New member from Tulsa Oklahoma

[Cleveland Crush]

I'm semi retired; which means that I spend an average of 50 hrs a week working on various car projects. I've been doing a complete rebuild of a 73 Mach 1. I bought 2 cars in parts and have been selling off parts to assist in the build price. I started out with a Q code 73 Mach1 & am selecting the best parts for the project. It came as a brown on brown car. I switched out the interior to a black interior that is loaded with all the features I'd ever want. I ended up painting it Grabber blue w/ black accents. I switched out the front fenders and converted the "heavy" 73 urethane bumper n brackets to a 71 assy. in order to save @ 100lbs of weight. I have detailed photos w/descriptions of every stage of the project. I built the C6 w/mods necessary to handle up to 500 hp. The 351 4V motor is utilizing features like H beam rods and forged pistons. This was a loaded car, however, even with the factory high output suspension package it doesn't have a posi. I will be adding a posi with a 3:91 gear. If you have any problem areas with your own build, I covered all of the car. I do all of the work myself, except machine work and front end alignment.

She's proud of her rear-end!

 

[Paul M]

Hello and Welcome from Michigan. The suspension is actually called competition suspension, for your future reference. Track loc rear ends were an option. If an a/c car the tallest gear available was the 3.25, which could be open or posi. A 3.91 rear gear will be fun! Good luck with everything and have fun!

Re: competition suspension. Ye it's nice to know since the options add up to value on these. The tag on the rear was 3.25. It's open and worn. I'm sure I'd kill it with this drivetrain lmao I just got my 5 leaf springs in today. I'm hoping for less sag n wheel hop with the stiffer springs. Maybe add 1" in height.

 

[Paul M]

She's proud of her rear-end!

Ha there's no grill in it yet ..it's the best pose

 

[Paul M]

Greetings, from Upstate Western NY (Pittsford, a suburb of Rochester)! Out here we (also) have a 1973 Mach 1. Its powertrain is a bit milder than yours, where the prior owner replaced the factory 302 with a 1994 F-150 351W, using heads from a 1969 351W 4v. The compression with a set of forged aluminum pistons was kept to 9.5:1 due to the low octane ethanol free gasoline out here (89-90). He also swapped out the original 2.79:1 rear axle gear set with a 3.5:1 TractionLok unit. The original front drum brake system was replaced with a wrecked 73 Mustang's disc brakes and master cylinder. After the 351W was dropped in the engine produced 360HP. Not a ferocious amount, but plenty for some spirited driving.

We did some upgrades also, to include installing an aluminum radiator and dual electric fans. The original c4 began to slip with its 1-2 upshifts at WOT. Rather than rebuild the C4 we opted to swap in an AOD that was set up a firmer shoft than the factory setup. I also set the Throttle Valve pressure to 39 PSI vs the factory 30-35 PSI, in order to get firmer upshifts are higher road speeds on light acceleration. Our engine RPM at 60 MPH dropped from 2,850 to a mere 1,850, making the Mach 1 a lot more fun to drive for more than 20 minutes, as the engine running at 2,850 was fun for a while. But after about half an hour or so it grated on me. With the AOD I retain the lower end performance we had with the C4, then getting great performance in 4th/OD gear. With the engine built for higher than stock performance, the Mach 1's top end is higher as the torque and horsepower to overcome air resistance is on tap at higher RPMs and higher road speeds.

https://youtu.be/exY1Ct92xaU

We also have a well preserved, true survivor, real barn find 1973 Mustang Convertible. It was literally barn stored out here for over 40 years. We have done a few modifications, not huge. The powertrain is the original 302/C4/2.79:1 configuration. The vehicle has an original 21,000 miles on it, and has its original exterior finish and interior panels. Although it is not m our most powerful pony car, it is still a blast to drive. As with our 73 Mach 1 we added a Classic Air air conditioning system, which makes both cars a lot more fun to drive in the warmer and hot months.

The rest of our little fleet of pony/muscle/sports cars is a 1969 Shelby GT500 (my favorite car of all), a 1997 Honda Del Sol SI, and a 2020 Shelby GT500. Sadly, Car Season out here is only from mid-April - early November. The other months bring snow and ice, and salt on the roads. So, the pony cars are in Winter Hibernation until later this year.

I look forward to seeing more photos and details of your car(s). Keep s

 

[Paul M]

Geeze ... you've got the Mustang Bug as bad as my buddy Marvin. I think he has 5 or 6 of them, various years n models. If you get burned out on the 2 Shelbys I'll be happy to take them off yr hands. I have quite a few cars in various stages, I'm beginning to wonder if it's an obsession or compulsive behavior..lmao. Every once in a while, I let one go to pay for the upgrades on all the others.

 

[Paul M]

Welcome from Tulsa area (Bixby). I’d love to see the car sometime.

Bixby? your just South of me. It looks like you run that thing at the track here and it gets up n goes. You probably met Marvin from there. He just started back up. He's running an alcohol injected Cleveland. Toward the end of last season and this season, he's now running pretty consistent high 9's. He's trying to talk me into running one of these contraptions I have. I'm afraid to break parts and spend money

 

[swice]

Wow! Awesome undertaking, Welcome!! Great organization with wonderful people!!

Couple pearls from my limited learning the hard way,
if the a/c blower squeals, I found an easy fix.
I added 7/8 front and 1 1/4 rear stabilizer bars with bilstein shocks, new springs (3 1/2), new ball joints, etc - best money I ever spent on my 73 vert ( 5 year project I completed with much help from friends last year, I drive it almost everyday)! My other ride is a 82 Chevy truck my dad left me!

My rebuild budget was limited but money on the suspension is all about your safety and handling.

I have a stock 351c H that I added an eldelbrock intake manifold and a 4v carb, electronic ignition and an after market RAM air Couple years ago. It added quite a bit of hp to what was a factory sluggish low compression engine, but stepped it up enough for me as it ran so smooth. I have to to work to keep it below 80 on the freeway!

 

[Paul M]

Wow! Awesome undertaking, Welcome!! Great organization with wonderful people!!

Couple pearls from my limited learning the hard way,
if the a/c blower squeals, I found an easy fix.
I added 7/8 front and 1 1/4 rear stabilizer bars with bilstein shocks, new springs (3 1/2), new ball joints, etc - best money I ever spent on my 73 vert ( 5 year project I completed with much help from friends last year, I drive it almost everyday)! My other ride is a 82 Chevy truck my dad left me!

My rebuild budget was limited but money on the suspension is all about your safety and handling.

I have a stock 351c H that I added an eldelbrock intake manifold and a 4v carb, electronic ignition and an after market RAM air Couple years ago. It added quite a bit of hp to what was a factory sluggish low compression engine, but stepped it up enough for me as it ran so smooth. I have to to work to keep it below 80 on the freeway!

You can't beat a convertible for fun and excellent resale value. These 71-73 cars look like they make great convertibles. What a coincidence, my father left me a 81 Chevy step side short bed truck. I loved it, reliable with great gas milage. A no habla from across the border ran into the back of it and bent the frame. No insurance no driver's license nothing. Anyway, here's my convertible, it's a 50 Dodge and this thing has torque forever, it gets going way too fast and the curbs look like they are too close. The 50's suspension is awful. It's very fun to drive. Almost every time I take it out someone offers me money for it.

 

[Bill Perkins]

Welcome from Opelika, Alabama, nice car

 

[swice]

You can't beat a convertible for fun and excellent resale value. These cars look like they make great convertibles. What a coincidence, my father left me a 81 Chevy step side short bed truck. I loved it, reliable with great gas milage. A no habla from across the border ran into the back of it and bent the frame. No insurance no driver's license nothing. Anyway, here's my convertible, it's a 50 Dodge and this thing has torque forever, it gets going way too fast and the curbs look like they are too close. The 50's suspension is awful. It's very fun to drive. Almost every time I take it out someone offers me money for it.

You can't beat a convertible for fun and excellent resale value. These cars look like they make great convertibles. What a coincidence, my father left me a 81 Chevy step side short bed truck. I loved it, reliable with great gas milage. A no habla from across the border ran into the back of it and bent the frame. No insurance no driver's license nothing. Anyway, here's my convertible, it's a 50 Dodge and this thing has torque forever, it gets going way too fast and the curbs look like they are too close. The 50's suspension is awful. It's very fun to drive. Almost every time I take it out someone offers me money for it.

How cool is that!!

 

[mach72]

Yes I have met Marvin once before at the track. His car really moves. My Mach 1 is now just a cruiser again. But it ran a best of 11.48 at 117. Not bad for a 3800 pound iron headed small block (Cleveland stroker), with a solid ft cam on 91 octane pump gas. I’ve now built a new upgraded stroker Cleveland I will be running soon in a 90 Mustang hatch. Looking for low 10’s on motor.

 

[c9zx]

Which of the CHI heads are you using? Chuck

 

[mach72]

Which of the CHI heads are you using? Chuck

3V 225cc 58cc chambers. Took 11 months to get them last April.

 

[Paul M]

Yes I have met Marvin once before at the track. His car really moves. My Mach 1 is now just a cruiser again. But it ran a best of 11.48 at 117. Not bad for a 3800 pound iron headed small block (Cleveland stroker), with a solid ft cam on 91 octane pump gas. I’ve now built a new upgraded stroker Cleveland I will be running soon in a 90 Mustang hatch. Looking for low 10’s on motor.

11.48 is flying with that weight. Marvin got his Cleveland to run low 10's w/ the stock iron heads, also before stroking it. Not to say it has any streetablity at all. He's been running alcohol injected w/a powerglide. He actually restricted the heads for better velocity. It seems the design leaves dead air on the floor of the ports. Notice all of the aluminum heads are designed raising the bottoms of those ports & most have smaller valves. They are extremely proud of those CHI heads price wise. Curious what gear and tranny you ran to get to mid 11's?

 

[mach72]

I ran a C6 that I had put in the wide ratio 1st and 2nd gear, and also the roller bearing kit from Broader performance. Converter is a restalled factory 10” CJ converter (3000 rpm or a little more with the stroker). Gears were 3.89 and tires were 275/50R15 my et street R radials. Car ran fine n 91 octane pump gas and was driven 30 minutes to track. So it was still a street car.

 

[Stanglover]

Somehow I miss your original post, so welcome from SW Ontario, Canada.

 

[Paul M]

I ran a C6 that I had put in the wide ratio 1st and 2nd gear, and also the roller bearing kit from Broader performance. Converter is a restalled factory 10” CJ converter (3000 rpm or a little more with the stroker). Gears were 3.89 and tires were 275/50R15 my et street R radials. Car ran fine n 91 octane pump gas and was driven 30 minutes to track. So it was still a street car.

I went the same route w the converter on the C6 I had Broader performance re- stall the stock one. The flywheel looks much better than stock, however, finding a converter to match the odd small bolt circle. They cut the torque converter in 1/2, bend the tips of the fins and machine the stator. Hughes also performs this task. 2600 now @ 3k ... anyway with their kit I added the low drag sprag with the Torrington. Their kit only gave one stepped plate for adding 1 extra friction n steel. I went ahead and swapped out the other drum to add another set of 4 vs 3. What they had advertised as a 500hp kit, still needed a handful of parts including the R servo. Now I have to figure out how to rebuild this %$T##@f150. The times you pulled out of that thing are impressive. I had Broader performance send me the photo of the convt

 

[Paul M]

I ran a C6 that I had put in the wide ratio 1st and 2nd gear, and also the roller bearing kit from Broader performance. Converter is a restalled factory 10” CJ converter (3000 rpm or a little more with the stroker). Gears were 3.89 and tires were 275/50R15 my et street R radials. Car ran fine n 91 octane pump gas and was driven 30 minutes to track. So it was still a street car.

Re: I had put in the wide ratio 1st and 2nd gear. I'm just getting this thing running and have driven it a handful of times to work out bugs. Was the 1st and and 2nd gear a problem at the track? I planned on a similar gear and the tires are 60's similar in radius w/3:91s

 

[mach72]

Re: I had put in the wide ratio 1st and 2nd gear. I'm just getting this thing running and have driven it a handful of times to work out bugs. Was the 1st and and 2nd gear a problem at the track? I planned on a similar gear and the tires are 60's similar in radius w/3:91s

The lower first and 2nd gear were never a problem at the track. I could sixty foot in the 1.6x 1.7 range.

 

[t.kohlmeyer]

Welcome from another new join. I've had my '72 Mach since 1978, always good to have friends who have 71-73 'stangs.