- Joined
- Feb 3, 2023
- Messages
- 3
- Reaction score
- 2
- Location
- Ashe County, North Carolina
- My Car
- 1971 Mach 1 Mustang
Hello, I'm davidshea. I have a numbers matching 1971 black and silver Mach 1 Mustang. My dad ordered it at the end of 1970, got it in 1971, and I got my first car ride as a newborn coming home from the hospital in 1972. Pa Jack, the name given to my grandfather on my mother's side bought the car from my dad for his son, my mom's brother, in 1976 when he turned 16. Around 10 years later, my uncle had twins on the way and needed a larger vehicle. Pa Jack pretty much bought the Mach again and set it aside for me with plans on taking the car to his auto body class at the vocational center for high school junior and seniors. The Mustang went to my grandfather's class when I was a freshman. Upperclassmen would work on the car and come back to the high school and give me updates. Sometimes they really jerked my chain telling me what all they messed up on my prize. Anyway, Pa Jack and I were both pleased with the way it turned out so it must not have screwed things up too much. Just before I turned 16 Pa Jack got it tuned up and wisely unhooked the 4 barrel to the Autolite carb which probably saved my life. What was funny was me going to all the shops in town and nobody touching it with a 10 foot pole because they knew my grandfather and the situation. The Mach 1 wasn't always dependable, but man did it look good. Later I went to Appalachian State to college, lived in a dorm my first 2 years, but ended up moving home to commute. Needless to say, I needed something else for the back and forth driving. I ended up with a Chevette and the Mustang got parked. Later, I got married too early which didn't work out, needed money and sold the Mach to a very well known wielder in the county. The timeline on this would be 1994-95. The wielder had many connections and had a great deal of engine work done to the car, even said that some of the work was done in Junior Johnson's race shop in Wilkesboro, but I have nothing to back that up. I would see his son driving it from time to time and almost get sick. In 1996 I met my true love, we were married in 1997, she has blessed me with 2 wonderful daughters, and we celebrated our 25th anniversary last summer. Around Fall of 1999, Dad ran into the wielder at Hardee's, don't know why, he asked Dad if he wanted to buy it back . Dad jumped at the chance and he and Mom gave it to me for Christmas that year. So in that 20+ year span, it has been painted and slowly had improvements made all over. I recently retired from working at our county bus garage as transportation director and just started working in a factory building ambulances. There's a lot say about the headaches of worrying about buses 7 days a week vs actual work. I hope I didn't bore you. Now that I have put everyone to sleep, I would really appreciate some guidance with wheel and tire size on my Mach. Big and beefy is what I want, but I don't want any cutting or using spacers. Cannot tell you how I would love to see Mustang pics along with wheel and tires size and typed of wheel. Thank you in advance, davidshea
