1979 Mustang Pace Car - The 7th one made and most historical ever available!

1979 Ford Mustang Base Hatchback 2-Door Description

If you were at the Mustang Club of America's 40th Anniversary Show at the Indy motor speedway, you may have seen this car in the East Pavillion Building along with a couple dozen other historically significant Mustangs.No doubt. The most historic '79 Pace Cars would be the three that paced the race. Of the three, two belong to Jack Roush and are in his collection, and the one that Jackie Stewart drove to start the race is in the hands of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. None of those cars will probably ever be for sale. And none of the real pace cars were "Pace Cars" either! All the replica Pace Cars sold at the dealer ended in a six digit code with the first two (48) designating it as a Pace Car, and the last four the build sequence. The three actual Pace Cars were regular Mustang hatchbacks pulled off the line and send to Roush for conversion to handle the race speeds. This is all well documented. So that being the case, what would be the next best one to own????
Here is Pace Car 480007. Not just the 7th Pace Car made, but one of the first 12 that were sent to Dearborn Steel and Tubing for installation of the body kits and paint work as well as decal installation. So what makes #7 of those 12 so special?
1979 Mustang Pace Car #7 was the Indianapolis International Airport Display car. It was the most visible Pace Car outside of the three that paced the race. The car has full documentation, including a letter of authenticity from Ford Motor Company documenting it as the airport display car. It also has the original window sticker showing that the car was sold internally to Ford Motor Company, along with the appropriate DSO showing internal use, and the Marti report to back it all up.
The documentation with this car is as good as it gets. All the original paperwork from when the car was sold as a "used" car with 54 miles on it after it's display duty. All the original books and inserts. Warranty card, invoices, and reams of service and repair work. Probably the most documented 1979 Mustang in existence.
The car was restored in 2000 with over $28,000 in receipts. Some very minor mods were done when the car was rebuilt, such as an '83 intake and 4bbl carb. A slightly more agressive cam was installed, but you'd never know it. Idle is like stock. ALL original parts are included with the sale!
Also included is unavailable original seat upholstery and headliner upholstery for the next restoration down the road. Sure there are great kits available from TMI, but there is nothing like original.
What we've done to the car since it's restoration:
-new set of Coker/Michelin TRX tires in the original size 190/65/390. These were $1600 alone. -new battery with custom paint and decals made to look like a 1979 original -NOS ignition box. Was nearly impossible to find! -Custom Indy Motor Speedway floormats -Stealth stereo with low profile subwoofer installed behind the driver seat floor -new KYB rear shocks painted black to look stock
Additionally, I have loads of parts to be put on the car. A Sanden A/C conversion. After trying to track down an original York compressor with the serpentine belt pulley, I gave into converting to the modern Sanden Compressor. Not installed yet. Also included are an NOS expansion valve and an NOS evaporator. Original compressor is un-rebuildable. Grenade would be a good term to what happened to it on I69 heading to Dearborn.The rear gears have been noisy since I bought the car over 3 years ago. I have a used correct 7.5 rear end, but with 3.73 gears which should wake the car up very well over the stock 3.08. I also have a 5-speed conversion ready to go that will NOT come with the car but can be purchased. Includes the bell housing, transmission, clutch & flywheel, etc.
Some other mods made include a stealth cruise control system. The controls are hidden in the ashtray, keeping the preferred sport steering wheel instead of the LTD steering wheel the cruise Pace Cars came with in '79. A retrosound stereo has also been installed, but it looks like an original radio from the day, only with full Bluetooth function, USB plugs, etc.
We have driven this car all around the midwest and the east coast. It was just outside the Ford Booth at the 50th Anniversary of Mustang in Charlotte in 2014. It appeared at the Mustang Memories show in Dearborn in August of '14 with the MOSCEM club. It was highly received at the MCA National in Springfield IL that same year. A great reception wherever it appeared.
History cannot be changed. This is a chance to own one of the most historically significant Mustangs in the world. When will a lower VIN Pace Car be available for sale? Even so, would it be the car that greeted all the drivers and participants to the Indy 500 in 1979 as they all got off their flights and proceeded through the airport?
Check my feedback as a seller. I've sold and purchased many cars from eBay and all have been an excellent experience. No disappointments in this vehicle.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I'll be happy to answer them as quickly as possible.
Dan Aiken