What is your single favorite specific "feature" on your Mustang?

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The fact it is easy to work on and parts are readily available.

Also the tic tic tic console clock is cool with the jerky second

hand. How many members still have working analog console

clocks?

mike

 
My clock still works perfectly! But I did have it rebuilt about 10 years ago, so that may be cheating...

 
My clock still works perfectly! But I did have it rebuilt about 10 years ago, so that may be cheating...
Click to expand...
Mine has been modified with a circuit board

to prevent the points from sticking and burning

the coils. This is an external component and the

mechanics of the clock are original.

mike

 
Something else I like about the car is the 429. Not only is it the biggest engine ever fitted to any factory produced Mustang, but it has a seemingly endless amount of power from any speed. Very smooth, and pulls like a freight train...I love it. Very different driving experience than some hyper-active small block.

There is some debate over the years as to wether the SCJ or the BOSS351 was the faster Mustang. I don't care either way...I would take the big bruiser any day over the B'1.

At cruise nights I love it when looki-loos casually walk by, and then do a neck-breaking double-take when they spot the 429.

 
That sexy, swoopy fenderline you described is referred to as the "coke bottle look", and was a staple of GM design-studio techniques throughout the 60s and 70s.

It is only one of a handfull of GM-inspired design elements incorporated into the 71 Mustangs by Gale Halderman at the behest of Bunkie Knudsen.

These are the features that the old timers at Ford resented so much.

The 71 Thunderbird was so influenced by this design language that it may as well have been called "Grand Prix".

But....who cares? I absolutely love the look of this car from every angle. It is the only car I have ever owned that I haven't eventually grown tired and bored looking at it.
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I know. ;) My '72 Gran Torino also had "the look". That was my first attempt at getting an early 70s car. Was a good car.

 
That sexy, swoopy fenderline you described is referred to as the "coke bottle look", and was a staple of GM design-studio techniques throughout the 60s and 70s.

It is only one of a handfull of GM-inspired design elements incorporated into the 71 Mustangs by Gale Halderman at the behest of Bunkie Knudsen.

These are the features that the old timers at Ford resented so much.

The 71 Thunderbird was so influenced by this design language that it may as well have been called "Grand Prix".

But....who cares? I absolutely love the look of this car from every angle. It is the only car I have ever owned that I haven't eventually grown tired and bored looking at it.
Click to expand...
I know. I'm glad Gale and Bunkie came to their sences and joined our team. ;) My '72 Gran Torino also had "the look". That was my first attempt at getting an early 70s car. Was a good car I wish I had kept.

29062_1294463367270_4113031_n.jpg


Kit, the 429 is a great engine and may pull like a freight train. My 351c can be described as King Kong hyped up on cocaine. ;)

 
i always thought the 7173 stole from the 69 Shelby...and the weight difference between the Cleveland and the 429 gives a nod to the Cleveland IMO. But i went alum for heads/intake/waterpump and mini starter...would be even better if i did the radiator, threw the battery in the trunk and stroked it. Anyone swapped out the same parts on a 429 for alum? might be even bigger weight savings?

 
Yep. The 72-up Torinos definitely had the "Bunkie" influence. I love 'em too! I have had several Torinos/Montegos/Cougars/ LTD-IIs and Tbirds over the yesrs, all with this exact same platform. This is an all-around great-riding platform.

I currently two Gran Torinos: a 75 and a 74.

To me the 351 C isn't so much a small as it is a"mid" block. It was revolutionary when it came out: a medium-disacement engine built with true big-block high-performance features. One of a kind, and an ass-kicker for sure.

Ford's engine design philosophy was much more forward-thinking than GMs at the time. Ford focused primarily on breathing and flow ability, hence the amazing Cleveland heads. With mild cams and timing, Ford engines performed on a par with GM engines that had huge compression and wild cams.

If you wanted to hop-up a Ford 351"C", simply swap in a hotter cam. some headers and you could get a huge bump in power.

An SBC, on the other hand was already pretty much maxed on cams, so expensive head and block work was required.

A stock BOSS 351 is an amazing motor, but still filled with compromises from the factory. Treat it to a nice street-build snd it was hard to top.

I do like the 429 better, but I will easily admit the 351C is better for the car and makes for an all-around better performer.

However, what the 429 does without breaking a sweat, the 351 has to reallg work at it.

Now...treat a 429/460 to some nice street parts, and if you can harness the torque, that is what you can call "*King Kong".

My 74 Torino has a "mildly" built, fully streetable 460. Pulls 15" vacuum at 950 rpm smooth idle. 525 HP, 550 lb-ft. That son-of-a-gun runs like a scalded dog when you stick your foot in it.

Indeed the 69 Shelby was a major influence on the 71 design. Gail Halderman's group was instructed by Knudsen to incorporate that look into the front of the new Mustang. He also told them to get a GT-40 influence in the rear, hence the tall, flat tail end of the sportsroof.

 
I agree. My king kong remark was alluding to a 429 can make power without much effort where as a 351C has to scream like an ape to make king kong power.

I would have kept the Gran Torino but a divorce tends to make cars disappear from our lives.

 
It has to be the high beam indicator for me. The day I found that out I was showing it off to everyone. Very creative.

But my greatest feature is one that once was lost but now is found. Actually being able to go outside and tap that pedal. Turn the key and drive on down the road. Puts a smile on my face every time knowing that my blood, sweat, many tears, and cash has gotten me from where I first started to now. And it never ever stops.

 
I just want to add one more.. after driving my 65 for many years and have sinced moved on. Now that I am starting to drive and enjoy my car i will say even though its not specific to 71-73 is that it has POWER STEERING!! Omg what a godsend to have that in a vintage ride now. I liked how in the 65 i could feel the road but as im getting older and wiser (for my age) its more just cruising for me and enjoying every bit of hard work i have done.

Maybe my next project will have power steering AND A/C?

 
OK,

Found this old thread and had to comment. I thought about this and this is what I came up with:

My favorite feature is, starting where the air begins to strike the front of the front bumper and ending with the air just behind the rear bumper! If you can picture what is between those two reference points you will know what is my favorite!

I might have missed the point on this but if I had to narrow down to one feature it would be my name on the title as the owner!

OK, if I missed the point again, and this is hard for me but I guess it would be the NASA Ram Air Hood with the black/argent treatment. This feature on the car is nothing like any car out there. I have always thought the hood treatment was bold but very tastefully done and like the car it's on, timeless. It will still look cool even 43 more years in the future.

 
I responded back in August but I will respond again today with a different favorite feature. When I had my Mach 1 (before it was taken out by a drunk driver) I must say the fold down rear seat was a killer option. Totally cool to look at, not to mention useful for dozens of reasons. Especially for a young 16 year old. ;)

 
I responded back in August but I will respond again today with a different favorite feature. When I had my Mach 1 (before it was taken out by a drunk driver) I must say the fold down rear seat was a killer option. Totally cool to look at, not to mention useful for dozens of reasons. Especially for a young 16 year old. ;)
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Yep,

I hear you. Had I gotten that option in 1972 my daughter probably would have been born that year instead of 1975! I intentionally did not get the full console back then either. I was to stupid to know about the folding seat option. Guess I am really glad because things turned out really good for me.

 
Air conditioning, power steering and that smooth automatic shifter. Like Matrixx, I also split driving time with a 65. It's like driving a old truck when you compare it to the luxury of a 71. I'll drive my 71 vert with AC on top down. Can't beat it.

 

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