- Joined
- May 7, 2013
- Messages
- 4
- Reaction score
- 14
- Location
- TN
- My Car
- 71 Mach 1
Light Pewter Metallic
Originally M-code, now BBF+C6
Hey guys, I’ve been a member on the forum since 2013 (!), only made a couple of posts way back then, but a lot of “life”, some good/some bad, intervened between then and now. I’m really happy to be in a position now that I’m giving my cars some long overdue attention. Over the past year or so I’ve been focused on the 69 Mach I’ve had since 1987. Back in 2019 I converted it to the Sniper EFI system, had tons of issues with it and lots of distractions that kept me from really focusing on it. I was *so* close to switching back to a carb but almost accidentally found the big mistake I made (never tightened the O2 sensor). My 69 has a 351C-4V (quench) and the drivability/throttle response vs carb is night and day. I had a few more things to sort out w/ that car, none of these cars will ever be “finished”, but it is at a point I can use it as a daily driver if I want. So on to the 71.
When I was 16 my 1st car was a 72 Mach 3 speed, 351C-2V (REALLY wish I still had it), but it had the gold glow paint – the only thing I didn’t like about it. I saw an article in Mustang Monthly (I think) that featured a Boss 351 in light pewter metallic, absolutely loved that color, and that stuck in my head as a someday-dream-car.
Back in 2005 when eBay was an actual auction site, I ran across a no-reserve auction for a light pewter metallic 71 Mach, an M-code C6 car, factory a/c, factory fold down. The pics were gorgeous, but it was in Chicago, so all I could think about was rust. I contacted the owner anyway. He said it had spent most of its life in AZ, had been kept garaged since being in Chicago, and to his knowledge had zero rust. On top of that, he said he would have no hesitation to get in the car and drive it to CA. And he said I could walk away if I found otherwise. So I decided to at least put a bid in on the car.
On eBay, I saw other potential buyers posting questions asking if he would end the auction early if he’d let it go for around 13k-15k. His response was always “last day, high bid”. I noticed that the auction ended on Labor Day that year, and realized that not too many people would be sitting in front of a computer that day and that I might get a real deal on the car. Turned out I was right. Last day/high bid was mine, and I got it for $9100.
So, taking him at his word that I could drive it to CA, I rented a car for a 1-way trip to Chicago (I live in east TN), took some tools and a few things like radiator hoses, belts, a fuel pump just in case. The car was rust free, incredibly solid. So I headed back to TN with it. I made to the outskirts of southern IN without any problems at all, but it quit on me when I pulled off the interstate to get some food. It took me about 3 hours to figure out that the points had closed up, so I had no spark. Once I fixed that and got over the feeling like an idiot part, I was back on the way and made it home.
Since then, I pulled the pretty tired 351C, kept it totally intact though, and swapped to a basically fresh 466BBF that I had run in my 69 for about a month (too big, too many compromises). That motor started life as a 71 429, it was a passenger car motor but for some reason had 4 bolt mains. I also redid the seat covers, dash pad, and retrofitted a VDO tach in the dash that looks very near stock.
Later on I picked up a set of ported DOVE heads w/ oversized valves from a 460ford.com member, added a Weiand Stealth intake, and a QFT annular boost 750. I raced some @ local 1/8th mile strips, got down to the low 8s range with it, but it seemed to be losing power at the end of the track. This was around 2009-2010. 2010 was when things started getting really complicated for me, so other than a very occasional drive the 71 Mach had not seen much use.
I’m back on it now that I have a little more free time. I started driving it more and one of the 1st things I realized was that I needed a better sound system. That turned into “I need new carpet” when I felt moisture in the rear passenger floorboard, then I found the beginning of rust in some parts of the rear floorpans. I acid etched the floor and painted it with POR-15, and just finished putting down some sound deadener. I’m not sure where the water is coming from, but that’s next step before I put the carpet down. THEN I can start thinking about the sound system again.
I also have a TKO600 and most everything I need to replace the C6. Up until a few years ago I was running a 3:50 T-lok in it, but swapped that with a 3.89 Detroit locker that had been in my 69. It is just too much w/o overdrive. I just need a flywheel and have to decide what I’m going to do clutch-wise. I have a manual pedal hanger/pedals but not sure if these will work with the power brakes on my car, so I’ll have questions about that. And will definitely be doing some research on the water leak issue here.
As far as other Mustangs go, I currently have a 2013 GT500 (dream car), a 96 Mystic Cobra I’ve not driven in years, another 69 Mach in great shape but no drivetrain. 2 I regret selling are the 72 I had when I was 16, and an 85 GT. My dad has a 66 fastback that he bought new – I’ve been working on it for a few years now, did EFI swap, disk brake swap, and just now finishing up a T5 swap. His health is really on the decline, I don’t know if he’ll ever get to drive it, but I work on it on the weekends @ his house so we do get to spend a lot of time together. My dad also bought a 93 Cobra new, gave it to my son a couple of years ago.
I’m going to try to post some pics w/ this intro, they’re not the best but better than nothing right now.
When I was 16 my 1st car was a 72 Mach 3 speed, 351C-2V (REALLY wish I still had it), but it had the gold glow paint – the only thing I didn’t like about it. I saw an article in Mustang Monthly (I think) that featured a Boss 351 in light pewter metallic, absolutely loved that color, and that stuck in my head as a someday-dream-car.
Back in 2005 when eBay was an actual auction site, I ran across a no-reserve auction for a light pewter metallic 71 Mach, an M-code C6 car, factory a/c, factory fold down. The pics were gorgeous, but it was in Chicago, so all I could think about was rust. I contacted the owner anyway. He said it had spent most of its life in AZ, had been kept garaged since being in Chicago, and to his knowledge had zero rust. On top of that, he said he would have no hesitation to get in the car and drive it to CA. And he said I could walk away if I found otherwise. So I decided to at least put a bid in on the car.
On eBay, I saw other potential buyers posting questions asking if he would end the auction early if he’d let it go for around 13k-15k. His response was always “last day, high bid”. I noticed that the auction ended on Labor Day that year, and realized that not too many people would be sitting in front of a computer that day and that I might get a real deal on the car. Turned out I was right. Last day/high bid was mine, and I got it for $9100.
So, taking him at his word that I could drive it to CA, I rented a car for a 1-way trip to Chicago (I live in east TN), took some tools and a few things like radiator hoses, belts, a fuel pump just in case. The car was rust free, incredibly solid. So I headed back to TN with it. I made to the outskirts of southern IN without any problems at all, but it quit on me when I pulled off the interstate to get some food. It took me about 3 hours to figure out that the points had closed up, so I had no spark. Once I fixed that and got over the feeling like an idiot part, I was back on the way and made it home.
Since then, I pulled the pretty tired 351C, kept it totally intact though, and swapped to a basically fresh 466BBF that I had run in my 69 for about a month (too big, too many compromises). That motor started life as a 71 429, it was a passenger car motor but for some reason had 4 bolt mains. I also redid the seat covers, dash pad, and retrofitted a VDO tach in the dash that looks very near stock.
Later on I picked up a set of ported DOVE heads w/ oversized valves from a 460ford.com member, added a Weiand Stealth intake, and a QFT annular boost 750. I raced some @ local 1/8th mile strips, got down to the low 8s range with it, but it seemed to be losing power at the end of the track. This was around 2009-2010. 2010 was when things started getting really complicated for me, so other than a very occasional drive the 71 Mach had not seen much use.
I’m back on it now that I have a little more free time. I started driving it more and one of the 1st things I realized was that I needed a better sound system. That turned into “I need new carpet” when I felt moisture in the rear passenger floorboard, then I found the beginning of rust in some parts of the rear floorpans. I acid etched the floor and painted it with POR-15, and just finished putting down some sound deadener. I’m not sure where the water is coming from, but that’s next step before I put the carpet down. THEN I can start thinking about the sound system again.
I also have a TKO600 and most everything I need to replace the C6. Up until a few years ago I was running a 3:50 T-lok in it, but swapped that with a 3.89 Detroit locker that had been in my 69. It is just too much w/o overdrive. I just need a flywheel and have to decide what I’m going to do clutch-wise. I have a manual pedal hanger/pedals but not sure if these will work with the power brakes on my car, so I’ll have questions about that. And will definitely be doing some research on the water leak issue here.
As far as other Mustangs go, I currently have a 2013 GT500 (dream car), a 96 Mystic Cobra I’ve not driven in years, another 69 Mach in great shape but no drivetrain. 2 I regret selling are the 72 I had when I was 16, and an 85 GT. My dad has a 66 fastback that he bought new – I’ve been working on it for a few years now, did EFI swap, disk brake swap, and just now finishing up a T5 swap. His health is really on the decline, I don’t know if he’ll ever get to drive it, but I work on it on the weekends @ his house so we do get to spend a lot of time together. My dad also bought a 93 Cobra new, gave it to my son a couple of years ago.
I’m going to try to post some pics w/ this intro, they’re not the best but better than nothing right now.
