 1972 Mach 1 with a 351C. It runs (though not very well) and we're basically gonna redo the interior fix the right rear side (has a patch of rust and bondo) repaint and add the louvers and spoiler, and possibly put in a bigger engine.
It's a basic mach 1 as far as the exterior, but it does have a number of the options, like AC, Automatic, folding rear seats,etc.
it's 30+ years old but it's only got a little over 50,000 miles one it
UPDATE: It's been about 6 months and we've got the engine refurbished and back in the car. It's running again and it is LOUD We swapped out the rusted out single exhaust for nicer looking dual pipes. and we've also increased the horsepower though we don't know exactly how much yet.
At this point we've pretty much decided on the color. It's going to be a metallic gold, and we're going to keep the brown interior, since it would be too hard, if not next to impossible to find all of it in black. And we can hopefully use most of it again.
It should look like this when it's done
UPDATE
We got it back!!!! My dad was away on buisenss the past couple of weeks, though he had kept in touch with the paint/body guy. He forwarded me an email from the guy saying it would be done this week...though I had my doubts given his past record.
He wasn't kidding though, the tow truck has JUST dropped it off, and though he didn't quite get around to painting the black bottom, but he did do the hood. The gold looks a lot nicer than I thought it would, this thing is going to be practically show quality when we get it done.
UPDATE
it's been a few weeks since we got it back, and it feels good to have "control" of how fast it goes back together. Since we got it back we've done a lot of exterior work. We've put the quarter/side windows back in. We were going to put the regular side windows back in, unfortunately the original ones are scratched pretty bad. My dad did try to get some replacement ones. He found a guy who said he had some up in Escondido...however they turned out to be too small for the mach.
(we think they might be for a grande or something instead)
That's one thing you have to deal with when restoring a special/rarer car like this....making sure everything you get is for the specific car you have.
One good thing is we had a guy come last night to put a new headliner in, it took him an hour or two but he did it, and trust me, It looks a lot nicer when you can see the whole thing
We also just finished with a few things on the rear end today....
The brake lights are back in, the piping to the fuel tank, the honeycomb panel and trim and of course the gas cap too. Though we did have trouble with the trim on the top and bottom of the honeycomb, my dad bought some better ones than what we had off ebay...and they tunred out to be for a different version. The trim on the mach 1 has a curved indent in the center so the gas cap can fit properly. Luckily the originals aren't too bad, so we ended up using them, with the extra screws from the ones my dad bought (cause we were missing a few)
UPDATE
Well it's been a few more weeks and I have to say, for the most part it's coming together a lot faster than I thought it would. All the seats are in, the dash gauges work fine even though they're 30 yrs old. We have a new steering wheel on the car, since the old one was rotten on the inside and didn't allow the horn to work. It's coming along nicely
(the pics don't show the dash in, but it's in trust me)
We should have this thing ready to go back to paint in the next month
(I just hope the guy doesn't keep it for a year and a half this time)
All that's needed on the exterior, is the black underside, decals, and the rubber bumper off the front
(which the body/paint guy has got)
It seems like it's been a lot longer than 2 months...I mean we only got it back in October, and you look at the pics the thing was empty inside...time sure flies when you've got control of your project.
2 months ago the best I could do was crouch behind the steering wheel and pretend I was driving it. Now, I can sit down in the seat, put my feet on the pedals, hands on the steering wheel,and close the door...though it can be hard to open it from the inside sometimes.
I will tell you, you sit a lot lower in this thing that I imagined, it feels strange even compared to my 07, which with the exception of the seat raise up, isn't much higher. Though visibility out the front and sides are ok, it's so strange you sorta feel like you're really in a tank or something.
UPDATE
We've finally got the engine sorted out, after getting a second new cam (the first one we got was the wrong one) and a new gas tank that fits properly....after mustangsunlimited.com screwed up the original order for one, we got the right tank from another mustang parts supplier.
My dad is planning to take it down to the paint/body shop later this week. He will drive it down and I will follow him in my stang. I hope it makes it,lol The body shop will fix the alignment on the doors, which don't close cleanly/properly, bolt on the spoiler, and put on the side/rear decals and black paint on the bottom of the car.
After that all that will be left are the wheels, which are going to be mag 500's, which slightly larger tires on the rear wheels, to give it a meaner appearance.
If all goes well, the car will be ready for it's planned debute at my stang club's big may BBQ/car show, at simspons nursery round the corner from my house.
(how's that for convenient? lol)
UPDATE
We got it back last weekend after another week in the paint/body shop, where we had the guy properly align the doors & hood,paint the bottom, and put the decals/stripes on. He did a good job on the body work. But there might be an issue with the fact that he painted the underside semi-gloss black, and the hood is mat black.
But we are sick of dealing with the guy just because our car doesn't seem to be a very important job to him, and we're sick of dealing with him, so if it wrong (like we think it is) we'll fix it later since you don't really notice it unless you really look at it.
Anyway, we've put rear bumper on so the back end. (with the exception of the spoiler)
is done. leaving 3 jobs left. Tires,putting the front end back on, and the spoiler, left to do.
UPDATE!!!!!
SHE'S DONE!!!!!
Finally!!! With the exception of some touch-up on the paint she is in one piece and looking great.
Finished Car Before & After
(side and front views)
Mustang Club of San Diego
2009 "Mustangs By the Bay" Show
10/7/09 Embarcadero Park San Diego,CA
There were about 300 mustangs there, and only 4 71-73
(and only 2 of us were 100% show worthy)
