Should I buy a 1972 Mustang Mach 1?

[DVad3r]

A guy I know is selling his. This is the one:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi...c/1972MustangMach1.jpg

Same color. I am not sure what mileage he said it has but I'm recalling something around 40 k miles. I think he wants 8 grand Canadian for it.

Good deal? Anyone have experience with these cars? Do I really need another toy in addition to my V-Rod? :S

 

[zerocool84]

If you want. My and someone I used to live next to in Sacramento restored a 71. It's an ok car.

 

[thedarkwolf]

Hard to tell if its a good deal without knowing which engine/trans is in it. The 71-73 aren't exactly the most desirable of mustangs.

 

[69Mach1]

If it's still in that condition I'd be happy to drive it. They're not my favorite mustang, but they drive nice. You just can't see anything out of the back window, is all. You could check NADA website for ballpark value.

 

[JulesMaximus]

My Dad had that exact same car. They were notorious for rust...my Dad's had huge holes in the floor after a few years in upstate NY. Be sure to check under the carpets for rust and the usual areas in the trunk and around the wheel wells as well as the frame. Look for poorly repaired body damage and bondo. It could be a gem or it could be a nightmare.

They are heavy, not particularly fast, and they have poor brakes. Depends on the mods though, if someone spent some money on upgrading the engine, suspension and brakes it could be a runner.

 

[CurseTheSky]

The 70s are the ugliest of the classic Mustangs. However, Mach 1s are very collectible (don't expect it to fetch what a 69 Mach 1 would get, though).

For $8k, it really depends on the condition. Take a small magnet and go over the body - if it's strongly attracted to the body panel (door, fender, quarter panel), it should be solid metal. If you get a very weak attraction compared to the rest of the body, or none at all, it's probably riddled with body filler. Crawl under the car and check for major rust on the frame, floors, and torque boxes. Ask them if they'll let you hose it down to check for leaks around the windows or through the cowl (the floor will get wet). Make sure all of the body seems (gaps between doors / fenders, etc.) look clean and fit well.

What you want to avoid, especially for that price, is someone's Bondo special that they slapped together and painted over. It happens to a lot of people. You also want to make sure this wasn't a car that saw a bit too much power and ended up twisted (leaving mismatched seems, bent frame rails, leaky windows, etc.).

Good luck!

 

[CurseTheSky]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
My Dad had that exact same car. They were notorious for rust...my Dad's had huge holes in the floor after a few years in upstate NY. Be sure to check under the carpets for rust and the usual areas in the trunk and around the wheel wells as well as the frame. Look for poorly repaired body damage and bondo. It could be a gem or it could be a nightmare.

They are heavy, not particularly fast, and they have poor brakes. Depends on the mods though, if someone spent some money on upgrading the engine, suspension and brakes it could be a runner.

Very true.

As far as the performance, it depends on how original the car is in it's current state. If they're already started modifying stuff, I'd go ahead and drop in a 408 stroker (351W), and do a four-wheel Granada disk brake swap.

I'm not sure how heavy the 70s Mustangs are, but I know my 66 only weighs 2600-2800 lbs. With the engine and transmission out, it weighs next to nothing compared to most cars.

 

[DVad3r]

Hmm yea. I gotta go and check out the car again and inspect it more thoroughly. Although from what's been said here, without the brake mods, etc, I probably wouldn't want it. I want something that performs decently, and looking at the car now, it's def not the most desirable. He did say the car is modded though just not sure how much.

 

[MiataNC]

You don't need a brake upgrade to enjoy the car.

60-70s Muscle cars are pigs. They will never stop or turn like a real sports car.
What they do offer is V-8 off the line grunt, and the joy of owning a classic.

A '72 Mach1 is a good choice for a long term project car. Whether you are planning on a full restoration, or a resto-mod it fits the bill.

If what you really want is a classic V-8 to blast down the road in, then look for something older and lighter. Less "desirable" (less than a Mustang, Camaro, GTO, etc) cars with more potential from the mid-60s can be had for the asking price of that '72. (Nova II, Falcon, Galaxy, Fairlane, LeMans, Duster, Dart, etc)

 

[TehMac]

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Hard to tell if its a good deal without knowing which engine/trans is in it. The 71-73 aren't exactly the most desirable of mustangs.

Pretty much this.

They're classy cars, but not as classic as the original design.

The 1970 Mach 1 was considered to be the zenith of Mustang technology + design synergy.

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky
The 70s are the ugliest of the classic Mustangs. However, Mach 1s are very collectible (don't expect it to fetch what a 69 Mach 1 would get, though).

Disagree completely. The 1980's-1993 or so are hideous. And even so, the 1999-present design redeemed the Mustang.

 

[sandorski]

Originally posted by: TehMac

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Hard to tell if its a good deal without knowing which engine/trans is in it. The 71-73 aren't exactly the most desirable of mustangs.

Pretty much this.

They're classy cars, but not as classic as the original design.

The 1970 Mach 1 was considered to be the zenith of Mustang technology + design synergy.

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky
The 70s are the ugliest of the classic Mustangs. However, Mach 1s are very collectible (don't expect it to fetch what a 69 Mach 1 would get, though).

Disagree completely. The 1980's-1993 or so are hideous. And even so, the 1999-present design redeemed the Mustang.

Mustang II was awesome!.....for being the WTF version.

 

[coldmeat]

Should you buy it? No, it looks like shit.

 

[BW86]

'71 and above mustangs are hideous - get a '67 like i did. I just swapped out the old front drums for some nice discs today

I'd post a pic but i seems bbzzdd is still down

EDIT:Text

 

[CurseTheSky]

Originally posted by: TehMac

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky
The 70s are the ugliest of the classic Mustangs. However, Mach 1s are very collectible (don't expect it to fetch what a 69 Mach 1 would get, though).

Disagree completely. The 1980's-1993 or so are hideous. And even so, the 1999-present design redeemed the Mustang.

Edit:

I should say, classic for me stops when the Mustang II was introduced.

 

[theblackbox]

on my 66, we dumped the original suspension for a mustang II kit with rack and pinion and the improvements over steering and turning are amazing. we used a heidts kit, and it allowed us to remove the shock towers and made the 66 handle and drive like a newer car. of course the disc conversion didn't hurt either.

with 15" wheels to accomadate the bigger discs, it converted the mustang into something you wanted to drive, not just a classic car, but a good daily driver.

 

[exar333]

Originally posted by: TehMac

Originally posted by: thedarkwolf
Hard to tell if its a good deal without knowing which engine/trans is in it. The 71-73 aren't exactly the most desirable of mustangs.

Pretty much this.

They're classy cars, but not as classic as the original design.

The 1970 Mach 1 was considered to be the zenith of Mustang technology + design synergy.

Originally posted by: CurseTheSky
The 70s are the ugliest of the classic Mustangs. However, Mach 1s are very collectible (don't expect it to fetch what a 69 Mach 1 would get, though).

Disagree completely. The 1980's-1993 or so are hideous. And even so, the 1999-present design redeemed the Mustang.

The fox body has some pretty good potential IMHO. With a decent body kit, a good paint job, and a nice V8, they are a lot of fun to drive!

 

[thedarkwolf]

The best body kit for a fox is the LX no body kit kit . Even better if you can just get a coupe/notch.

 

[Farang]

We've had two of those in my family.. you will have a hell of a time getting rid of it. Give the guy 6 months, come back and offer him 2500 usd for it

 

[Iron Woode]

Originally posted by: DVad3r
A guy I know is selling his. This is the one:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi...c/1972MustangMach1.jpg

Same color. I am not sure what mileage he said it has but I'm recalling something around 40 k miles. I think he wants 8 grand Canadian for it.

Good deal? Anyone have experience with these cars? Do I really need another toy in addition to my V-Rod? :S

maybe it has the R code 351 HO in it or the Q code 351 Cobra Jet.

That would be cool.

More than likely has the 302 2 barrel.

 

[DVad3r]

Originally posted by: coldmeat
Should you buy it? No, it looks like shit.

This is truth. Looking at it now again, over and over, it actually does look pretty fuckin ugly. I guess I've always wanted a muscle car to work on, and friends of friends can be very nice/persuasive.

Ill wait for a used 2010 GT 500 Shelby, since those bastard dealers won't let me test drive one!!! Grrrr

 

[exar333]

Originally posted by: coldmeat
Should you buy it? No, it looks like shit.

+1. It's gotta be the most fugly Mustang ever.

 

[Iron Woode]

Originally posted by: DVad3r

Originally posted by: coldmeat
Should you buy it? No, it looks like shit.

This is truth. Looking at it now again, over and over, it actually does look pretty fuckin ugly. I guess I've always wanted a muscle car to work on, and friends of friends can be very nice/persuasive.

Ill wait for a used 2010 GT 500 Shelby, since those bastard dealers won't let me test drive one!!! Grrrr

there is a red one driving around here. Looks damn nice. The fastback is useless to look out of but the car looks great.

 

[TehMac]

Originally posted by: BW86
'71 and above mustangs are hideous - get a '67 like i did. I just swapped out the old front drums for some nice discs today

I'd post a pic but i seems bbzzdd is still down

EDIT:Text

Fuck yeah dude! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[TehMac]

Originally posted by: ExarKun333

The fox body has some pretty good potential IMHO. With a decent body kit, a good paint job, and a nice V8, they are a lot of fun to drive!

No doubt they're fun, I've never had the experience unfortunately, but I have heard the same as you.

It's just, they're rather ugly.

 

[cbrsurfr]

Finally got my 73 Mach 1 back. It's not finished, but at lease she's home. Been trying to get it done since 2001. Combination of me not having time, lazy paint guy, half-assed mechanic, and a really great restorer/mechanic who doesn't have time. Still have to mount rear bumper, get new door panels cut and installed, install headliner, misc ext/int trim, wheels and tires. At least the rest is doable.