Update 1/3 on 1973 Mach 1 Mustang Restoration And Story On How I found It

[1973 Mustang Mach 1]

I'm making this thread to put my ideas out there and see what you guys think about what I'm doing. And I also am going to tell the story on how I came across the '73 Mach 1 I am going to start restoring soon. I will be turning 18 in November so I'm probably one of the youngest people here that is restoring a car, and I might have some abnormal ideas on adding to the car but nothing that would destroy the car, because I may want to make it original one day. The story will be at the bottom because it's kind of lengthy.

Pictures

I will keep uploading them here with my progression!















I plan to keep updating this post so look for the title changing like "Update Month/Day" so be looking for the most recent date for updates!

[updates]

9/5-6/2013

- I am going to my cousins tomorrow to give him the money for the car and he's taking the car to his brother-in-law's shop Monday.

So I will get pictures of the car tomorrow after I'm home from school!

11/4-6/2013

Well I'm finally updating this post again! And I have some news, good news! Last month was drag racing season, so the people at the shop who were/are working on the car were caught up with all that. But now it's November, also my favorite month, and I got word that they got the original engine up and running again! Greatest news I've heard in months. Now they're going to see if they can clean the gas tank, if not, get a replacement. And they are also going to work on the brakes. After that I will be able to drive the car around and get a feel for her. I'll probably drive her on the weekends up until after my birthday/Thanksgiving, then she'll be off to the body shop to get the rear quarter panels replaced and painted. So this month seems like it's going to be a productive month for my Mustang and me.

1/3/14

So went to the shop today to pay for the parts that they ordered. I'm bringing them new tires Monday and if all goes well I will have it by Tuesday! They're going to be doing all the swapping of parts Monday while I'm in school. And on Friday if I have it I plan on picking up my girlfriend in her.

So here are my ideas for the car and things that I have to get replaced

Replaced parts

- Get the new fuel pump installed

- Get the new gas tank (if the current one can't be cleaned)

- Get the rear quarter panels replaced due to a spot of minor

- Get the chrome for the passenger turn signal light replaced (missing it)

- Get the grill emblem replaced

- Get new (black) carpet installed

- Get new (black with red inserts) 1973 Mach 1 seats installed

- Add era correct mirrors to the car (so I can see around me and be a safe driver)

- Get new exhaust system but installed in the same place where the one current one is (in front of rear tires, because that is what I first noticed about the car so I'm keeping that feature)

Colors

- Body main color will be black

- Mach 1 stripes I have decided to go with a red (like Candy Apple Red on earlier mustangs) to be different and make the colors pop a little

Parts the car is missing that would be on your average Mach 1

- Front spoiler

- Rear Spoiler

- Rear window louvers

Things that I have thought about adding or changing

- Changing to a wooden steering wheel

- Add multi-color Halo lights to it (that can change colors)

- Changing the gas cap to a Black Billet Gas Cap with Running Horse Emblem

- Add carbon fiber looking dash and panels in the car

- Change gauges to Dakota Digital gauges (color of gauges would be red)

- Adding a custom sound system (for those rare days when I want to hear over or with the engine)

- Add a dumper switch to the car (if you don't know what that is, ask me)

- And thinking about adding interior LED lights (like I did in my 2011 Camaro)

[side note and cool fact, I know Jack Roush through my mother and her boyfriend since they are into aviation and they met with him at a few air shows. And I am considering on contacting him and seeing if he could one day do a little engine work on my Mach 1 some day.]

The story if you care to read or wanted to hear it, if not keep scrolling!

So all summer I was on a search to find a classic car to restore. When I started looking I looked at the '71-'73 Mustangs and didn't like them at first so I ignored them while I searched. All summer the owners would back out of the deal or sell the car before I got there. So one day I had a deal set up to go get a '67 Camaro on the coast of NC. So I called my second cousin and asked him when he could get his flat bed and take me to get it. As soon as he responded the owner said he sold the car. So I had to call my cousin back and tell him the deal was off. And he could tell I was disappointed and he told me about how he has a 1973 Mach 1 Mustang that he just replaced the fuel tank on and if I was interested to come and check it out. So I let it sit in my head for a while, and looked up some pictures on what they looked like etc. and I decided to go for it. So I ended up going and looking at it, and he told me everything about it. He told me what it needed and what he didn't tell me I saw or said myself. It needed a new fuel pump, new rear quarter panels (because of minor rust so getting that replaced), it needs a complete restoration on the interior (which I'll be adding a custom touch to, but keep most original and make sure I can revert it back if I want to make it all original), and it also has the original 351 C in it and it runs. So he told me a price, $3,500, and that is what he bought it for a few years ago. The car will be a 4 owner car when I turn 18 in November, until it's in his name so we don't have to put it in my parent's name (so we don't spend more money). It has also never left the county I live in, the original owner was someone that went to service so he sold it and an old woman bought it and barely drove it, and later that is when my cousin bought it from her. And now I own it. And will be restoring it as I finish high school. But before I get to see her again she'll be going from my cousin's house to his step-brother's shop to get her in driving condition for me.

Man that was a lot, thought I'd never get done, lol.

So tell me what you think, what you like, what you'd question on doing, etc.

Thanks for reading!

- Brandon

 

[73vertproject]

Awesome story, Brandon. I like the modifications you have described, especially the modification that has already been done to the exhaust so it exits in front of the rear tires, like mine has. Candy Apple hockey stripes over a black body color? You will definitely stand out in any 71 - 73 Mustang crowd!

I admire the enthusiasm you have for making the modifications that you describe in your post. It's a lot of work, but you are young and energetic, so you are definitely in the right forum to give you help and encouragement. (Plus, knowing Jack Roush never hurts. ) And you've been saved from crossing over to the Chebby zone.

Please document your progress here, with photos whenever possible, and remember to have fun while you restore your 'Stang. Many of us have been in your shoes, so keep us in the loop.

 

[mach71351c]

Very cool, I like the black with red.

 

[1973 Mustang Mach 1]

@73vertproject I plan on documenting my progress on here by photos and videos whenever possible. And I plan on completing the project and not giving up.

@mach71351c I've been a fan of black and red. (The halos I'll probably have red normally but I went with the multi-color so I could change it, same with interior lights if I get them they'd be multi color)

 

[1973 Mustang Mach 1]

*Update*

I am going to my cousins tomorrow to give him the money for the car and he's taking the car to his brother-in-law.

So I will get pictures of the car tomorrow after I'm home from school!

 

[Don65Stang]

Nice story and sounds like it'll look and be great. There are photos and a post somewhere on here of a guy who did black with red stripes. It looked good.

 

[1973 Mustang Mach 1]

@Don65Stang if you find it send it to me, I'm still trying to figure out how bright/dark I want to go with them.

 

[marks73]

Where are you in NC? I'm in Leland outside of Wilmington.

 

[Don65Stang]

@Don65Stang if you find it send it to me, I'm still trying to figure out how bright/dark I want to go with them.

I forget the details of the post but I just noticed that I saved them on my hard drive since I hadn't seen that combo before. Seems like it was an ebay ad where someone saw the car and made a post about it or it could have been the owner posting - hard to remember every post I've seen on here. The file date for when I saved the pics was 11/21/11 so it's been a while.

 

[matrixx]

The black and red is nice combo. Black is hard to keep clean though

 

[1973 Mustang Mach 1]

I know, I have a Black 2011 Camaro and I keep her cleaned. It's labor but if you want a nice car you have to take care of it.


And that's what I'm looking to do. Except the interior would be Black seats with red inserts and black carpet. And I would change the dash a little.

 

[wwhite72]

That is one shiney car! Question on the louvers: since you sportroof guys always say how tough it is to see out back, and how tough it is to park, etc. why would you want to reduce the rear window (sunroof) by another 30% by putting an aftermarket set of louvers on it? They look fine on the 1970 with its fat proportions(ha!) , but our cars are so much sleeker.

 

[1973 Mustang Mach 1]

That is one shiney car! Question on the louvers: since you sportroof guys always say how tough it is to see out back, and how tough it is to park, etc. why would you want to reduce the rear window (sunroof) by another 30% by putting an aftermarket set of louvers on it? They look fine on the 1970 with its fat proportions(ha!) , but our cars are so much sleeker.

Hey wwhite are you asking me why I am doing it? If so, it is because I'm use to not seeing out the back of my car (my Camaro) so doing this is no problem for me. But once I get the car complete I plan on taking to to car shows around where I live to get kids around my age into classic cars. And I just want to have a touch of me on the car, and this is something my father and I were going to do once I started High School but he passed away in March of 2009 so this is another way of keeping our dream alive and some of the things I am doing is what we had planned.

 

[caspianwendell]

That really looks great

 

[1973 Mustang Mach 1]

That really looks great

It is, it's overall a solid car and a great beginner project for me and I'm keeping it at local shops to help them stay in business rather than go somewhere that already gets enough business. And I can see it whenever I like and I can talk to the people one on one and tell them what I want on the things I am unable to do myself. A lot of people around where I live are getting excited about being able to help with the restoration with the car and being able to see it.

 

[wwhite72]

It was more of a general group question to sportroof owners, spurred by the pic of that very impressive and unique black/red car. With the roof up on my vert i basically stick my head out the window or open the door to reverse. Hey it's whatever makes us happy, i just noticed the louvers really cut down on the rear view. and was a moment to offer reverse jab at the earlier mustangs. Best of luck with the project, alway great to see a survivor brought back to good health!

 

[1973 Mustang Mach 1]

Alright and I usually just stick my head out too when I'm in the Camaro. It's just easier. And I like the louvers too.

 

[philt]

Instead of stick your head out of the window. Buy this:

http://www.app-tronics.com/email1.jpg

The BEST rear view mirror add on the market. Has Laser and Radar detection, Blue tooth hookup, rear and FRONT view camera inputs, DVR built in with removable memory stick for 24 hr continuous monitoring, GPS, turn by turn navigation, compass, simply stick on and buy a couple RF cameras and your done.

When you want to return it to original, take it off. This is a GREAT product I witnessed in action at SEMA. Best of show IMO.

Once you have a back up camera, you will wonder how you did without it.

 

[1973 Mustang Mach 1]

Instead of stick your head out of the window. Buy this:

http://www.app-tronics.com/email1.jpg

The BEST rear view mirror add on the market. Has Laser and Radar detection, Blue tooth hookup, rear and FRONT view camera inputs, DVR built in with removable memory stick for 24 hr continuous monitoring, GPS, turn by turn navigation, compass, simply stick on and buy a couple RF cameras and your done.

When you want to return it to original, take it off. This is a GREAT product I witnessed in action at SEMA. Best of show IMO.

Once you have a back up camera, you will wonder how you did without it.

That's a good idea but I don't plan on parking in many parking places in the Mach 1 if you know what I mean. And whenever I do park I'm usually the first there to park so I can take all the time I want or I park away from everyone. I may put a built in computer in and then go from there for Cameras but that's in the distant future so I'm not even worried about that yet.