1971 Ford Mustang Mach I 351 Ram Air

1971 Ford Mustang Mach I Description

This Virginia Mustang has functional Ram Air with a 351 Cleveland and a four barrel carb. This Mach 1 is believed to have never left the Shenandoah Valley. The last owner owned the car since 1972 until I purchased it in 2015. The Mach 1 was driven on a regular basis up until the previous owner' son turned 16 and showed a bit too much interest in the car. The Mach 1 was parked in 1982 in a garage and stayed there for the next 33 years. The car was occasionally started and driven around the neighborhood according to the previous owner. The receipts show that the car was well cared for mechanically. In 1999, the carb was rebuilt, the brakes, gas tank, gas lines, exhaust plugs, plug wires, points and condenser, vacuum advancer, oil and oil filter all were replaced at mileage 67,446 (April 1999). Currently, (Oct. 2017) the Mach 1 has 67,748 miles. In 1999, the car also had the thermostat replaced, 160 degree thermostat, the tires were replaced, brake switch, valve cover gaskets, all new brake cylinders, and brakes. In 2005 the fuel pump, alternator and starter were replaced. The last time the car was inspected was in 1982.
When I acquired the car, I decided to install a new carburetor as the original one had a reputation for being a pain and underwhelming in the performance category. With the new carb in place, and a new battery, the car started and ran like a dream. The Mach 1 tracks straight, brakes straight, and has a very good feel behind the wheel.
Mechanically:the car is in good driver condition, not show car condition. Power steering, power brakes, all work well. The gas gauge quit working on me, so I replaced the sending unit with the "good" brass sending unit. This worked for a couple weeks. And now again the gas gauge is not working. So that's an issue that needs addressing. Upon start up there is a bit of smoke out the exhaust. The smoke goes away after start up.
Interior:appears to be completely original. Ginger in color. Vinyl seats, carpet showing wear, crack in dash, crack in steering wheel, headliner is excellent, seats are excellent.
Body: The body and paint are show quality. The lower 1/4 panels were replaced (from the line in between the green and silver down), the trunk lid also received repairs, the holes in the trunk lid where the dealer had installed their emblems were welded up. I replaced the hood, as the original was too far rusted to save. The paint on the entire car was stripped down to bare metal. Every last inch of the exterior cracked lacquer paint was removed. The metal was treated and cleaned. Epoxy primer was applied on the metal. Base/clear paint was used as our paint of choice. The clear was sanded and buffed. The reflection in the paint is superb. The clear on the hood was sprayed twice with sanding in between to completely eliminate the feeling of the two toned line.
The wheels are the original ones. They do have a little rust present - it is cosmetic, and not severe enough to make the wheel unusable. The space saver spare is the original, and the original space saving spare tire holds no air.
The floors and the torque boxes have very little surface rust. There are no rust holes under the car. There is surface rust on the inside of the doors.
I encourage a personal inspection of the car for the serious buyer.