1973 Mach 1

[robnlean]

 

[Idaho Chris]

Looks like a very well optioned car. Can you tell us more about your/its background? How about a current photo or two?

 

[robnlean]

Yes, I recently bought it from Colin Comer. He is a Shelby and Mustang collector who has authored several books on the subject and does TV shows (The Appraiser for Haggerty). It has had two previous owners with the second owning the car for about 45 years. It appears to be pretty original other than maintenance items and that was verified by Mr Comer and the Marti report etc. The car has 89k verified miles on it. We intend to keep it as original as possible.

 

[Hemikiller]

Nice option loadout.

I'd be curious as to how a Mach 1 came to be equipped with rocker moldings and wheel well trim. Maybe added by the dealer at the customer's request?

 

[robnlean]

That was our guess as well.

 

[PNWMach1]

Not to intrude on your thread, but the wheel well trim question jumped out at me. I bought my 73 Mach 1 from the original owner back in 1986. When I looked at the car the first thing I noticed was that it had wheel well trim. Asked him if he had added it as I noticed several other non factory items (rear window louvers, mud flaps, etc) but he stated that was the way it came. Have seen very few others like that.

 

[robnlean]

I don't know what the true story is on these items. My husband worked at a Ford dealership in the service department right out of high school during this time period and he recalls them putting a lot of things on cars through the parts Dept that customers had asked for during sales. Dealers also installed some parts to doll up cars before the sale (such as front spoilers) So, our guess is they were added by the dealer, or sometime later by the first owner. The original owner didn't keep an original sales invoice, and the Marti Report wouldn't show dealer installed options, so there is no proof of this, only an educated guess. However, of note is the wheel well trim and rocker moldings do not appear in the Ford 1973 Accessories Catalog as available for Mustangs. They would have to have been ordered through the parts department using part numbers for the Grande, or from an option package on other Mustangs other than the Mach 1. Again, all of this is just speculation.

 

[Sheriff41]

Nice! I was watching it on BaT and you bought it very well! Congrats and welcome to the forum.

 

[robnlean]

Thank you Sheriff. I would like to think so. The wife had stated above that we are going to keep it original. That is true when at all possible. However, we live near Palm Springs and it's getting air added

 

[jpaz]

Hello and Welcome from Michigan. Great looking car!

 

[NOT A T5]

Welcome from Omaha!

 

[Steve McMahan]

Welcome from So Cal, it’s a beauty. It seems to have found it’s new home.

 

[Steed73]

View attachment 82370

Looks like a very well optioned car. Can you tell us more about your/its background? How about a current photo or two?

Welcome from Toronto, Canada. I too have a 73 Mach 1 that I purchased new in 1973. My car was used for 3 years as a daily driver and even though I had rust-proofing applied by the dealer, the car rusted over the years. In 2009 I did a total nut and bolt restoration and discovered manufacturing mistakes which were fixed (believe it or not when we removed the complete interior we saw bare metal with no paint. It seems the factory did not paint the interior of the car). My car has the 'Q' code engine with a 4 spd. and is a joy to drive. You will enjoy yours.

 

[robnlean]

Yes, having restored a number of cars and trucks (currently a 1967 F100) from this era, I've seen some strange stuff as well. I'm pretty sure we are going to have the Ziebart removed using the dry ice method just to see what the story is under it all. I've been under the car with the ice pick and haven't found anything glaring, but I'm willing to spend the money to make sure.

 

[Steed73]

I said the same thing until my costs reached almost $90k then I stopped keeping records and finished the car. Looking back I think it was the journey that counted the most for me even though I continually get lots of compliments and 2 people wanted to buy it this year (we didn't talk money though)

 

[Bill Perkins]

Yes, I recently bought it from Colin Comer. He is a Shelby and Mustang collector who has authored several books on the subject and does TV shows (The Appraiser for Haggerty). It has had two previous owners with the second owning the car for about 45 years. It appears to be pretty original other than maintenance items and that was verified by Mr Comer and the Marti report etc. The car has 89k verified miles on it. We intend to keep it as original as possible.View attachment 82373

A very Nice, Nice Ride

 

[robnlean]

I said the same thing until my costs reached almost $90k then I stopped keeping records and finished the car. Looking back I think it was the journey that counted the most for me even though I continually get lots of compliments and 2 people wanted to buy it this year (we didn't talk money though)

We've been restoring cars and trucks for almost 50 years and I've learned that you put money into cars you have an emotional attachment to, like it was dad's, or I bought it new, or had it in high school etc. Or, you put money into cars that have great prominence, low production with a big following etc.
This car does not fit into either of those categories. I have no emotional attachment to the car itself and it is not a car of great prominence. When I say it doesn't have prominence, I understand Mustangs have a large following. However, some Mustangs are more desirable than others. This car, being a '73 with a 351 2v and automatic is not one of those Mustangs. I understand that and knew this when I bought the car and the price I paid reflected what the car is. I wanted a solid, safe example of a Mach 1 as I remembered them from my early college days. Mr Comer had gone over this car from top to bottom and his knowledge sealed the deal for me.

So, we'll maintain it, and add to it what we must to make it usable for our needs. One of the first things to add will be air conditioning. Palm Springs gets HOT, so that is a must.

 

[Electric Wizard]

I love the car. The last couple of months I have been enjoying BAT and subscribed to the early Mustang listings. How would you rate the BAT buyer experience? Any tips? How do you send the money to the owner and are there any safety measures so the buyer doesn't get ripped off? Thanks!

 

[robnlean]

I had a good experience with BaT. However, I had a trusted seller, Colin Comer, and his reputation was on the line. I knew of him and throughly trusted his word. I personally would never buy a car unless I checked it out or contracted with an expert in the field of the car I was buying. I just sent Mr Comer a check, but I believe you can also go through an escrow company. This is the only car I've bought using BaT. I've sold vehicles using auction houses, but never used BaT for that. Hope that helps.

 

[Electric Wizard]

Sounds like everything lined up nicely. You mentioned an escrow company, would this be the norm for most other BAT purchases? Thank you for your time.