Ok how I got my first Mustang?
In 1973 I was 25 working as a tool & die maker so I made good money. I had ordered a new 71 Maverick and also still had my 1950 Ford sedan, 1956 Ford Club Sedan and 57 Ford Fairlane 500 hardtop, still have them all.
I had read about the doom and gloom of how the mustang was going to take a dive into the nothing class with most of the automotive world. I figured this was the time to buy before they slid into those dark years of learning how to cut pollution but they also cut the HP.
So I went to our local dealer Garrett Easler Ford. Our family had purchased several cars from them over the years and they were not like most dealers trying to rip you off they were there to give you exactly what you wanted and did not have any issue with ordering a car to your specs. There were mustangs on the lot but nothing with lots of options.
I went to the owners office and told him I wanted to buy a 73 Mach 1 and wanted every option you could order. He said “Why would you want to do that when I can sell you an LTD for less money and more car”. I told him that the Mustang would be worth more in years to come and he just laughed because the older ones were dropping in price and very cheap.
I had already been to the Mercury dealer and looked at the Cougar but did not like the styling. While there I also looked at the Pantera but with the price being just over $9,000 I did not want to invest that much in a car.
So we sat down with the big salesman reference book and started to write in the order for my Mach 1. You did everything by hand no computer to order with they did fax them in. I asked the owner if he could swing getting my car to be the last one they made but could not. They were the dealer that all the NASCAR parts came through. The parts department was always full of crate engines from Holman Moody in the 60’s.
So the final order included 27 factory options and also shows the dealer installed undercoating. I added another 6 dealer options, door edge guards, front spoiler, ram air, rear carpeted floor mats to match front, locking spare tire and centrifugal advance distributor to replace vacuum. Date on order March 30, 1973 and the total on the window sticker was $5,156.90 and I paid $4,803.95, the dealer invoice shows $4448.84 and is stamped May 14, 1973 and I picked up the car on May 24, 1973.
I did not let them clean the car only apply the undercoat and I was first to drive off the lot. I went straight to the interstate and put it to the floor. It seemed to run out of steam just over 120 mph. I came back and the salesman asked what I thought and I said I was disappointed that it would barely go over 120 and I would have to work on it, lol, he said you are crazy. The Mustang emblem on the horn button was upside down.
This car was my date car, street racer and autocross car. It only has a little over 12,000 miles on it and has sat in the barn since 1983 when I got fed up with MCA rules and just lost interest.
I am now retired and trying to get back to working on the 8 Mustangs I own. I am one of those hoarders you read about with barn full of cars and garage full of NOS parts. Selling some of the stuff on Ebay.
Lots of good memories of out running the highway patrol, winning autocross, burning the tires off doing laps on the interstate cloverleaf exchange. I think we invented drifting back in the 60’s when the interstate opened here. During the 1974 oil crises you could buy a Boss 429 mustang here for $1,000 but nobody wanted them you could not buy gas. I have had to push my car to gas station before.
Wish I could go back and order another it will never be like that again.
Long post and been in other threads before. Pic before it went to barn and as it is now not washed or cleaned since 1983.
David
Well, moved back home and the day came last year to do the rebuild. Build is complete and I gave it back to him. It was suppose to be for Father's Day, but we missed the deadline and I gave it back to him a few weeks later. Saw the joy in his eyes and we now sit and exchange stories of how he raced it back in the 70's and how I trashed it back in the 80's LOL! Lots of memories of me sitting next to him while he wrenched on it and washed it back in the days. He now drives it to his friends house and brags. He won't drive it out of our city cause he says it has too much torque. I now have four Mach1s and an insane collection of toys and memorabilias. I no longer get bugged by Dad to get his garage space back, instead, he now asks when are we going to start on the next build 
