1973 Grande Deluxe Marti Report

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Mar 28, 2013
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My Car
73 Mustang Grande, 351 2v, FMX Auto Trans,
Interesting information. Glad I did it. I see my car was sold to a fleet. Perhaps a rental? Can anybody tell me what the competition suspension was. I had never heard of it.

 
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Great options on your car. Do you still have the Floor Mats? I ordered my 73 mach 1 and also got the floor mats. It was only the front ones and had to get the rear ones from the dealer. They were color keyed and had carpet inserts. The carpet was different from the carpet in the car but also color keyed. I have never seen anyone with the right mats in their car. Everyone thinks the rubber mats with the mustang on them were the originals but not so they were for earlier ones.

I believe the T-Bird use the same mats also.

Great info on your beautiful car.

David

 
Competition suspension should also have staggered rear shocks. :)

From all my research and related documentation, staggered shocks were a separate item from the competition suspension.

So from what I understand, staggered shocks were required on all 72 & 73 4-V (Q-code) Mustangs. Again - competition suspension was a separate item. My convertible is a 72 Q 4 speed and has Competition Suspension listed on invoice and it has staggered shocks. Very unmolested car. There have been discussions on whether the 4-speed 'drove' the installation of the staggered shocks or the 4-V "Q code" motor...

As for 1971 models - it gets tricky.

It is TRUE that all Boss 351s came with the staggered shocks, BUT it was not a part of the competition Suspension Package.

In 1971, all Mach 1s, Boss 351s, 429CJ and 429CJ-R cars received the Competition Suspension as standard equipment, however only the Boss 351 received the staggered shocks as standard equipment.

From the 1971 Mustang Facts Book rev. 2/15/71

http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-1971-ford-mustang-facts-book

"An optional COMPETITION SUSPENSION is available

with all models except those with the 250-c.i.d. engine.

The competition suspension includes heavy-duty front and rear

springs, heavy-duty front and rear shock absorbers, heavyduty

front stabilizer bar and rear stabilizer bar with 351-

c.i.d. 4v and up. The competition suspension is standard

on the Mach I, Boss 351 and with 429-c.i.d. CJ or CJ-R

engines.

Mustangs will again be equipped with staggered rear

shock absorbers in 1971. Staggered rear shocks (the right is mounted in front of the axle; the left behind it) counteract

wheel hop and increase traction during acceleration

and braking. Staggered shocks also provide improved rear

axle control with higher output engines and are standard

with all 351 4v, 351 4v HO and 429 CJ, CJ-R engines."

Some M code '71 cars were hit and miss for the staggered rear shocks. That (for me) is the tricky part. :)

Learning all the time!

Ray

 
Competition suspension should also have staggered rear shocks. :)

From all my research and related documentation, staggered shocks were a separate item from the competition suspension.

So from what I understand, staggered shocks were required on all 72 & 73 4-V (Q-code) Mustangs. Again - competition suspension was a separate item. My convertible is a 72 Q 4 speed and has Competition Suspension listed on invoice and it has staggered shocks. Very unmolested car. There have been discussions on whether the 4-speed 'drove' the installation of the staggered shocks or the 4-V "Q code" motor...

As for 1971 models - it gets tricky.

It is TRUE that all Boss 351s came with the staggered shocks, BUT it was not a part of the competition Suspension Package.

In 1971, all Mach 1s, Boss 351s, 429CJ and 429CJ-R cars received the Competition Suspension as standard equipment, however only the Boss 351 received the staggered shocks as standard equipment.

From the 1971 Mustang Facts Book rev. 2/15/71

http://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-1971-ford-mustang-facts-book

"An optional COMPETITION SUSPENSION is available

with all models except those with the 250-c.i.d. engine.

The competition suspension includes heavy-duty front and rear

springs, heavy-duty front and rear shock absorbers, heavyduty

front stabilizer bar and rear stabilizer bar with 351-

c.i.d. 4v and up. The competition suspension is standard

on the Mach I, Boss 351 and with 429-c.i.d. CJ or CJ-R

engines.

Mustangs will again be equipped with staggered rear

shock absorbers in 1971. Staggered rear shocks (the right is mounted in front of the axle; the left behind it) counteract

wheel hop and increase traction during acceleration

and braking. Staggered shocks also provide improved rear

axle control with higher output engines and are standard

with all 351 4v, 351 4v HO and 429 CJ, CJ-R engines."

Some M code '71 cars were hit and miss for the staggered rear shocks. That (for me) is the tricky part. :)

Learning all the time!

Ray
Ray as to what I have seen

All 71 - 72 and 73 351 4 V's got staggard shocks.

I have had about 20 - 71 M codes - all had them, including 3 Grande's

There is only one M code car I have heard of not having them, it is Jim's car on forum here.

Don

 
Great info there.

Just for the record: my 72 vert has competition suspension as it was mandatory when the Magnum 500s were ordered. (Marti report confirms it)

It has neither staggered shocks nor a rear sway bar. It was originally a 302 car with FMX and 3.0:1 rear end in an 8 inch axle.

 
Thanks very much for all of the input. For the record my Mustang has neither rear sway bar or staggered shocks. Oh and on another note, I don't think my functional ram air hood is stock either. At least I have not seen a picture of another 73 Grande with it...

 
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Thanks very much for all of the input. For the record my Mustang has neither rear sway bar or staggered shocks. Oh and on another note, I don't think my functional ram air hood is stock either. At least I have not seen a picture of another 73 Grandé with it...
If it was not on the Marti it did not come with it but was an option as long as it was a 2-V. Ford didn't do Federal testing of the ram air with the 4-V so you could not order in 73 on any model.

I took pictures of a Coupe 71 429CJ at the Mustang Memories show in Dearborn a couple weeks ago and it had the factory NASA hood and ram air on the Marti, came with the 429. There was a Spring Special in 72 that had the hood. stripes and some other dress up items.

If you special ordered you could get the side stripes. The 73 vert I have that is black has pieces of the side stripe wrapped around the door that you can see. Marti is trying to find out if the special paint included the stipe for sure. Ford would do some special things to their cars but the DSO code will reflect if it went to the custom shop. They did show car paint jobs that were for the ones going for display or photo sessions. You never know what will turn up on one of these. In 1965 leather seats were not an option but one was build for Henry Ford II to drive.

Build your car for what you want it to be. I am painting both flat hood and NASA hood for one of my Verts so if someone wants to buy it and be 100% original I can swap it.

I was looking and your Marti says you have comp. susp. there should have been staggered shocks, hum, see you never know what you will find.

David

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The qualifier on the 71-3 Competiton Suspension option is the 351-4V engine. You only got the better springs, shocks and variable rate P/S box on the 302 & 351-2V cars. You had to spring for the 4V engines to get the performance options of staggered shocks and rear sway bar. Transmission choice had nothing to do with staggered shocks, unlike the earlier years.

My experience echos Don's, of the dozens of 71-3 Mustangs I've owned, only the M-codes and better had these goodies, unless they were dealer/owner installed. I did have a '72 Grande that had a N-case 9-inch once...

Back to the OP - if your blackout hood was stock, it should have been listed as a "Tu-Tone hood" or similar. My guess is it was added, just like the front and rear spoilers.

 
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