Unlocking the mysteries of the Mach 1

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Don65Stang

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I've read all kinds of conflicting info on the web so I really don't know for certain what a standard Mach 1 package consists of. I do know that the standard Mach1 package grew as the engine option grew.

 


From what I can tell the basic Mach 1 package was a...





  • 302-2V with non-NASA hood


  • sport roof


  • Mach1 grill with sport lamps


  • colored front bumper


  • dog-dish and trim ring on wide wheels


  • racing mirrors


  • black or argent lower body panels with chrome molding at upper edge


  • Mach1 logos on each fender


  • Standard base interior but with high back seats


  • Trunk lid tape stripe and Mach1 decal



 


Things I learned today...





  • Non-functional Ram Air NASA hoods were solid color (not two tone)


  • Ram Air was only available for the 351-4V and 429-4V engines in '71, then only 351-2V in '72 & '73; and if have the ram air then the hood is either black or ardent two-tone and has the hood lock pins


  • Dual exhaust was standard on 351-4V and larger


  • The 3 gauge pod was standard with the Mach1 Sport interior but the Tach wasn't included...to get the Tach you had to order the Instrumentation Group, which did include the 3 gauge pod and also trip odometer



 


So how much of the above information is not correct?

 


If this info is correct, then my car is really messed up...but i hope to fix that when it's time to spray some fresh paint. Of course my info may be really messed up and my car is ok. LOL


 


Some pics of old ads that seem to collaborate this info...


71fordtshirt7.jpg


71FOMU01.jpg


1971Mach1.jpg


72FOMU01.jpg


73FOMU01.jpg


 
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In addition to your list, the 71 Mach1 pkg also included:

NASA hood with 2 (plugged) scoops and ram-air was non-functional.

Competition suspension (front/rear sway bars, heavy duty shocks/springs, staggered rear shocks).

Mach1 comfort-weave seats with 2 colored stripes (the stripe color could be contrasting or only slightly different as the rest of the seat) .

My car came from the factory exactly like the yellow car in the 4th pict (except it has a black interior

w/dark gray seat stripes).

It currently still has the origional paint and all the same decals.

 
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In addition to your list, the 71 Mach1 pkg also included:

NASA hood with 2 (plugged) scoops and ram-air was non-functional.

Competition suspension.

Mach1 comfort-weave seats with 2 colored stripes (the stripe color could be contrasting or only slightly different as the rest of the seat) .

My car came from the factory exactly like the yellow car in the 4th pict (except it has a black interior

w/dark gray seat stripes).

It currently still has the origional paint and all the same decals.
In 71 the hood was functional if you had a 4v engine. I'm pretty sure competition suspension wasn't standard either, because magnum 500 wheels come standard with that package I believe, and many mach 1's have hubcaps. As far as I know they all had the stripes on the seats though.

 
Mine has a 4v engine and the hood scoops were plugged (and definatly came from the factory that way). Ram-air was AVAILABLE with the 4v in 71 but it was not part of the Mach1 pkg.

Competition suspension WAS standard on the Mach1. Mag-500s were not.

 
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The NACA hood was not standard on Mach 1's. It was a no charge option, therefore most have them. It was not fuctional without the ram air option. The non-NACA hood was standard.

I believe staggered shocks were not available on 351 2V and smaller engines.

Standard interior was also available in Mach 1. They did not necessarily have the Mach 1 interior.

 
Mine has a 4v engine and the hood scoops were plugged (and definatly came from the factory that way). Ram-air was AVAILABLE with the 4v in 71 but it was not part of the Mach1 pkg.

Competition suspension WAS standard on the Mach1. Mag-500s were not.
You are so right about everything, I don't know where I got that info from. Let's pretend I didn't post that last post.....feelin a little off my game here today.

 
The one glaring discrepancy is that the ram air option was available on 72 351 4V...it was not available on the 73 351 4V.

Keep in mind that Ford classified the hoods under three (3) different types: Standard Sportsroof; NASA (NACA) Hood; and NASA Hood with Ram Air. Over the years, the NASA hood has been almost universally referred to as the "ram air" hood, although the car may or may not have ram air.

BT

 
The NACA hood was not standard on Mach 1's. It was a no charge option, therefore most have them. It was not fuctional without the ram air option. The non-NACA hood was standard.

I believe staggered shocks were not available on 351 2V and smaller engines.

Standard interior was also available in Mach 1. They did not necessarily have the Mach 1 interior.
I've been doing some research and apparently although all mach 1's came with competition suspension, it consisted of slightly different things according to the year and engine. From what I read you are absolutely right about the suspension. All 72-73 mustangs (mach 1 or not) with a Q code engine got the competition suspension apparently too. All the hood stuff is correct too.

I read both ways on the interior but imma take your word for it. :p

 
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I read both ways on the interior but imma take your word for it. :p
A buddy of mine is the original owner of a 71 Mach he ordered from the factory in early 71. Being a teenager he only dropped the cash for the good stuff he could afford,( 351C 4V ram air). He liked the standard interior better so thats what he got. The mach 1 interior was an option that cost extra.

 
my 72 Q came 4 speed, std interior, no gauges, no tach, short console (and I mean short) staggered shocks, sway bars front and rear. This was a 1 owner car and I am positive the dash has never been out of it. The interior is also original.

 
Competiton suspension was an option, 4 Speeds got staggered shocks, automatics got regular unstaggered shocks. rear sway bar was a seperate option.
My car is an auto and has staggered shocks.

This is what my car is:

1972 Mustang Sportsroof (not mach 1)

Q code

auto

competition susp. (staggered shocks)

rear sway bar

Non-functional NASA hood

std. interior w/tach and center gauges

full center console

 
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Well, my '71 has a 351C-2V, and a functional Ram-Air hood, complete with faded '351 Ram Air' decals. Yes... the engine is numbers matching as well.

Kinda throws a wrinkle in the 'only 351C-4Vs had functional Ram-Air hoods' theory, I'd say.

 
Well, my '71 has a 351C-2V, and a functional Ram-Air hood, complete with faded '351 Ram Air' decals. Yes... the engine is numbers matching as well.

Kinda throws a wrinkle in the 'only 351C-4Vs had functional Ram-Air hoods' theory, I'd say.

LOL there are so many variables to this it's hard to get it all straight. Anybody got a time machine to go back to the dealer in 1971?

 
..but the MAIN answer to the question "what makes a Mach 1 a Mach 1", is that it ALWAYS has a specific body code that differentiates it from the basic Sportsroof. Any 71-73 with the code 63R is a true Mach 1, regardless of equipment.

As for ram-air or not, remember that ram-air was also a "dealer installed option", as were many things you can find on a Mach 1. Also, a lot of the "goodies" that were available on the original Mach 1 in '71 (the hockey stick stripe, the NACA hood - but not ram air - things like that) were made available about 1/2 way thru the '71 model year as a special package (the name of which escapes me) that you could order for a stock coupe or convertible. I'm not sure that the package was available on a Sportsroof model. I also don't know if they carried that on thru 72 and 73 (but they probably did, I'm just too lazy to look up my reference right now).

 
..but the MAIN answer to the question "what makes a Mach 1 a Mach 1", is that it ALWAYS has a specific body code that differentiates it from the basic Sportsroof. Any 71-73 with the code 63R is a true Mach 1, regardless of equipment.


Yeah I think this is the best answer.

 
Wow, I didn't think this topic would generate so much interest. Cool. I only started researching this because I want to do my car somewhat original looking from the factory "somewhat" being the key word.

Question 1: So as I understand it, the black lower body panel was standard with the chrome piece at the upper edge. Is this correct?

Question 2: What does everyone think about the front spoiler not being an option for any Mach1's?...supposedly only came on the Boss351's.

Question 3: What does everyone thing about the non-functional Ram Air hoods only being a solid color & the functional Ram Air being two-tone?

Apparently if the above is correct, my car was originally white w/ no stripe, no front spoiler, no rear spoiler, solid white hood, black lower body panel, Mach 1 fender decals, and Trunk stripe & Mach1 decal on the deck lid. I think that would be a pretty cool setup. I think I'll add the black spoilers though. ;) What do you think (I guess that would be Question 4. LOL).

.

 
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Wow, I didn't think this topic would generate so much interest. Cool. I only started researching this because I want to do my car somewhat original looking from the factory "somewhat" being the key word.

Question 1: So as I understand it, the black lower body panel was standard with the chrome piece at the upper edge. Is this correct?

Question 2: What does everyone think about the front spoiler not being an option for any Mach1's?...supposedly only came on the Boss351's.

Question 3: What does everyone thing about the non-functional Ram Air hoods only being a solid color & the functional Ram Air being two-tone?

Apparently if the above is correct, my car was originally white w/ no stripe, no front spoiler, no rear spoiler, solid white hood, black lower body panel, Mach 1 fender decals, and Trunk stripe & Mach1 decal on the deck lid. I think that would be a pretty cool setup. I think I'll add the black spoilers though. ;) What do you think (I guess that would be Question 4. LOL).

.
Q1.. I think you are correct. Lower blackout /argent depending on body color was standard for mach 1s. And yes, the chrome trim is correct. IF, however, you got the hockey stick stripe there was no chrome trim.

Q2 I think either front or rear spoiler was an option for any fastback.

Q3 Again, you may be right about non-fuctional ram air hoods being solid body color. I've seen this noted somewhere before. Only functional hoods came with the twist locks as well.

 
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