1971 Fastback Find

[Revrabb05]

Hey guys I found a 1971 fastback I'm thinking about looking at after work. It's at a used car dealership and the guy wants $4k for it. I think it might have been repainted because those aren't the original stripes on the side. Its also missing a few exterior features. It has a 351 Clev and an auto trans, however, I'm not sure they are original.That's the body style and color that I'm looking for though. What do you guys think?

*EDIT- Forgot the Pics!

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

Looks like a better prospect.

A vacuum gauge taken along to view the car can tell you a lot with minimal effort. A vin number will tell you which engine should be in it.

undercarriage inspection and looking for filler under the paint is important. She needs some work from the pictures, but it could be a solid foundation.

Let me know if you need a second set of eyes after your initial inspection. And take a tarp with you and a flashlight so you can get pictures of the undercarriage.

And those wheels are atrocious!

 

[MechEng]

Be careful of that passenger side fender, looks like there's something wrong there on the front end.

Aftermarket valve covers, non-original fuel line, and a radiator flush kit installed in the heater lines. So take a hard look at that engine, see if you can get any kind of receipts on it.

It is missing a few exterior bits but the interior looks really good.

Much better looking than the other one. Throw a vin up and we can see what engine it should have. But this is a solid looking option!

 

[hyena429]

Does not look to bad at all..And looks to have alot of lux options inside...AC and consule and such...Open the trunk and look for any hidden rust issues. "check in there for any missing parts too" Like the mirrors and such.

 

[Revrabb05]

Looks like a better prospect.

A vacuum gauge taken along to view the car can tell you a lot with minimal effort. A vin number will tell you which engine should be in it.

undercarriage inspection and looking for filler under the paint is important. She needs some work from the pictures, but it could be a solid foundation.

Let me know if you need a second set of eyes after your initial inspection. And take a tarp with you and a flashlight so you can get pictures of the undercarriage.

And those wheels are atrocious!

Thanks Jeff! Will do! I know right! Haha that'll be the first thing to go!I'm taking some magnets along to check for bondo. As long as the undercarriage isn't all rusted out do you think that's a reasonable price?

 

[Mister 4x4]

Check the VIN... it looks more like a '73 than a '71 to me (sorry for playing the 'Captain Obvious' card... but it hasn't been mentioned yet).

 

[sm3570]

I agree with Eric. The front end is '73 (fenders, grill, and bumper). Also, there is a "Fasten Seat Belt" light which wasn't available in early '71.

 

[MechEng]

I didn't even see that the post said it was a '71. I totally thought it was supposed to be a 73, guy may not really know what he has.

Getting the VIN on it would say for sure. If it is a 71, I'd wonder why they changed over to the 73 front, that's a decent bit of work. More than likely it's a 73 and the guy mis-posted based on bad information he was given.

Make sure you check the trunk lip area for rust! It's a pain to repair.

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

I read to quick to catch that it says 71 in the post!

I think it is a much better looking candidate. I suppose your end goal would be the determining factor in what is the right decision for you. There are more than a few of us who would buy a similar car to put back for "one day down the road."

A 1973 Mustang will never be a 71-72 model-if you want that, start with that. 73 models have a few unique parts.

While it looks to have several areas of minor body damage, at the price of 3K I think those are not anything to be excessively concerned about.

Plan on stripping and painting it to have a good quality paint job-but again this is for a project so that shouldn't be an impediment.

You need to know the following

The VIN on the dash can be swapped between cars easily. The other vin on the driver side door is reproduced with the buyers information as are the body buck tags.

If there is any doubt after viewing the car and the title, you have to pull a fender to be sure as the numbers are stamped into the the top of the front end by either shock tower.

 

[Revrabb05]

Will do guys thanks for the advice. What makes the removal hard there, Mech? No thanks for the heads up 4x4. I honestly didn't know there was a difference. Are the differences fairly subtle? Does that make it more valuable? Most importantly do you guys think that's a fair price as long as there are no major surprises?

*Edit: Sorry Jeff didn't see that until I already posted. He actually wants $4k, but i'm gonna try and talk him down. I dont really care which 71-73 model I get as long as it's a fastback

 

[MechEng]

This thread:

http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/vintage-mustang-forum/519832-how-tell-71-73-apart.html

Runs through a lot of the differences, some of them major, some incredibly minor

Also, to me, 4K is a good price for that, especially if it runs and drives. But that's just my $0.02, so that and $5 will get you a cup of coffee

 

[Revrabb05]

This thread:

http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/vintage-mustang-forum/519832-how-tell-71-73-apart.html

Runs through a lot of the differences, some of them major, some incredibly minor

Also, to me, 4K is a good price for that, especially if it runs and drives. But that's just my $0.02, so that and $5 will get you a cup of coffee

Hahaha thank Mech I appreciate it!

 

[will e]

If its solid 4K isn't a bad price. I would try to talk him down as well. Show up with cash. We can help nit pick things 'wrong' with it so you have points to argue.

 

[Mister 4x4]

thanks for the heads up 4x4.

No worries - just wanted to make sure. The differences are fairly subtle, but can quickly become costly mistakes if the wrong parts are ordered (which fortunately, are not incredibly numerous).

I dont really care which 71-73 model I get as long as it's a fastback

That's the spirit!! ::thumb::

This thread:

http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/vintage-mustang-forum/519832-how-tell-71-73-apart.html

Runs through a lot of the differences, some of them major, some incredibly minor

Wow - those VMF guys really don't get it at all, regarding '71-'73s. For instance, "In order to get the Boss 351 stripes in 1973 (any Mustang besides a Mach 1) the Decor Group was a mandatory option." (My favorite nugget of mis-information - OH the irony. LOL)

Props to our very own Hemikiller for being there way back then to help dispel the inaccuracies. ::thumb::

 

[bkdunha]

Just to chime in $3K - $4K would not be a bad range to work in for a solid car. Check the usualls as other have advised above:

Get underneath it and thouroughly check the floor pans and front rails

Pull the plastic screens on the cowl and look down in side with a bright flashlight and don't be afraid to feel around inside

Check the trunk floor thoroughly

I definitly would question the front end sheetmetal ( the vin will tell you the year )

check for filler with the magnets you are bringing

Every item noted here is just more negotiating power in your hand if you are interested in this being your project and car going forward.

Good luck.

 

[jeff8877]

Good luck with the car...looks pretty good and like a 73 as others have said. First thing I would want is the VIN and list it here so folks can check it out.

Couple observations...car has deluxe interior, has gauges and tach. Looks like it came with an AM radio as there are no speakers in door panels. Also, has disc brakes as the brake pedal has the disc trim. And last thing is, looks like on the very left of dash it may have a rear window defrost knob? Maybe others can chime in on that.

Jeff

 

[will e]

Oh, is that what that knob it? That's where my convertible top switch is.

For bargining power: Missing side dash piece (easy to find but still missing). Head light benzels are wrong for the grill.

 

[Revrabb05]

Sorry for spamming all these pictures! There were more issues than I expected and I didn't feel comfortable saying whether I should move forward or not. I need advice! It's a 73 mach 1 which was apparently red. What do you guys think?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sm3570]

Does that VIN say 1F01F? If so, and he said it's a 73 Mach 1, RUN! VIN shenanigans!