Why did you choose to buy a 71/73 Mustang?

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Hi All,

Just wondering why people chose to buy a 71/73 Mustang? Did you prefer it to the other Mustangs or muscle cars or did you get a good deal on one?

For me I had a Matchbox 71 Mustang as a kid and had to get the really thing.

 
I was chasing 69 and 70 fastbacks or Mach I's pending condition. I open up Craigslist and my car was listed. I drove down to look at it...it had potential and a true Texas car with 1 rust spot under the quarter window. Had its original engine and tranny....and POWER WINDOWS...wow that was SO cool (or so I thought at the time) The body was an easy restore...motor, tranny etc. I figured hey what the heck it will make a great looking car and I'll restore, sell and get the 69 or 70 later.

and the seller "I believe I have all the parts to go with it"

if you EVER hear

I believe

I think

I was told

I heard

They told me

I cant find the receipts

LOWER YOUR PRICE because he or she IS hiding something!!! INSPECT every aspect of the car for MISSING parts...l assure you with the above statements...it IS missing stuff.

 
Back in 1973 I was driving down McDowell RD in Scottsdale AZ late one evening and as I was passing a Ford dealership (Charlie Rossi) I saw this white and black Mach 1 sitting by the entrance under some bright lights that really highlighted the car. The next day I did a test drive and decided I wanted a Mustang. I test dove a few others at other dealership, a Ram Air version too but they just did not perform like this Q code one. I even went as far as test driving the Gran Torino Sport with the performance motor and it wasn't the same. I would have rather have a 4 spd but it was late in the model year so I couldn't order one. Anyway on 9/20/73 I became the owner of this white Mach that you see today but with modifications to the body with options that I wanted.

 
I fell in love with my car when it was brand new. The original owner was a friend of my fathers and I used to see it on a regular bases. He was also a DJ at the local radio station and would park it across the street from the YMCA and I would see it every Friday night when went to the Y dances. I wanted it from the beginning. There's just something about the look of the 71-73 mustang that has always attracted me. When ever I see one regardless of condition it captivates my attention. I've always been somewhat disappointed by the lack of cars in my class at most car shows because I love to look and compare notes and talk to other owners. That's why I love this site.

 
I didn't choose the car.

I always wanted an American car and my Mustang showed up in the classifieds section of our local paper.

Unfortunately I did not do my homework and did not know about the different styles of Mustangs. I only knew there was one I did not really want.

I went to take a look at it and was, of course the one I did not want.

A friend that I took along to look at the car said it was in pretty good shape and I should consider it anyway.

After I'd had it for a few years it grew on me and when it was time to restore it I changed it the way I wanted it and I liked it much better.

Then came the big rims, the lowered suspension and finally the Mach1 grille. Now I think it's the coolest Mustang one could want and peoples response is very good.

But it was definitely NOT love at first sight. :)

 
Hi All,

Just wondering why people chose to buy a 71/73 Mustang? Did you prefer it to the other Mustangs or muscle cars or did you get a good deal on one?

For me I had a Matchbox 71 Mustang as a kid and had to get the really thing.
Ok when I heard that Ford was going to make the major changes to the Mustang and all of their cars along with all the manufacturers I had to get one. I went to the local dealer in March of 73 and they had several on the lot but nothing loaded. I sat down with salesman on March 30, 1973 and filled out the order for my Mach 1. It was shipped from factory May 14, 1973 and arrived at the dealer May 24, 1973 and I still have it 12,000 miles with the 27 factory options and 7 dealer options and been in barns since 1983 sticker price $5,156.90. Hope to get it going again this year. Job and family took away all those years of playing with cars. I looked at Cougar and also Pantera but the Pantera cost double what the Mustang cost.

David

 
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We, My wife Amy, was hounding me to find a 68 camaro. She "just loves"the way the look. After seaching and conviencing her we are not made of money I came across our white 71 conv. Showed her the pics from ebay and she liked the way the grill opening reminded her of a shark mounth (don't ask me). Come to find out the car was local and we (she) test drove it. And the rest is history. Now after 6 years it needs paint and I broke the trans last summer....got to get done.

 
I was 14, one of my Mom's younger friends from community college had a Grabber Yellow '71 H-code, and I thought it was the coolest car ever. Got to ride in it all over the place as he was a really cool guy and didn't mind me tagging along now and then when he'd go hang out with his friends. Several months after meeting him, he was too impaired to drive from a class picnic and he told me to drive him home - Game Over. I was 6'2" and already knew how to drive, so it was really more of a formality of not having a driver's license because of age than anything. Oh it was SO cool driving that car. He wrecked it a few years later... but I'd already made up my mind that I would have one of my own one day.

Fast Forward to summer 2010 and I was thinking about buying a 2010 Camaro 2SS from a friend whose husband was about to lose the car back to the bank. My wife suggested instead getting something I could restore... that I'd enjoy it even more than just making payments on a new car. My pal had just bought a '63 1/2 Galaxie 500 XL and was planning on restoring it, and I was Jonesin' hard for a hot rod. I'd already picked up an issue of Mustang Monthly on a whim (hadn't read it in a long time) and saw a Grabber Lime '71 M-code restomod feature car. Oh no - the bug bit... and bit hard. I was on Craigslist and found my '71 H-code project - The Rustang - being sold by a wannabe muscle car flipper (he'd watched too many episodes of Gas Monkey and thought he was all that). I talked him down to the absolute best price I could get out of him (which was still probably too much, but oh well), and got it to the shop. I discovered in taking it apart that it should've just gone to the crusher... but then all the nay-sayers started jumping on-board and giving me crap for buying such a rusted POS... which just made me more determined to get it all back together just to shut them up.

Which for the most part, has long since happened and everybody shifted to the bandwagon of support as time went on and they saw my determination.

And now, it's almost done.

 
I remember as a little boy, back in the mid 70s a neighbor had one of these Mustangs and it looked "Fast". I never thought of owning one until couple years ago that I got the itch of owning a muscle car. My wife had a 70' Cuda many years ago (~20) but now a days those were out of our budget. We looked at a lot of options and we felt that the 123 Mustangs were a great deal for a traditional muscle car. I really liked the 70 Mach 1, but they were also outside our range. So we looked at many 123s until we found ours. I think these cars have a great "bad" look and I am a proud owner of one.

 
When I returned from Vietnam (the first time) in 1968, I purchased my first car, a 1963 Ford Fairlane. I drove that car for about 6 months until I purchased a 1969 Ford Torino with a 428CJ motor.

Unfortunately, I received orders almost immediately to go back overseas to an assignment where I could not take the car. I gave the car to my brother who took over payments.

In 1972, I heard the Mustang was being discontinued with the 1973 model year and that model year (actually 71 - 73) reminded of the look of my old '69 Torino.

I was still overseas but now assigned to an installation (and had the rank) to order a new car and have it shipped overseas. I went to the local Base Exchange and ordered the "Q" coded Mach 1 which I have owned continuously since early 1973. That car remains the "HEART" of my current stable which includes a 1969 Mach 1, a 1973 Grande, a 1989 LX, a 2003 Mercury Marauder, and a 2013 Lincoln MKT.

BT

 
I was 14, one of my Mom's younger friends from community college had a Grabber Yellow '71 H-code, and I thought it was the coolest car ever. Got to ride in it all over the place as he was a really cool guy and didn't mind me tagging along now and then when he'd go hang out with his friends. Several months after meeting him, he was too impaired to drive from a class picnic and he told me to drive him home - Game Over. I was 6'2" and already knew how to drive, so it was really more of a formality of not having a driver's license because of age than anything. Oh it was SO cool driving that car. He wrecked it a few years later... but I'd already made up my mind that I would have one of my own one day.

Fast Forward to summer 2010 and I was thinking about buying a 2010 Camaro 2SS from a friend whose husband was about to lose the car back to the bank. My wife suggested instead getting something I could restore... that I'd enjoy it even more than just making payments on a new car. My pal had just bought a '63 1/2 Galaxie 500 XL and was planning on restoring it, and I was Jonesin' hard for a hot rod. I'd already picked up an issue of Mustang Monthly on a whim (hadn't read it in a long time) and saw a Grabber Lime '71 M-code restomod feature car. Oh no - the bug bit... and bit hard. I was on Craigslist and found my '71 H-code project - The Rustang - being sold by a wannabe muscle car flipper (he'd watched too many episodes of Gas Monkey and thought he was all that). I talked him down to the absolute best price I could get out of him (which was still probably too much, but oh well), and got it to the shop. I discovered in taking it apart that it should've just gone to the crusher... but then all the nay-sayers started jumping on-board and giving me crap for buying such a rusted POS... which just made me more determined to get it all back together just to shut them up.

Which for the most part, has long since happened and everybody shifted to the bandwagon of support as time went on and they saw my determination.

And now, it's almost done.

Great story. If you think mustangs rust you should try to find a Camaro that is not falling apart and the parts are way more expensive and harder to find.

Show us some pics.

David

 
Great story. If you think mustangs rust you should try to find a Camaro that is not falling apart and the parts are way more expensive and harder to find. Show us some pics.

David
I don't think Mustangs rust... I KNOW Mustangs rust. ;)

Here's a sample:

54083_171331246211135_2301852_o.jpg


56652_171331876211072_6919760_o.jpg


cowl1.jpg

trunk1.jpg

Click on the link in my sig for the whole story.

 
Great story. If you think mustangs rust you should try to find a Camaro that is not falling apart and the parts are way more expensive and harder to find. Show us some pics.

David
I don't think Mustangs rust... I KNOW Mustangs rust. ;)

Here's a sample:

54083_171331246211135_2301852_o.jpg


56652_171331876211072_6919760_o.jpg


Click on the link in my sig for the whole story.
Yep that one is rusty. I have a friend that does restorations and he is working on a 69 Camaro SS RS that is not going back original. It is a convertible also. All that is left of the original car is the windshield frame the top of the dash where the VIN # is stamped. You have to have that or it has to be titled as a 2015 model. The hinge mounts in the A post were used and the partition behind the rear seat. Everything else on the car had to be replaced. It took forever to get the floor came direct from China. The customer will have over $150,000 in the car but that is what he wants. He could never sell it for even a third of that. It will have a 500 + CI crate motor and special hydro formed front frame rails and suspension. Remember only 4, 5/8" bolts hold on the entire front end of a Camaro.

Good luck on your rebuild you must have guts for sure.

David

 
Since they were new I've like the flatback style. I came so close to picking up a 1971 Mach 1 in 1987. It was a yellow four speed in Santee California. The owner had just moved there from AZ. No rust but the interior looked like something from a Salvador Dali painting. I ended up buying a 1972 El Camino since it was going to be my only everyday car at the time. The idea of having 71-73 Mustang stuck with me since then along with second thoughts about not buying that Mach. Finally bought Jill about a year ago. She need everything but she's mine.

 
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Yep that one is rusty. I have a friend that does restorations and he is working on a 69 Camaro SS RS that is not going back original. It is a convertible also. All that is left of the original car is the windshield frame the top of the dash where the VIN # is stamped. You have to have that or it has to be titled as a 2015 model. The hinge mounts in the A post were used and the partition behind the rear seat. Everything else on the car had to be replaced. It took forever to get the floor came direct from China. The customer will have over $150,000 in the car but that is what he wants. He could never sell it for even a third of that. It will have a 500 + CI crate motor and special hydro formed front frame rails and suspension. Remember only 4, 5/8" bolts hold on the entire front end of a Camaro.

Good luck on your rebuild you must have guts for sure.

David
Was Rusty. ;) :D Those pics started in 2010, and the car is almost done (done enough to win a Best In Class award last October, anyway).

Like I said, click on the link in my signature below. You won't need to log into Facebook to see all the pics.

 
It's amazing to read the stories from the members who bought their cars from new. That shows really dedication to the car and through good times and bad. Not many people in this day and age can say they've done that.

 
It's amazing to read the stories from the members who bought their cars from new. That shows really dedication to the car and through good times and bad. Not many people in this day and age can say they've done that.
Hey man,

I own every car I ever owned except for GM products. They were all lemons, 1950 Chevy fastback, 1972 Nova SS, 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass. The Fords never let me down and you could not keep the GM going, lol. Anyone of you that has ever taken a Camaro down to the bones knows that the engineering is no where near what the mustang is.

I am prejudiced for sure.

David

 
Wasnwantingnan69;or 70 but they were out of mynbudget. Found a 73 and decided it might be a good practicencar since I have not really done a big rebuildnin years. Six years later have welded in all new floor panels and rear quarters. T-5 granny. New interior. Gas tank.....finally got it on the road. Eventually ky son who is an Mirage.vet will get it. I have a high performance 302;in it and it is just a monster to drive. I lovenit and so doesnmy son. It is in primer now and will eventually he bullet green.

 
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