1971-73 Mustangs: Why are they the least liked ?

[Detector]

I've been watching the classic mustang market for years and I have noticed an upswing in the 71-73 market.

Just for fun I did a search on Craig's List for the years 1965 through 1973 and this is what I found.

Year: number for sell:

1965 15

1966 12

1967 2

1968 10

1969 2

1970 5

1971 3

1972 3

1973 2

 

[Mach1JB]

Mike,

I sure love my 72 Mach1 351CJ , ocasionaly i drive my wifes 78 mach1 with the original 302 V8.

I never thought about buying a Mustang-II , but this 78 is a badass stang.

I's not as cool as the 71-73 but with the optional t-roof and V8 makes it fun to drive.

John

My '71 351C 4V quench is rated at 285 hp but it probably puts out

much more. They fenagled the hp ratings back then. I don't think

they made another Mustang with a V8 for ~22 years after '73.

Do what it takes to keep it original.

mike

 

[hyena429]

The HP drop in these years was considerable. With the gas crisis looming over everyones heads, Ford was trying to make an economy, muscle car. Then in 1974 they downsized to the Mustang 2 to meet consumer demand of economical cars. They went downhill for quite a few years after that.

Nothing to say we can't change that now though. Right? Nice, big engine bay in our stallions!

My '71 351C 4V quench is rated at 285 hp but it probably puts out

much more. They fenagled the hp ratings back then. I don't think

they made another Mustang with a V8 for ~22 years after '73.

Do what it takes to keep it original.

mike

Your car is actualy 365ish horse power......I just posted a ford vs chevy motor shoot out...Which puts all stock "pretty much " ford small blocks vs chevy...The 71 4v cobrajet pushed a impressive 365hp even with its lower compression...lol

 

[goodnigh]

My '71 351C 4V quench is rated at 285 hp but it probably puts out

much more. They fenagled the hp ratings back then. I don't think

they made another Mustang with a V8 for ~22 years after '73.

Do what it takes to keep it original.

mike

Your car is actualy 365ish horse power......I just posted a ford vs chevy motor shoot out...Which puts all stock "pretty much " ford small blocks vs chevy...The 71 4v cobrajet pushed a impressive 365hp even with its lower compression...lol

Whoever did the rebuild put a mild cam (0.58) and bored the cylinders

to 0.030 for unknown reasons :s What I most like about my Grande,

it is a sleeper

mike

 

[rpmcarter]

We've all heard the stories of the "BIG BODY" cars we own. But a funny thing my car was parked next to a 70 Super Bee at the paint shop. I was in awe of the fact that the Bee made my 71 look like a small car. I was amazed at the side by side comparison.

 

[ramair]

I parked my 73 Mustang next to my 66 Mercury Comet and my Comet is actually longer and sits higher up, that shocked me.

 

[Mister 4x4]

And yes we have an advantage at car shows since less participants in that generation but we sometimes get grouped with the 69-70's in the car show since there so few of us and that's a disadvantage.

Oddly enough - as small as my local Mustang club is, they had the parking lot segregated by 'generations,' and 'Shelbys.' There were no '69-'70s, 1 lone '73 coupe, a half-dozen Fox bodies, a few '67-'68s, a handful of '64.5-'66s, a solid 15 Shelbys (of various years), and around 18-19 current models.

Next time I'll get more pictures. Lots of nice cars... just less classics than I would've figured.

 

[Steven Harris]

Not a bad looking coupe - looks like its for sale.

 

[Mister 4x4]

Yeah - it was a really nice car. I don't remember what he wanted for it... $6500 or something like that. I don't recall if he sold it or not, and I haven't seen it cruising around town or anything.

I got on the local club's mailing list back in August, but told them mine wouldn't be ready until some time next year... so I haven't really heard anything from any of them.

 

[hyena429]

Thats one sharp coupe

 

[rpmcarter]

Our big body cars ???

71 Chevelle 3340 curb weight

71 MOPAR RR 3600 plus

Nobody refers to THOSE as big body....except Chevrolet when they jumped on and made it a marketing tool ...Heavy Chevy!!

 

[matrixx]

They only seem big when looking at them alone. Park them in a grocery parking lot and it gets swallowed up by a plethora of cars. I hardly see mine when I leave a store.

Wanna guess which car is heavier?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Luke]

Here is my experience 2 weekends ago. I was at a local Hot Rod show sitting in the shade talking to a Bloke that builds hot rods and customs for a living. I said I really dig that orange Buick wagon over there and like the 63 4dr post Galaxie. He says something like your not suppose to like that stuff its not a 2dr so it isn't cool and that wag well its a Buick and a station wagon double lame laughs and then says he really likes them too. He goes on says what is it with car myth and desirability look there a row of mustangs your suppose to like that 95 because its a Saleen, ugly, your suppose to drool over that 69 because its a 428 4spd,looks like every other mustang and well the 68s cool because of Steve McQueen drove 1 in bullit and there the try hard gone in 60 seconds silver Elinor wank mobile, he says clearly the coolest shaped car is that Blue 73 but its the 1 your not suppose to like its a 73, but it has as much potential as all the others what do you think Luke. I say well the 73s mine so of cause I agree. He laughs and says cool no wonder you like Buick wagons

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[4Vforever]

We had a situation last weekend as well, we stopped in for a quick leg stretch and a meet up with some other members on our way to our destination. We all went over to the shops to grab a drink and a walk around, when we got back there was one guy there all over my car. So I started to speak with this guy and he goes on to tell me how much he really likes my car. Anyway he asked what year it was, so I say that it's a 73. Well his jaw just about hit the ground and then says really, I say yeah why. So he then tells me that he thought the 71-73 Mustangs are supposed to be ugly as that is what he's been made to believe. After a bit more of a chat he tells me that he's not a big fan of the Mustang, but after seeing mine and looking at it up close, he said that he loves the look of these cars now and can't understand why people put them down, then goes on to say that it is probably one of the best looking cars to come out of the 70's. So after he took about a hundred pictures, he said goodbye and thanked me for letting him look at my car. These situations seem to happen more and more,when people are realising that the stigma about these cars is untrue and they are indeed a beautiful looking machine. I've seen and heard it so many times, about the car being a 73 and people seem to think these cars are supposed to be massive. They then look over the car and say they thought it was supposed to be bigger than it is, then go on to say how nice of a car it really is. So I think now that people are starting to see these cars on their own merits and not the pre perceptions of others, I think their desirability will improve in the not to distant future, because the people showing interest in these cars are not worried about racing pedigree or having the biggest engine under the bonnet or having the same car as everybody else, they just want a nice, cool looking cruiser.

 

[rpmcarter]

4v...that's why I bought my 71....I wanted a car that I could build up with some big horsepower, as a nice hotrod and still have a nice looking car and one I could buy cheap.

Luke ...I would dang sure own that bigazz Buick!! Heck my wife would sell my car in a heart beat and buy that car.

 

[Kit Sullivan]

71-73 Mustangs are considered "big" only in comparison to thier former selves. It started and became legendary as a smaller car only a few short years beforehand. Comparing them to a full-size Chrysler B-body makes no sense.

And...a V8 has been available in a Mustang every year ever since its inception, with the singular exception of 1974, the introductory year of the Mustang II.

 

[Big Block MACH]

Hi everyone,

Yes in the past like the 80s and 90s there was a lot of negativity about the 71-73 mustang, but I always loved them. They are smooth and sexy. Then there is the weight thing well with safety and early 70s BS. they put on some extra weight, well so did everybody else. My 73 big block car weighs in at around 3000Lb and really that's not so fat. Yea, I put aluminum stuff on it like radiator, heads, and changed the bumper to a 71. and also added a fiberglass hood. All that stuff is just basic bolt-on. When ever I drive it people want to buy it. Its not for sale.

I bought it in the early 2000s,and got a lot of attention then too.

Butt once in a wile I would get negative feedback. When I get negative feedback I just roast the tires in front of that person problem solved.

I don't think this car will be the under dog much longer.

PS The word is out the real gone in 60 second car was a 73 429ci. Mustang. It did a real jump I think they set a jump distance record at that time too. Lets see if that trailer queen 68 can survive the real stuff.

 

[Kit Sullivan]

Sorry, but the original "Eleanor" from "Gone..." was most definitely NOT a 73, and it did not then or now ever have a 429, a 460 or any other big block.

 

[Big Block MACH]

Back in high school I wanted a 69 or 70 Gt500 bad and really bad,,,, could not find one I could buy and ended up with a 73 coupe, still have the coupe,,, if I could just get a chrome bumper for the front of that sucker without changing the fenders I'd be happy

Hi,

I did it to my 73. You don't have to change the fenders. You only have to get the metal bracket that goes under the 71 bumper. You also will need to get the brackets for the 71 bumper and cut and weld modify the two brackets.

 

[Paul of MO]

I think it is just a timing thing.

First it was the early 65 66 mustangs that went collectible.

A few years later it was the 67 68 that got noticed

A few years later it was the 69 70 that went nuts.

Now the 71 73 have a following and are starting to get some respect.

In a few years certain Mustang II's will start to get some respect that they currently do not have.

I have recently seen a few Maverick Grabbers getting properly restored as well as V8 Mustang II's - not many yet but a few.

When you are old (I'll be long gone) we will see trailer queen, pampered, 100 point concourse restored Fox Bodies.

- Paul