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MikeyV

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A big thanks to all the folks who make this site possible, and all teh members who take time to contribute.   Our cars are a unique subset of general Mustang-ness, this forum is a great source of specific info.  I'm happy to be all joined up now.

I was basically born in a '65 Mustang, or at least brought home in one.  My Mom's 65 coupe, 289 2V, 4 speed, with a bench seat (I've never seen another).  Wimbledon white with a black vinyl roof.  Currently Twilight Turquoise with the same black roof.

My granny gave me a '64 Nova SS to tool around in when I turned 16.  That got sold fast for a 1971 Mach 1, 351 4V automatic.  Bright Red with the Red sports interior.  That car ended up with a Torker manifold, Holley 750DP, large Crane solid lifter cam, long tubes. 4:11s...She was a beast.   When I got it, it had a 2V Cleveland in it, but it was an M code car.  We found heads...imagine that.  Told Mom I puttin' her back to stock.

Anyhow, between a burnt transmission and college, I had to sell it in about 1998.  Regretted it big time.  Especially as I got older.

Got an '86 GT from my uncle, got totaled by someone else running a light.  Got a little red 1990 GT and had a lot of fun in that.  Sold that to a buddy at 225K miles.

Bought a Ranger, but it felt wrong, and traded it for a 2002 GT, and traded that for a 2014 GT which is my current car.  All these were manuals.

To cut to the end here, a month or so ago I bought a '71 Mach to replace my old gal.  This car had been parked since 1983 in storage.  It's aaaaaaall there and nearly totally complete.

Here's the stats? (I'm in the Bay Area, CA)

Car was ordered thru San Jose DSO - so it has the extra CA emissions stuff (DVCV with the switch, maybe some other stuff)

Mach 1, 351 4V, C6 Auto

-Grabber Blue/Argent (is painted black, but the original paint is still there)

-Black/silver Sports interior

-Sport Deck rear seat

-AM/8 track Stereo radio

-tinted glass

-console with clock delete (it has the clock in the dash, no tach :(

-factory rear spoiler with holes for the front spoiler (not sure if front spoiler was a Boss only option? or if a car with the rear spoiler got the front as well?)

-factory Ram Air

-lighting convenience group ( engine bay and trunk light, parking brake warning light)

-map light in center console (it's a non A/C car)

It seems pretty optioned up, only missing the tach, power windows, rear defrost, a/c.  

Apart from what was gone when I bought it (fuel tank, exhaust back from the H pipe, original carb and Ram Air cleaner)  it's totally complete and unmolested.

The interior is nearly perfect, nice seats, headliner, dash, door cards, etc.  Really nice and original.  

It even has the right 14X7 wheels with matching production dates to the car.  Dec 1970.  Wheel trim is gone too.

Here's a photo, as she sat after being dragged out of storage.  Those are G60 polyglass BFGs.  Three of them.  

I managed to get it started after a few weeks of owning it (had to put in a tank and some things), and even drove it around the block a few times, right on those old tires.  Everything worked. Even all the lights inside and out.

Ford...because it's a Ford.

Thanks again, this forum has already been a great help.  We did this all on my first car before the internet...good times.  

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I took that sport wrap off the wheel, and it's not even cracked.  Thanks to the sport warp?

Here's a look in the power barn.  Ram Air equipment is present in the hood.  One of the flaps even worked when it started.

Check that headliner. The dome light worked too.

Forgot to add, it's got only 89,000 miles on it.  Parked in 1983 at the tender age of 12.

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Looks like you have a nice car to start with to make it your own. Never saw a tach in the console like that, must be awkward trying to look at it, unless you tape a mirror to the dash.

Welcome from Oregon.

 
Welcome to the forum from North Carolina.
Glad you got you another toy. I put my 1973 Mach 1 in barn in 1982 and just got out 2 years ago. It has 12,000 miles.

To answer a couple questions. The only 71 - 73 that got front spoiler was the Boss and it was dealer installed so they could load and unload and not mess it up. Looks like someone changed your carb also should be the Ford spread bore I believe. I have 8 Cleveland cars. My 73 vert I bought out of California about 4 years ago has 48,000 on it and original paint and interior.
I know you should probably pull interior out and clean clean clean. I am sure mice have nests everywhere. Heater box probably needs a new core. Since no AC not as bad to do. If you want to eliminate any smells in the car get an ozone generator they remove all smells. Be sure an look for your build sheet under the carpet or stuffed into a seat.
My Mach 1 at home and also in the Mustang Owner's Museum in Concord, N.C.. The yellow vert was my driver while at the MOM.

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Looks like you have a nice car to start with to make it your own. Never saw a tach in the console like that, must be awkward trying to look at it, unless you tape a mirror to the dash.

Welcome from Oregon.
Yeah, what a stupid place for it.  How can you even read it?  It's a shame they cut the console.  It was a bummer.

 
David! thanks for the welcome.  I love that copper color on that one of yours.  

Yeah, that's a 600 Holley Vacuum.  The car has the square bore manifold on it.  It actually started and drove with that carb on it.  I didn't even clean it. lol.

You guessed it, the heater core is bad, bypassed it for now.  Got a new one on the shelf.

It's much cleaner than those pics now after a good wiping and vacuuming, and the smell is good, nice and vintage mustang-y.  It was a real odor flashback to highschool.  The car has THAT smell. 

I have found no nests, and no chewed wires, but there definitely were some vermin in the engine bay.  There were nut shells sprinkled around here and there!  And a few weird pieces of garbage probably pulled up in there.  Wires all good thankfully.

 
Welcome from League City TX!  Make sure that your electrical devices work. My 72 Mach 1 almost burned down after I fixed the signal lights.  The wiring was a modified mess!  Smoke billowed from under the dash when I tried to back out of my garage.  Replaced the entire wiring harness.  All is good now!

 
Black Beauty!   Fine lookin'.

Yeah, I have a fire extinguisher right there.  So far so good, but I do keep the battery out of it until I trust it more.  

 
Welcome from NC. That’s a great car; congratulations.
 

Looking forward to seeing how it progresses. 

 
Welcome from Oklahoma. You have a great starting point. Are you taking it back ti the blue and argent? Chuck

 
Yeah, what a stupid place for it.  How can you even read it?  It's a shame they cut the console.  It was a bummer.
Most of us have had to deal with previous owner shenanigans, saying numerous times "What the bleep were they thinking"?

Someone that's got the talent, like Luxstang or 1sostatic, should write a song called 'The PO Blues'.

 
Welcome from west Michigan. Congrats on the new project. I saw the tach and WTH?? LOL, it is a nice flat surface though. I wish you were closer as I have a nice console I'm thinking of putting power window switches in at the same location as your tach. 

 
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