Why?

[basstrix]

Like the 50's thread, I see many of us share a lot in common. I, too, put together a lot of plastic models. I was 17 when I bought my metallic pewter 72 H code Mach 1, back in 1985 for $900. The NACA hood and stance with those slot mag wheels was what hooked me. My favorite was either a 69 or a 70 Mach, but they were rare in my neck of the woods. It had right at 100k miles...and when I tore the engine down, saw they were hard miles. Shortly after I bought it, my buddy came home with a bright yellow '65 F-100 stepside that had been transplanted with a 429. We raced, he kicked my butt. I began planning my return. I ended up building a decent 351c with 4vcc heads (I recently resurrected it). I used "manley" valves from PAW....short story is that an intake pulled in two and trashed my engine. I traded a new 3310-2 for a 74 cougar that had been transplanted with a 429....so I built that and put in the mustang (I worked in a machine shop so I had access to the shop) with ported D0VE heads and a pretty big crower cam....and boy was that fun. 4.30 gears, 4300 stall on a foot brake. It was a hoot. Then I decided to go to college. Ended up sleeving the 351c block and putting it back to original with the H code engine. Drove it throughout college and brought it to AZ in 1998....then let the poor thing sit for the next 20+ years. Last year, I refreshed the engine, went back with 4vcc heads and the cam, intake, headers, and carb from back in 1985 when the valve broke. Had to find out what it would do. It's fun now, but not 429 with a big cam fun haha. I still have the 429 (actually, it was turned into a 460 along that adventure) and I'm going to put that back in it for some more nostalgia. I'm also piecing together a 408 stroker for either the mustang or one of the Rancheros. The pics are what it looked like when I bought it. The blue is when I left for college. That's also my 1960 F100. Sorry for the book.

 

[will e]

Having worked as a dishwasher before I turned 16 I had saved up enough money to buy a car. (Thanks Dad who not only didn't let me just spend each paycheck but kicked in for the final purchase). My friends dad who was also a mentor and really cool old guy was a die hard ford fan. He liked the falcons.
I am tall and didn't really fit in a lot of cars. I wanted a T bucket, 240z or possibly a TR7 along with any 67 mustang on up.
Dad said no way to the foreign cars. My buddy was selling his 73 Mach I. At the time it was, to most people, just a 7 or 8 year old used Mustang. Dad said 'okay', pitched in a couple hundred to cover the $1800 asking price.
I LOVED THAT CAR. I would probably still own it but a drunk lady turned left in front of me, took it out and, at the time, it was still just 11 or 12 year old Mustang. Today I imagine we would probably try to save it.

My search for a replacement included a few of our years cars but most had a problem with them.

Then my girlfriends girlfriend was selling the 73 convertible. So I bought that for $3500 and moved some of the Mach I stuff over to it. (Seats, door panels, gauges and S/S cragar rims). That was almost 40 years ago and I still own it. Drove it from age 20 to about age 35.

Now it enjoys a life of luxury. I put maybe 1000 miles a year on it. Garaged. The repaint from the mid 90's still looks good. I drove it a few days ago, always puts a smile on my face.

 

[cv_72mustang]

I was looking for a car that could get me dates. Interesting enough the first girl in my car I went out with became my wife. I kept the car and the girl. Chances are either the car goes, the girl, or both. I kept both!! LOL

 

[Go Time]

My Oldest Brother bought a Brand new 72 Mach 1 351 cj golden glow. He is 16 years older than me. I was 8 years old at the time. He is restoring it now. When it came time for me to purchase my first car all I wanted was a car like his. A 72 Mach 1. March /April of 82 I found one in the classified and we went to look at it. We purchased it and brought it back to his body shop. It was pewter/silver. He pointed out all the spots in the body that had bondo in it and said we’re going to grind that all out fix it with patch panels and repaint it candy apple red. That summer I worked on it in his shop on weekends and he painted for me on Labor Day weekend 1982. I kept the car and completely rebuilt it ending in 2021 and repainted it myself candy apple red. I purchased a 72 because I loved his car growing up and I wanted a car like my big brother. I’m helping restore his now and his will be a show stopper.

 

[Sheriff41]

@Go Time beautiful Mach 1 and a great story to go with it! Post up some pics of your brother's car for us when you can.

 

[Dark Horse]

When I( was a kid of like 15 I worked at the local Purity Supreme ( a grocery store) as a bagger. One of the older guys there ( isay older but in reality he was probably like 22) had a 1971 Fire engine red fastback Mach 1 but no stripes or black out hood. It had the white/ black interior and also had Magnums. I thought that was so cool.
A year or so later he must have traded it in cuz he was now driving a '73 Challenge and no more Mustang.
About 6 months later, I was walking thru downtown and there on a little used car lot was the Mustang for sale. I had to have it. I got my dad to loan me the money to buy it and I drove and cherished that car all through high school and beyond. Later I made the mistake of selling it to a buddy whose girlfriend promptly totaled it by rear ending a doctors Jaguar!!

A few years ago, when I was looking for another project after finishing my Chevelle SS, I started looking for another Mustang. My wife suggested I looked for a convertible as we are in Florida now so I ended up buying a 1 of 330 built vert out of Utah that needed a lot of work and its a slow labor of love.