Valance and spoiler question

[Marks1]

Hi guys and gals, As long as I've been into 71-73 Mustangs, you'd think I knew this already, but I've never known which cars came with the exhaust cutouts in the rear valance, and was it body style specific, liike only on Sportsroofs?

Also, Did any of the 71-73 Stangs come standard with either the front or rear spoilers, and/or were they always an option, and only on Sportsroofs, right?

Can anybody enlighten me please?

 

[71ProjectJunk]

My understanding is that front and rear spoilers were always an option, they were never standard on any model. Exhaust cutouts are a mess, look at this thread:
https://7173mustangs.com/threads/mach-1-rear-valance.31532/

 

[Doug's 73 Mach1]

Rear spoilers were a factory and dealer option for sport roofs and Mach 1s. From what I have read on this site, front spoiler standard on Boss 351, dealer option for any Mustang. As to dual exhaust cutouts, My 73 Mach 1 has them, built early November 1972. It is a Q code 4 speed. I read somewhere (I think the Ford parts manual) in early 73 that was discontinued.

 

[Spike Morelli]

Certainly, adding dual exhausts to a single exhaust car was one of the first, and easiest performance modifications anybody would have done back then. If you believe all the popular 50s / 60s Chevy body styles you see today all came with V8s and dual exhausts, you're being naive, and a good percentage were likely six cylinder cars to begin with. And so it goes for our Mustangs as well. My own '71 Mach 1 "H" code, runs dual exhausts, I added the valence. NPD parts sells a complete dual exhaust pipe kit, hangers, and original style clamps, for the two-barrel cars ( I run it ), and it looks just like the factory would do it.

 

[Marks1]

Certainly, adding dual exhausts to a single exhaust car was one of the first, and easiest performance modifications anybody would have done back then. If you believe all the popular 50s / 60s Chevy body styles you see today all came with V8s and dual exhausts, you're being naive, and a good percentage were likely six cylinder cars to begin with. And so it goes for our Mustangs as well. My own '71 Mach 1 "H" code, runs dual exhausts, I added the valence. NPD parts sells a complete dual exhaust pipe kit, hangers, and original style clamps, for the two-barrel cars ( I run it ), and it looks just like the factory would do it.

I am really struggling with modifying our car. Back when I got my first 71-73 Mustang, a 73 Sports roof with a 302 c4, I didn’t worry at all about keeping it original. Oh sure, I bagged and labeled every nut and bolt, and kept every part, but she got a NASA hood, front spoiler, duals, and a rear cutout valance, as soon as I could afford it. The more I look at this Vert on the lift, and the more I take it apart, (mostly just pulled the interior and carpet out to clean it and remove the many mouse nests in it, the more I realize how original it is. I’m from the northeast, and we just don’t find cars with practically zero rust. It has one dime size spot in the driver’s side rear floor pan, and one half of that in the driver’s rear quarter down low where the quarter meets the wheel well, That’s it! Couple that with what looks like is the original single exhaust, and very possible the original shocks, and I’m tempted to keep it all stock. The problem is, I NEVER leave anything stock, so there is truly inner turmoil going on inside of me.

 

[Hemikiller]

I'd have a hard time modifying a car as original as yours. The minimal rust can be easily repaired. If I were to do anything it would be a 4 speed swap, which is easily reversed.

 

[MikeGriese]

I am really struggling with modifying our car. Back when I got my first 71-73 Mustang, a 73 Sports roof with a 302 c4, I didn’t worry at all about keeping it original. Oh sure, I bagged and labeled every nut and bolt, and kept every part, but she got a NASA hood, front spoiler, duals, and a rear cutout valance, as soon as I could afford it. The more I look at this Vert on the lift, and the more I take it apart, (mostly just pulled the interior and carpet out to clean it and remove the many mouse nests in it, the more I realize how original it is. I’m from the northeast, and we just don’t find cars with practically zero rust. It has one dime size spot in the driver’s side rear floor pan, and one half of that in the driver’s rear quarter down low where the quarter meatsvthe wheel well, That’s it! Couple that with what looks like is the original single exhaust, and very possible the original shocks, and I’m tempted to keep it all stock. The problem is, I NEVER leave anything stock, so there is truly inner turmoil going on inside of me.

If the car is that original, I would leave it as is. Cars that are Very Close to original condition become reference cars for restorers, so the more you change it, the less value it has for the restoration community. If you absolutely have to modify a car, set this one aside and get one that needs work in the areas you want to modify.

 

[Marks1]

I'd have a hard time modifying a car as original as yours. The minimal rust can be easily repaired. If I were to do anything it would be a 4 speed swap, which is easily reversed.

I agree, hence my struggle. I'm pretty good at welding and could put a small patch in the floor, but I hate all that surgery for something the size of a dime. Being as it's so small, I'm thinking of just using a Jeep floor drain plug, after I cut a hole with a small hole saw, and put rust converter on the margins. The quarter will require a patch, but it will be tiny, and easy to paint because the car has the decor package lower potion in black.
I agree with easily returning it back to stock. The above mention 73 Sportsroof got a complete tornado victim transplant of a 351 CJ, 4 speed, and 9 inch rear, and then about 5 or 6 years later, I put it back to 100% stock with the original 302 2V/ C4/ 8 inch rear, with every nut and bolt back to it's correct location, the only non stock thing on the car left was the dual exhaust, with cut out valance, the front spoiler the Magnum 500's and the NASA hood. I could have done all that too, but I had already sold the flat hood, and besides, it looked cooler that way. Here is a pic right before I sold it. I wish I kept it, loved that car.
Hemi, you would appreciate that it was supposed to be in Frank Marotta's Car show in the Hartford Civic Center, and was at Freddy Lucks in Bolton CT, being pinstriped the night the Civic Center roof caved in.

 

[Marks1]

If the car is that original, I would leave it as is. Cars that are Very Close to original condition become reference cars for restorers, so the more you change it, the less value it has for the restoration community. If you absolutely have to modify a car, set this one aside and get one that needs work in the areas you want to modify.

Set it aside??!! LOL, Who's money was spent here Mike? Believe me, I have enough cars that aren't stock, so I don't need another one to modify. Besides, I may have painted a picture to you of a car that you wouldn't think should be touched. This is a driver quality car, and we bought it knowing that, and for our enjoyment, to drive, not to be studied and critiqued by a bunch of inspectors. It happens to be very rust free and original in lots of ways, but it is no cream puff by a long shot. The paint isn't original, and it's had a number of small dents fixed, so the body is not original and far from mint. Besides, I would only do reversible stuff, like the NASA Hood, (before you go off on me about that, know that the original flat hood apparently had something fall on it and has had holes drilled in it to pull the dents out, so it's far from desirable to anyone), the cut out rear valance, because ours is a tad bent, it can be put back, and I like the sound of duals, and I will save the stock single exhaust, and maybe the front spoiler, because I like it, and after all, it is our car.

 

[Sheriff41]

Modify the car (or not) to your liking. I would imagine most of us on this site would make tasteful modifications that enhance the car's performance or looks.