1971 Mustang Convertible - Code Name: Burn Victim

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AMWeaver47

Active member
Joined
Nov 29, 2013
Messages
44
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2
Location
Granger, Indiana
My Car
1971 Ford Mustang Convertible
I figured I would go ahead and post some pictures of the car as I work on it. I have always been a Mustang fan (probably my single favorite car of all time) and when I saw this car I knew it had some potential. I purchased it from an insurance auction online from West Palm Beach, Florida.

After doing some research, I found out this car had been sold a couple times this last year, allowing me to see it before it was dubbed "Burn Victim". The car came from the factory in Bright Red with white interior and the 302. I believe the engine in the car is the one that came in it but I don't know that for sure at this point. The car shows 83,000 miles on the odometer and my gut tells me it could be original but who knows. The floors and trunk are original from what I can tell and are showing their age. The interior is either original or it is an old restoration but I would guess it's the former.

The pictures tell more of the story so I'll move on to those...

This is the car as it was sold on ebay early last summer, I believe it was in Iowa if I remember correctly. Looks like it was just a decent driver. The wheels aren't my style but someone liked them so who am I to judge.









Then the car showed up for sale in Florida a couple months later looking like this:



Waaaaaaaaaay better in my opinion and that is exactly how I plan to restore it except for the Mach 1 stickers. A company specializing in classic cars dressed it up a little bit and made some money on it.

Then less than 200 miles later, s**t hit the fan and I'm sure the gentleman that took ownership of it was just sick. This resulted in the following:























Don't mind the clutter or the mediocre cell phone pictures.

That was the car as of a few days ago. I already pulled the hood off (It's warped and needs replaced anyway). The paint job was just decent in my opinion. The doors and quarters were exceptionally straight but the paint job was just exterior so there was a tape line in the jams. There is a weird pitting in the paint too but regardless it will get a full paint job. The interior is all there but needs a major cleaning/detailing to make it nice again. It will of course need the engine bay redone but the 302 looks like it escaped without much damage, just cosmetic. It will come out of the car and my plan is to check it all over and if it's in good enough shape, it will go back in after getting a little work done and being restored.

This car will be a huge project but will be so worth it when it's finished. And if I need some inspiration, I can just look at this...



Damn that's a fine looking car.

So what do you guys think? Does the old girl deserve a second chance?

 
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Definitely worth a second chance although I prefer the clean look of the first incarnation without the black combined with the rims of the second one. :)

 
As for what caused the fire, I don't know. Given the short time period between dressing it up and the fire, my best guess is that when it was being dressed up under the hood, someone did something that allowed it to dump fuel where it didn't belong. I couldn't pick out anything that stood out as "Oh that's what happened", it all got pretty scorched. Luckily for the car, the wind must have been blowing towards the front/drivers side and kept the fire inside the engine compartment for the most part.

When it comes to this era of mustang I happen to be a sucker for stripes, although I can see both sides of the coin. With the stripes the car looks a little busy but not much more than a Mach or Boss would. Without the stripes it doesn't grab as much attention (at least I don't think so) but it makes a nice straight car look that much more honest. But you know what the cool part is? It will be just plain red before it gets stripes and I have been known to change my mind. I appreciate the insight very much though, I really hadn't given the stripes much thought.

 
Wow she can be built again. mine also survived an engine bay fire 24 years ago but 22 years of neglect did more then the fire did. Good luck with your build.

 
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Wow she can be built again. mine also survived an engine bay fire 24 years ago but 22 years of neglect did more then the fire did. Good luck with your build.
Much appreciated. I've seen what 2 years of neglect can do to an old car so I can imagine 22 wasn't a pretty sight. I like to think of it as 1/3 of a restoration, firewall forward.

 
Well it was in El Paso until 3 months before I got it so rust was minimal thankfully but the interior was powdery and every nook and cranny had an inch of that desert moon dust coating it, I still don't think I got it all yet...

 
I am no expert on fire damage (which is a good thing) but I would imagine stripping and priming/painting is all that is needed for the metal parts? I suppose the hood may have warped from the heat. Wires, hoses, front suspension rubber pieces, etc. Anyways, yeah, it looks like a saver to me. I bet you got a decent deal on it too!

There is nothing wrong with the stripes but you will need to either drop the 'Mach 1' script (preferred) or the Mustang emblem. It is too cluttered with both. I prefer leaving the Mach 1 off since there is no such thing as a Mach 1 convertible but I do not scorn or look down on folks who go this route.

 
There is nothing wrong with the stripes but you will need to either drop the 'Mach 1' script (preferred) or the Mustang emblem. It is too cluttered with both. I prefer leaving the Mach 1 off since there is no such thing as a Mach 1 convertible but I do not scorn or look down on folks who go this route.
+1 Loose the Mach 1 stickers for a cleaner look.

I like the original stripe-less configuration.

Good luck on your project.

Ray

 
Wasn't that car listed on Copart as a "certificate of destruction" car down in FL , Miami I think? Sure looks like it, thought it was a great car to fix. I would make sure it isn't before you start. If so that car can never be on the road in this country. That is why they fix them and send them overseas. I love getting them back from the brink, and back on the road., but be careful the whole title thing really sucks. Really pisses me off when you can restore a car to better than brand new, but still end up with a branded title.

 
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I can only imagine how the owner felt when he saw the car after the fire....

I had the stripes on my vert before the paint job, and I've seen the car now without the stripes......The stripes are going to be put back on soon as we get some warm weather around here, finishes off the car as far as I'm concerned.

 
The Mach 1 stickers will definitely go. I can appreciate a good tribute but I would prefer to take the best aspects from each trim and put them all together in a way that looks complete.

The only warping I can see is on the hood. The drivers front corner has a wave in it. I'll try to eventually post a picture of the hood when I get a chance so you guys can see it. I think I want to get it all apart and have it sand blasted. Then I'll be able to determine what I really have.

I'm aware of the title issue and I believe I have it covered.

While I'm on the topic of hoods, what do you guys think of the twist-lock variety? Would the car look cleaner without or does it add some cool factor?

My other debate was concerning the front bumper. I like the look of the chrome bumper with the painted grille surround like on the Boss car but I also like the painted bumper like it has now. What do you guys think?

 
The Mach 1 stickers can go, but the hockey-stick stripes are a must, IMO. They really set off the car's looks.

I also believe that it is almost impossible to have too much chrome on the car. The chrome bumpers look really, really nice (as does the chrome front edging on the hood).

I have the twist-lock NASA (NACA, whatever) hood on my '71 convertible and I like it a lot. Easy to open, easy to close, sharp looking.

 
As for the front bumper, I'd prefer the urethane one. Looks much cleaner. I've been trying to get one here in Europe but there is nothing to be found. Shipping from the US is outrageous, so I'm stuck with the chrome one.

Urethane bumpers on verts are pretty rare, so I'd keep it as is.

 
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The Mach 1 stickers can go, but the hockey-stick stripes are a must, IMO. They really set off the car's looks.

I also believe that it is almost impossible to have too much chrome on the car. The chrome bumpers look really, really nice (as does the chrome front edging on the hood).

I have the twist-lock NASA (NACA, whatever) hood on my '71 convertible and I like it a lot. Easy to open, easy to close, sharp looking.
Thanks for the input. Did your car come with that hood or did you have to purchase it?

As for the front bumper, I'd prefer the urethane one. Looks much cleaner. I've been trying to get one here in Europe but there is nothing to be found. Shipping from the US is outrageous, so I'm stuck with the chrome one.

Urethane bumpers on verts are pretty rare, so I'd keep it as is.
It's funny that you say that because I feel like your car looks really well balanced as is.

The black and chrome (or polished aluminum) in the wheels go well together.

The black top and chrome windshield surround go well together.

The black taillight panel and chrome rear bumper go well together.

The black grille and chrome front bumper go well together.

I think I'll restore the urethane front bumper since I'll be painting the car anyway. If I decide I don't like it I can just put a chrome one on later.

 
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