Mustang 360 71-73 Spotter's Guide

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Bill73Ragtop

Long time vintage mustang hobbyist
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1969 Convertible Restomod enhanced.
former owner (25 yrs) of 1973 Convertible, 351c, A/C, RA
Mustang 360 - Mustang Monthly website posted the 71-73 Spotter's Guide

http://www.mustangandfords.com/features/1812-1971-1973-mustang-spotters-guide/

For the most part, its relatively accurate, but there are some mistakes.  It's nice to see the 71-73 years sharing the stage with the previous 'Spotter's Guides'.

Some of the pics show some really attractive exterior/interior combinations.  I'm thinking the pic below is a rare (but well known) 71 SCJ Coupe

001-1971-73-mustang-spottersguide-heasley.jpg


 
In my quick scan of the pics the white steering wheel with white pad they say 71? Never a white that I know of and 71 should have been the round pad in center?

There was also a 71 or 72, power window switches at least that year, it had a 73 leather wrapped steering wheel.

The statement about only rubber bumper on Mach 1 in 71 & 72 is not totally right. If you ordered non factory color you chrome bumper.

Good they at least tried.

 
In my quick scan of the pics the white steering wheel with white pad they say 71? Never a white that I know of and 71 should have been the round pad in center?

There was also a 71 or 72, power window switches at least that year, it had a 73 leather wrapped steering wheel.

The statement about only rubber bumper on Mach 1 in 71 & 72 is not totally right. If you ordered non factory color you chrome bumper.

Good they at least tried.
Considering what a trainwreck that website is, this is actually pretty good for them. 

Yeah, no white pad or wheel. They do mention the deluxe two spoke as an option for 71.

 
Not a bad article.

I caught a few mistakes.  

Of course this car should not have side stripes.

should not have stripes.JPG

And this car is a poor representation for an original Grande.  No stripes, spoilers or Magnums on a Grande.

Modded Grande.JPG

 
Good article and nice to see our cars being written about...some nice looking cars also.

One other thing I saw was the comment related to the Rimblow steering wheels which said..."1971 and 1972 had an optional three-spoke steering wheel". That is correct, but was also available on 1973's.

 
015-1971-73-mustang-spottersguide-heasley.jpg


There should not be dual exhaust cut outs on this '71 429 CJ vert, turn downs only... This car was just purchased by a guy in the Detroit area. It is a 4-spd car and a "C" Code engine. the only one in existence... Someone added the hood black out and the chrome lock downs on the hood. A car this nice probably should have been left factory original IMO...

 
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I agree that it's not a bad article, per se.  However, a lot of the pictures included don't make sense and some of the information isn't quite right. 

For instance, almost none of the cars with hockey stripes came that way from the factory - the non-Boss cars all have the lower bright trim AND the hockey stripes, indicating the stripes were added by the owner, and not as a factory option.  Subtle difference, but drives me nuts - I have just enough 'purist' in me that I hate seeing the stripes AND lower bright trim on the same car.

The standard 2-spoke steering wheel in '71 looks just like the deluxe wheel that's also billed as optional in the next pic.  So which is it?  Deluxe wheel is standard or optional in '71? (as in, they should've gotten a pic of an actual 2-spoke wheel, rather than just go with a different deluxe wheel pic)

I would've been nice to show some more subtle differences, as in the differences in the standard and deluxe door panels, dash trim, and seat upholstery.  Also, show the different center consoles, gauge packages, rims/wheel coverings, and explain the spoilers/no spoilers situation (as in, not all '71-'73s are fully loaded Mach 1s with every cool option thrown at them)

Ray's right - that's not a good example of a Grande. 

I wish that some of these self-proclaimed Mustang experts (who are famous for trashing '71-'73s, BTW) would consider consulting our experts here for the right information... rather than consistently putting out the wrong stuff.  And Jerry Heasely is someone I think I might actually have some respect for (since he seems to be the only one ever writing anything positive about '71-'73s over at MM).

I think I would've also led off with either the Boss 351/Mach 1 pic, the '72 Sprint, that yellow '71 Mach 1, or either of those early green 'verts (the '73 green 'vert pic is too busy, however).

 
They were incorrect in stating that the pop open gas cap was a 71 only option. Pop open gas caps were available on early production 1972 models.

 
They were incorrect in stating that the pop open gas cap was a 71 only option. Pop open gas caps were available on early production 1972 models.
Debatable... but after all these year's, who really knows.

 
They were incorrect in stating that the pop open gas cap was a 71 only option. Pop open gas caps were available on early production 1972 models.
Debatable... but after all these year's, who really knows.
It is all true. My 72 Mach 1 has a pop open gas cap from the factory and it is an August of 71 build. My cap  has an Autolite logo and part #. The Feds mandated that Ford had to stop installing them as of January 72.I gather that Ford was using up what they had left over from 71. This is also why I do not have a seat belt light on the passenger side dash. They were required as of January 72 as well. 

Ron

 
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They were incorrect in stating that the pop open gas cap was a 71 only option. Pop open gas caps were available on early production 1972 models.
Debatable... but after all these year's, who really knows.
It is all true. My 72 Mach 1 has a pop open gas cap from the factory and it is an August of 71 build. My cap  has an Autolite logo and part #. The Feds mandated that Ford had to stop installing them as of January 72.I gather that Ford was using up what they had left over from 71. This is also why I do not have a seat belt light on the passenger side dash. They were required as of January 72 as well. 

Ron

As I mentioned, debatable. One that I am not going to get into after all these year's...  
 
Debatable... but after all these year's, who really knows.
It is all true. My 72 Mach 1 has a pop open gas cap from the factory and it is an August of 71 build. My cap  has an Autolite logo and part #. The Feds mandated that Ford had to stop installing them as of January 72.I gather that Ford was using up what they had left over from 71. This is also why I do not have a seat belt light on the passenger side dash. They were required as of January 72 as well. 

Ron

As I mentioned, debatable. One that I am not going to get into after all these year's...  
Roger that. Merry Christmas. 

Ron

 
There are a lot a variables and fuzzy lines involved when trying to figure our "Clydesdales" out. There were some early 72 Mach 1's that did have a production installed  71 flip down fuel cap. Just like the 72 4bl Ram Air cars, there is no realistic way to figure an exact date when the fuel cap change took place . When 72 production started the flip down filler cap was part of the Mach 1 package. In fact there have been some early 72 Mach 1's  with a 1972 "D2ZA-BA" engineering number although the original "D1ZZ" part number was never changed . Ford was still duking it out with Government over the 71 cap issue . There was a fuel leakage problem when the car was hit from behind or in roll over accidents. The 71 cap was revised four times and still did not resolve the leaking problem. All the revised 72 sales brochure and order guides I have (as of 1/72) show the twist style cap on the Mach 1.

Since several new Government mandated emissions and safety related laws were going into effect  January 72, the right side mounted seat belt light actually went into production 12/1/71 on the Mustang line.

 
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