Why 71-73?

[Studdley]

It seems as if the outside world has a distaste for the 71-73 model years. What got you all into it? Owned by a relative or just like the size of the car, do you prefer it over the other body styles? Just some food for thought, let me know what you all think.

 

[turtle5353]

Couldn't afford a 70! LOL!!

 

[keiths71]

Me neither! Plus 7173s have better power steering.

 

[OzCoupe72]

Initially no real reason but when I started to look for a new project, being a Ford fan and kind of wanted a Mustang in the past, mine just happened to come up nearby and was affordable!

Doubt an earlier model would have been within my meager budget plus I prefer to go for the underdog so a 72 Coupe it is.

Must say I didn't know much at all about these models but have certainly grown to like them.

Best part is I will probably be the only one in my town area with a 7173!

 

[RocketFoot]

I always liked the 71-73 body style...69-70 is a close second but 71-73 just has the muscle car look!  I also wanted a 71 because that was my birth year, LOL!

 

[Fabrice]

In the late 80's, in Paris, France at the time, my friends were all driving nervous Golfs GTI's, Renault 5 turbos...

Nice and all, but these simply did not wake any feelings. Was reading hotrod mag, Nitro, chrome&flames for years, I was already doomed

So my first car had to be a 67-73 US car. Liked the shapes of the early Camaro's, Firebirds, Challengers, Chargers, Corvettes and of course Mustangs, very different and less boring than what was driving around in France at the time. Visiting (and dreaming during) meetings every weekend on the place de Concorde and other car events. I saw once a mach 1 and was sold on first sight.

Didn't care for a moment about the classification too big. The line was well balanced to me, much better than all the early models that I actually find too small (still do).

Next day went to my bank to know how much an 18yo could borrow... (turns out not to be that much)

As these were very rare birds in France and the few I could find were not for sale or way out of my league. A year searching later, I jumped on the perl: a magnificent damaged, full of missing parts, dirty Grandé... MINE! My 73 is that car.

 

[timachone]

I ever was interested in muscle cars and dreamed of a classic US V8. My first object was a 69' Chevelle but the offerings in a moderate price range were not that much in Germany at that time... In parallel I saw the Pony-thing hopping in my field of view, the '69 Mustangs were on the top list. At this time the 71-73 I had not on my mind, even did not know, that they are existing - as so many people until today! I saw the prices for a good 69' Mach 1 with a bit power at these days and almost gave up my american dream... If I had knew my now best buddy at this time with his two '69 it perhaps would have been less worse and I would have ended up with a '69 project car but... By accident the 71-73 came up to me and I was overwhelmed! This long big nose, the almost flat fastback (aka sportsroof), this pure muscle speaking forms and the mean-eye-look beetween the fenders - I could never ever get out of my mind! Since then I WANTED a 71-73, best with 4-speed. First I was in the 71/72 over the '73 but then my '73 with 4V and 4-speed appeared, later discovered, it is even a T5 - the rest is history

 

[bkdunha]

Always liked fastback roofline styles. Saw this car sitting in 4 foot grass at the back of a used car dealership when I was 15 years old and fell in love with it. It just caught my eye and from that point I was hooked. Every other car I have acquired and held onto for fun has been a fastback roofline. I started out with the most flat back fastback available and I have been hooked since.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

When I heard that the mustang would be changing to the Mustang II in 1974 I knew I had to get one of the last 73 models before the big change.

I had ordered a new Maverick Grabber in 1971 and did not really need a car. Also had a 1972 Suzuki 550 street bike along with my 1950 Ford street rod and a 1957 Ford Fairlane 500. So I did not really need a new car but had to have one of the last.

I went to the local dealer went into the owners office and asked if he could swing getting the last one made. He laughed and said no way but would order what I wanted.

So I went off with one of the salesmen and got the Ford Facts book out and started the order.

I was a tool & die maker and made pretty good money for the time and had never financed a car longer than 18 months.

So when the first order was ready it was sent in. I had picked a Lincoln color for the body that was not standard to Mustang so a Special Order car. Only like $85.00 more to get any color Ford had on any model.

So in a few days I get a call that Ford will have to put a chrome front bumper on the car due to the paint color. I found out many years later they did not say chrome but told the salesman Argent. I have a non factory paint 73 vert and it came with Argent bumper also. So I changed the color over the phone to 5-H. About another week goes by and I get another call that they cannot get a 4 speed they are out of them. I blew up and told them there had to be a four speed in the car. I placed the order in March and car was built in May.

So that is how I ended up with my 73 Mach 1 that I still have. Was a date car, autocross and street racing car. Now street racing here is not like what you see on TV today. We would run maybe 20 miles and usually at night so you can see headlights in the curves when you are on the wrong side of the road to take the curve.

I had looked at the Boss 429 cars in 69 & 70 but they were a detuned dog in my opinion. The dealership had I think 9 at one time here due to NASCAR being big in the area. In 1974 I actually turned down a boss 9 with an extra engine for $1,000 that is what I thought of those cars. Did not handle, did not run very good in the 1/4 mile unless you spent a fortune on them. That engine was made for one thing. Wide open throttle on super speedways.

Another time that I reacted to Fords announcement was when they were going to switch to front wheel drive. The Probe was destined to be the new Mustang until Ford got tons of mail with complaints, I was one of them. They changed and made it the Probe and continued with rear wheel drive for the old Mustang. How many Probes do you see today?

I have older mustangs but they for sure do not ride like a 71 - 73. I have newer mustangs that will run circles around the 71 - 73. Just lots of memories in that car, PS it had fold down rear seat, lol.

 

[7173Vert]

Had just gotten my license and my Dad asked me what kind of car I was looking to buy... At the time I was taking auto mechanics in school, working on all of the teacher's car's; chevelle's, volvo's, impala's... I can't recall what brought me to like a Mustang, but I told my dad a "Mustang", no year or model given. This is what he got me from a friend??? for my meager budget of $700 back in the day.My Dad wasn't a car guy...and he didn't know/realize that it had been hit in the driver rear and filled with bondo... Anyway, drove it for a year and the rest is history. I have stuck true to this model for the last 40 year's... Sorry about the shirt... :whistling:

 

[Studdley]

I'm only a youngster and I had literally never seen the 71-73 mustang until I went to a Concourse car show in Cincinnati. It was a 72 Mach 1, immaculate of course, and it was perched next to a '70 gt500 and I could not get my eyes off of the '72. Searched far and wide on Craigslist and found a couple but they either sold right before I called or they were too far gone for a mere teenager to handle. But then I found my '72 Rustang grande with a 351c, and later my 73 mach rust and I don't even at an eye at any other model year. These are just some awesome, luckily affordable, muscle cars.

 

[Don C]

I was in the Army and had a '71 ordered that I was going to pick up in New Jersey on my way home. My Dad passed away 3 months before my discharge, and I had to cancel the order. Fast forward to 2002, we were living in Reno and my wife saw a '71 fastback sitting along the curb with a for sale sign on it.

 

[ITMike5.0]

Could not afford a 69-70 Mach 1 and a 1978 (my birth year) Mustang is hideous.   rofl 

I will say the longer I have my 72 Mach 1 the more I fall in love with this body style.  I actually prefer it now over the 69-70.  ::thumb::

 

[Studdley]

Could not afford a 69-70 Mach 1 and a 1978 (my birth year) Mustang is hideous.   rofl 

I will say the longer I have my 72 Mach 1 the more I fall in love with this body style.  I actually prefer it now over the 69-70.  ::thumb::

You've come to see the light

 

[ITMike5.0]

I'm only a youngster and I had literally never seen the 71-73 mustang until I went to a Concourse car show in Cincinnati. It was a 72 Mach 1, immaculate of course, and it was perched next to a '70 gt500 and I could not get my eyes off of the '72. Searched far and wide on Craigslist and found a couple but they either sold right before I called or they were too far gone for a mere teenager to handle. But then I found my '72 Rustang Grandé with a 351c, and later my 73 mach rust and I don't even at an eye at any other model year. These are just some awesome, luckily affordable, muscle cars.

Yes...the RUST!  I am in the same boat.  Every bolt I try to remove in the disassembly process is a PIA rust coated nightmare.  I should buy stock in PB Blaster penetrating lubricant. 

lollerz

 

[c9zx]

I sold my 70 B2 for $1600.00 when I got orders for overseas deployment, no place to store it. When I came back to the states, two years later, I was looking for something Ford/Mercury, 2 doors, 4 speed, and 4V. I found a 71 Mach 1 M code at a right price. The fastback shape appealed to me and it drove nicely. I've owned 4 more 71-72s since then. Chuck

 

[SVO2SCJ]

One came with a 1969 R code SCJ I bought, but sold the same day. (didn't want) Then I bought my first Boss 351 from a friend 5 years later. That changed it for me, have had 3 Boss 351's since then. Really is a "better car" than the early platform IMO. (steering and body in general)

Mark

 

[EdM]

I was nearing retirement and wanted to get some kind of "classic musclecar" having owned C2 and C3 Corvettes years ago. I did not want to pay Corvette prices and, quite frankly, didn't care if it was a Chevy, Mopar or Ford. I also had thoughts of restomodish tweaking. My BIL had a long time neighbor/friend that was in a financial pickle so decided to sell his 73 Q-code Mach 1 for what I though was a great price given the work/receipts he had done on the car. I was working in Korea and bought it sight unseen (photos of course) given my BIL's knowledge of the car. I came home to see it and all was great except the steering and suspension. More to come as I just recently drove the final build.

 

[goodnigh]

Just needed a set of wheels. A friend had this '71 Mustang so I said ok.

That's all.

mike