possible 1971 mach 1 purchase

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joy22kar

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 24, 2017
Messages
121
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Location
Philipsburg, Pennsylvania
My Car
- Possible purchase
Hi all,

I want to start this off by saying I have no knowledge of the older mustangs at all. However, my husband came across a car that he would like to get and work on with our 3 boys (13, 10 and 6). He knows a lot about cars and would be capable of a rebuild. The other last piece of info is that I'm trying to keep it a secret from my hubby since he turns 40 next month and this would be a great gift. lol.

However, here are my questions.

Seller will not share VIN. Not sure why but she is telling me that only the buyer will get to see the VIN number (should be a red flag maybe??).

No engine and no tranny, both were removed.

It has sat outside with windows down so interior is completely shot.

Won't give me a cost. Told me to make an offer.

I've added the only pictures I have. Am I getting in way over my head? Any ideas on restoration costs (I know it will take years)? Any idea on what I should offer? And any other suggestions or advice would be great.

Thanks,

Karla

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Welcome from Iowa. Seems odd that the seller will not share the vin. Maybe possibly ask her for the first part of the VIN and leave off the last six digits. The first part of the VIN will tell you what engine it came with, where it was made, if it is a Mach 1 or a sportsroof. Also having sat outside with windows down the floors, torq boxes, cowl and possibly frame rails are prob rotted out. Looks like a pretty rough car. Not knowing your husbands abilities as far as body work, paint, rust repair, engines, wiring, etc it is difficult to give a cost estimate. Doing most of the work himself he could be easily looking at north of $25k and possibly more depending on what he does for a drivetrain. Seems like more of a parts car to me, but that would depend on the VIN and how it was equipped originally.

 
ok I asked additional questions starting with if they would share the first part of the vin and how long the car has sat outside with windows down. I guess that would make a difference in how bad it is inside???

 
Looks pretty rough. I may pass on that one. But if your husbands skills in body work and welding are up to par.... anything can be saved. But just off top of my head that car is less than $1,000.

 
From your information and the pics I would probably pass on this one. It appears rusty and it almost looks like someone painted it to hide the rust and now the rust is coming back.

Just to see if the car is anything special, you might ask the owner to only provide the first 5 digits of the VIN. Then post one here and we can tell you quick if it is anything worth extra consideration. The digits following are the consecutive unit number part of the VIN. They will just be six numerical characters.

Last bits of advice - buy all you can afford for a project. It will save many headaches and actually real money as you work to restore. And just because you spend money on a project does not necessarily equate to value if you try to sell. Know that a car that is rare and desirable will hold its value a lot better than one that is not. It costs more initially but will be more likely to appreciate over time. And they are just cool! :)

Best of luck - sounds like your husband and boys are all very fortunate to have you in their lives!

Ray

 
If the VIN checks out okay that looks to be about a $1500 dollar car, there is going to be alot of hidden rust in that one in all likelihood. My car was in similar condition or maybe worse and 5 years later you would never know. Good luck with the purchase.

 
May be a good parts car if you have room to store it. I would not pay much for it either, but there are a lot of dreamers out there these days. Just guessing, but as it has a chrome bumper and a Mach1 hood over the original, I'm guessing it is a sportroof vin code 02. You're looking for 05 as the 3rd and 4th digits. If the 5th is an M, it was a 4V, an H was a 2V Cleveland engine. It could even have been a 302 in there, F I beleive. That one will be a lot of work, but guys on here have done worse from some of the pic posted!!

Good luck, but don't rush into it.

Geoff.

 
thanks guys. From the sounds of it, this one may be way over my head (unless I can get it for $100, as it sounds like she just wants it off her property). I will check the others out on craigslist. I'm in central PA, so philly is about 3 hours and pittsburgh is about 3 hours. (a drive, but doable).

Thanks for all your suggestions. If I get the VIN, I'll let you know what it says.

 
Info is kind of vague. Also seller states "has the four speed automatic transmission" these cars were only offered with 3 types of automatic transmissions, C4, C6, and FMX, all of which are a three speed automatic. I also caution buying something that is advertised as disassembled and ready for restoration. (should be interpreted as "I took it apart and lost over 1/2 the parts and am in over my head, good luck") I would look for a running driving car that has little to no rust.

 
no VIN, red flag for me. If you can get a complete VIN then you can order basic Marti report (www.martiauto.com) to see how it was equipped from factory. Good thing to do for any classic Mustang purchase. Good Luck

 
That one looks like it may be worth pursuing. I see they have a way to email the seller. I would ask him for the VIN and ask him what the transmission is. A popular replacement is an AOD or AOD-E automatic transmission, which has 4-speeds with 4th gear being an overdrive, good for gas mileage. Other questions would be details on the rebuilt engine, such as compression ratio and camshaft. I would also ask what rear end it has and what the ratio is.

One thing of concern in any car that is where it snows (or rains a lot) is rust, so I would also ask about that, what the floor and trunk condition are. Also see if he will tell you what the "standard parts" are. Even inexpensive parts add up.

It sounds like he may have had it listed for more money, there's some reason it didn't sell for more.

 
Holy cow guys. Now that I've been looking at all of these mustangs all day (when I should have been working... lol). I WANT ONE!!! Heck with getting one for hubby. I want one for myself. I'm loving the sky blue colored ones. :)

I'll check into the other one more. I have an email in to the gentleman, but I haven't heard anything.

Karla :p

 
Hello from Mississippi. Karla, you could not of found a better place to get straight forward and honest answers. We all look out for each other here. All above is great info. Agree that asking for the first five digits of the VIN is not asking for anything that would be considered a National Security risk. These 40+ year old cars grow rust, so sitting outside with the windows down is like throwing gas on a already lit fire. Any of these old cars, trucks, etc of any brand can be money pits of varying degrees. Buying one that is an extreme black hole of a money pit can be discouraging. First one leaves too many questions unanswered. As already stated a rebuilt 351C as with the second car is worth at least 4K.

I had to laugh at Jason's statement about dissembled and ready to restore cars (should be interpreted as "I took it apart and lost over 1/2 the parts and am in over my head, good luck") because it so true!

As long as your not looking for a Boss 351 or 429 Cobra Jet version of these cars, then good buys are still out there for complete running cars that are worthy of restoration. That way your Husband and sons will have a project that will be fun for all of them and your boys will never forget.

We don't consider any question stupid or strange, so if you want to know ANYTHING, just ask. Everyone here has the "Been There, Done That, Got The T Shirt" credentials.

Good luck on your search and keep us posted!!

 
thanks Steve. you guys have been great so far. His birthday is Feb 20th, so I have a little bit of time to look around. My thinking is, if I don't find one that completely meets what I'm thinking, I'll give him a keychain with a mach 1 logo on it and then he and I can look for a car together. I see it as a good midlife crisis present. :) My Mazda Cx-9 just isn't as fun to drive. lol..

 
Personally I really like your idea:

"give him a keychain with a Mach 1 logo on it and then he and I can look for a car together."

That is too cool and would make the purchase a mutual decision. That way all surprises that you'll uncover as you work on the car will be understood. :) You would never hear, "I sure wish you had bought THAT one!" I also think it would mean more to the family to know that mom and dad both picked it out.

Just my 2 cents. Enjoy your hunting!

After you get one, please post up some pics!!!!!

Ray

 
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