By this point the drivetrain and interior had been removed and the car reduced to a bare shell. It was now to start stripping off the paint and get the car down to bare metal. It was decided that it was best to strip the paint by hand. However, since we were also painting and detailing the undercarriage we knew we’d have to blast it.
In the pictures below you can see the paint is being carefully stripped by hand. There were a few stubborn areas which would end up being striped by the blaster when he did the undercarriage.
With the paint gone you can see just how clean the metal is on this car.
With most of the paint removed, the car was sent to the media blaster to have the engine compartment and undercarriage blasted clean as well as removing any remaining paint. What came back from the media blaster can only be described by one word….clean!
The front fenders and cowl panel were striped clean and then removed to allow easier access for painting the engine compartment and front wheel wells.
The front fenders were blasted clean and then removed.With the front fenders removed, there is easier access for painting the front wheel wells.
Similarly, as we look at the rear of the car you can see the rear end caps were removed after being cleaned.
We can see the rear end caps have been removed.
The engine compartment was now completely cleaned off all paint. This allowed us a rare opportunity to view the VIN stamping on the front fender aprons. These stampings are normally covered by the front fenders.
Drivers side front fender apron with the VIN stamping.The VIN stampings are typically never seen as they are covered by the front fenders.
It also makes it much easier to see the added bracing around the shock towers. All big-block and Boss Mustangs in 1969 received this bracing which greatly increased the strength of the shock towers and help reduce flexing.
Shock tower bracing is easily visible with the paint removed.This added bracing greatly increased the strength of the shock towers and help reduce flex.
The firewall, like everything else in the compartment, has been stripped clean in preparation for receiving fresh paint.
Firewall and steering components have also been striped to bare metal.
Once the drive train and interior were removed from the Mustang, it was sent off to paint at Boss Auto Designs (B.A.D.), the restoration shop owned and operated by the President of the Early Mustang Club of Colorado, Dan Bybee.
Dan began by removing the front and rear bumpers, as well as the front and rear valance, grille, high beam lights and several bright metal trim pieces. With the bumpers removed, I set out to determine if they were the original bumpers born to the car.
Front view of the Mach 1 with the front bumper removed
Starting with the front bumper, I began by looking at the way the bumper is formed in the front license plate bracket area. On an original front bumper, the openings are more sharply angled than reproductions where the opening is much more rounded.
Upon inspection of this license plate bracket area I could easily see the openings were indeed the more angular shape, which indicated this was indeed an original Ford front bumper.
The sharply angled license plate bracket openings indicate its an original Ford bumper.
However, I needed to take it a step further to determine if it was the original bumper. This would require looking for the factory date stampings.
The date codes were always stamped on the inside center section of the bumper, and typically had the day/month/shift on one side and the year stamping on the other. In our case, the bumper was not the original one born with the car, but rather one that was created in September 1969.
The stamping on the top line shows M9 69. The letter M confirmed it was made in the Monroe stamping plant and the date of production followed, September 1969.
Moving onto the rear bumper, the easiest way to determine an original are the stamping marks and the date codes, which do not appear on reproduction bumpers.
Here again, the date codes were always stamped on the inside center section of the bumper. The stampings on these bumpers were typically the month, day, shift and year. Other stamped info might have included production information.
On one side of the bumper we could make out the stamping, 69 M 9, indicating this is a 1969 bumper created in the Monroe stamping plant in Monroe, Michigan
If you look closely you can see the original stamping 69 M 9.
On the other side of the bumper was the date stamp, 3 13 3, indicating this bumper was manufactured on March 13 during the third shift. Unlike the front bumper this appears to be the bumper that was born to this car.
The all important date code, 3 13 3, indicating this bumper was manufactured March 13.
Unfortunately there are no chrome shops left in the state of Colorado. This meant the bumpers would need to go out of state to be striped and replated.
To complicate things even a bit further, the shape of the front bumper made it impossible to find a suitable shipping box. As such these would need to be driven to the closest chrome shop which was located in Ogden, UT.
Disassembly continued with the removal of the door glass, outside door handles, lock mechanisms, the non-functional side scoops, roof side ornaments, the chrome quarter window boomerang mouldings and the stainless drip rail mouldings.
The original door handles and quarter window boomerang mouldings were taken with the bumpers to Ogden Chrome to be striped and replated.
Instead of attempting to refurbish the roof side ornaments, I decided it would be easier to simply buy a NOS set of the roof side ornaments. I was able to find a private seller with a set still in the original Ford packages.
NOS roof side ornaments in the original Ford packaging.
Dan also removed both the drivers side remote sport mirror and the passenger side companion sport mirror. You can still see hints of the original acapulco blue paint color.
Underneath the mirror pad, we can see the original Acapulco blue paint.
Turning our attention to the rear of the Mustang, we can see the quick fill gas cap and the Mustang lettering have been removed. The lettering was taken along with the other chrome pieces to Ogden Chrome to be replated.
Rear view showing the quick fill, flip open gas gap and Mustang lettering removed.
After many discussions, because of the unique brushed center and running horse tri-bar emblem, it was determined the flip open gas cap would be nearly impossible to restore to like new condition. It would be easier, and more economical, to find an NOS item.
This is where maintaining contacts becomes extremely beneficial as one of the private sellers I had purchased parts from in the past had this nice item, still in the factory box.
NOS quick fill, flip open gas cap in the original Ford box.
With the interior removed it was time to turn my attention to the drivetrain removal process. The Mustang was taken to Kenny at Hold On Tight Performance who began by removing the custom exhaust that had been installed by a prior owner.
Since we are restoring this to factory original, I knew the exhaust would not be reused. As such we simply cut it out of the vehicle and threw it away.
Here you can see the custom exhaust system that was on the car when purchased.
In place of the old exhaust system will be a complete concours correct reproduction exhaust system from Scott Fuller Reproductions. The system is an exact copy of the factory original system from the h-pipe to the exhaust tips. This system not only features all the concours correct components but also features the correct Ford logos, part numbers and date code. When reinstalled it will be virtually impossible to tell this reproduction from an original.
This angle shows the new concours correct exhaust from the H-pipe back.The H-pipe is an exact copy of the factory piece, including the alignment tabs shown. View of the exhaust system from the correct rolled tips forward.The muffler features the Ford engineering number and date code. Alignment tabs are also present on the intermediate/resonator pipes for muffler alignment.Ford logo and engineering numbers are featured throughout the system.
The hood was then carefully removed and set aside. It would need to be reinstalled before the car was sent over to the body shop for paint and body work.
In preparation for removing the C6 transmission, we disconnected the driveshaft. Upon inspection we found the driveshaft tube had been replaced at some point in its earlier life. However, the original Ford 31-spline slip yoke and tube yokes were still present.
The driveshaft was then boxed up and send sent out to Dead Nuts On to be restored. The only way to properly restore a driveshaft is to break it down to its components, restore each component and then assemble it just like Ford did it.
On the original Ford 31-spline slip yoke you can see the unique machined area cut halfway down the inner shoulders.Both sides still had their original Ford tube yokes, though it was clear the tube itself had been replaced at some point in its earlier life.
The driveshaft restoration service replaced the tube with the same electro resistance welded seamed tubing the factory installed. This way the welds, bare steel blue seamed tube and the color of the blue heat rings on the spot welded balance weights all look real because…they are real.
Slip yoke was restored with the correct paint code applied.Both of the tube yokes were also restored with correct paint code, and markings.The driveshaft was high speed balanced with the correct spot welded rectangular balance weights.Build sheet paint codes, specific to this vehicle, were added.The tubing was replaced with new electric resistance welded (blue seamed) tubing.
Once the transmission was removed, we carefully cleaned it and inspected it for Ford engineering numbers, date codes and the all important partial VIN. This was typically stamped into the flat boss on the spine of the transmission main case just forward of the tailshaft.
Upon inspection we were able to clearly see several Ford engineering numbers, as well as several other markings which, to this point, no one has been able to explain their significance.
The Ford engineering number, C8AP, would indicate this to be a transmission originally intended for a full size Ford or truck. Here again we see a casting number, C6AP, which would indicate this transmission was intended for a full size Ford or truck.Even the casting number on the servo is a C6AP.No one has been able to explain the significance of the large ‘4’ cast into the part.Here we can clearly see a large ‘9’ cast into the side of the part. Reason unknown.
What is most interesting is the partial VIN stamped into the transmission main case. We had expected to find the partial VIN from the Mustang stamped here. Instead, what we found was a partial VIN from a different 1969 vehicle.
Partial VIN stamped into the transmission main case.
The leading 9 in the partial VIN confirms this transmission is from a 1969, but the assembly plant code of G means this transmission was supposed to go to the Ford truck plant in Chicago. In addition the consecutive unit number is slightly higher than that found on our Mustang.
This would explain why the Ford engineering numbers found on the other transmission components indicated they were intended for a full size Ford or truck.
So, it would appear this transmission may have been either pulled from the line due to parts shortages or it was inadvertently sent to the wrong assembly plant.
Given all the the evidence, I do believe this is the transmission that came with the car when it was first assembled…even if it wasn’t intended to be.
The transmission was sent out to be rebuilt. Once it returns it will be detailed including all factory paint daubs and markings before being reinstalled in the car.
The big block FE engines were truly shoehorned into these Mustangs leaving very little room on either side of the engine. When we went to remove the shock tower braces, we noticed the original shock tower caps had been removed and replaced with a Torino style unit.
Torino style shock cap with a single nut.
I was able to locate a pair of the proper big-block Mustang shock tower caps which will be installed during the reassembly process. These are original Ford pieces that have been restored and not reproductions.
After removing the cooling system, accessories and valve covers, and with some careful maneuvering, we were able to free the engine from the car.
Unlike the C6 transmission, there is no doubt this is the original engine. Here on the rear pad you can see the partial VIN, 9R187894, stamped into the block.
Again the leading 9 would indicate 1969, R is the assembly plant code for San Jose and 187894 is the consecutive unit number for this vehicle.
The Cobra LeMans valve covers, which were removed during the engine removal process, were sent out to be cleaned, striped and powder coated by Pristine Powder Coating in the original black crinkle finish.
Cobra LeMans valve covers in the correct black crinkle finish.
We took this opportunity to remove the original Ford water pump and send it out to be restored to like new condition. Notice the date code of 9D16, which translates to April 16, 1969.
Original water pump, date coded April 16, 1969, before restoration.
The water pump was completely disassembled, then the bare housing was hot tanked and sand blasted to remove paint and rust. The housing was then painted with grey primer. A new bearing, seal, hub and bypass tube was then installed. Finally the rear cover is sealed with a new gasket. Looking at the end result it’s hard to believe this is the same water pump. It will get painted Ford corporate blue with the rest of the motor during reassembly.
The newly restored water pump is ready for paint and installation.
Before sending the engine out to be be rebuilt, we removed the exhaust manifolds so they could be sent to Jet Hot Coatings to be cleaned and ceramic coated in a natural cast iron color.
To my surprise, when we removed the exhaust manifolds and decoded the engineering numbers we found these to be the same exhaust manifolds as were used on the 428 Cobra-Jet cars.
Cobra-Jet exhaust manifolds before restoration.
The advantage of having the exhaust manifolds ceramic coated is they will retain that ‘brand new’ look for many years to come. The ceramic coating will not discolor and also reduce underhood temperatures by more than 50%, resulting in less wear on components. These will be reinstalled once the rebuilt motor is completed.
Drivers side exhaust manifold.Passenger side exhaust manifold.
Once the engine gets back from the machine shop it will be painted Ford corporate blue and the remaining assembly line markings added before it is reinstalled in the car.
After patiently waiting, it finally my time to get my Mustang Mach 1 into the paint and body shop. In preparation I had Ron from Auto Weave Upholstery (whom I highly recommend for anyone needing upholstery work) carefully begin the interior removal process.
He will be carefully cleaning and redyeing all the original interior panels back to a like new condition, as well as replacing the seat foam in all the seats since it had deteriorated after 51 years.
With the interior removed, you can see the original floor boards, underlayment pieces, etc. We had intended to strip the underlayments out and have the interior painted with the car. However, after seeing the remarkable shape of the underlayments I decided to simply leave it alone. We will only be replacing the trunk/backseat transition and the full width trunk gas tank underlayments. All the rest will remain original.
Underlayments are in extremely good shape. You can see even the pieces for under seats are still present.This shows the only underlayments needing to be replaced, the one for the transition from the backseat to the trunk and the one covering the full width trunk gas tank.
One of the interesting facts we found, because of its late build date many of the body panels had already been stamped as 1970 pieces. Shown below is the part number and date stamp on the original floor boards.
So I realize that may be hard to read because it’s actually stamped from the other side. So below is the same photo rotated, flipped and cropped so you can more easily read the stamping.
So now you can clearly see the date stamp, June 14, and the part number of D0ZB-63. The first character designates the decade. C would have been the code for the 1960s and D would designate the 1970s. The second character designates the year in the decade. So the code D0 would designate it as intended for a 1970. If it had been earlier in the model year run it would have begun with C9 for 1969.
Likewise, with the remnants of the headliner removed we can see the overall condition of the roof panel and the supporting structures. Here again we can see the date codes for each individual piece.
With the headliner removed you can easily see the condition of the roof panel.Date stamp in the passenger side roof support. This shows the roof support on the drivers side.Here again we can see the date code on the drivers side roof support.
As I waited for an opening at the paint and body shop, I turned my attention toward removing lights from the car. I started with the taillights and side marker lights.
When I removed the rear side marker light on the drivers side, I discovered it was clearly burned. Clearly at some point that light got very hot.
Drives side rear marker light, showing the heat damage.
So I knew this meant I would now be searching for another side marker light. Luckily I was able to locate a complete set, front and rear, of NOS side marker lights including the bezels from a private seller.
Complete NOS set of side marker lights, front (white) and rear (red).NOS side marker light bezels.Here you can see the Ford engineering number.
Removing the taillights was far less dramatic. While they were dirty they were in extremely good shape. I decided I should disassemble and clean the taillight assemblies.
Taillight housing is dirty, but in remarkably good shape.
Here you can see the taillight assembly with the thick body gasket removed. The gasket was actually still completely intact and pliable. I’m unsure if I’ll be able to clean the gasket enough to be able to reuse it.
At this stage, the chromed outer ring has been removed.
By removing the red plastic brake light lense you can now see the two inner gaskets around the perimeter of the light housing. Again the gaskets were fully intact and pliable.
With those gaskets removed we can now see the bare taillight bucket, inside and out. Again these are in remarkably good shape for their age.
Here are the red plastic lense after being carefully cleaned. I spent particular attention to ensure the bright trim rings which are glued to the lense weren’t removed. I will hand polish these to remove any micro scratches, etc.
The chrome outer rings will be sent out to be repolished prior to reassembly. You can see just how much luster has been lost by looking at the protected areas in-between each trim ring.
Every great journey begins with a first step. The tear down begins as we start the journey of its restoration to factory original condition.
In the case of this Mustang, the tear down I had already determined one of the previous owners had installed a Hays Stinger ignition (see “Sins of our Youth”). This meant I would not only need to remove the ignition box, but inside the distributor was a “mopar-like” magnetic pickup unit and a trick reluctor that was a press-fit onto the autolite shaft cam. Despite its performance gains, these items simply could not remain.
I carefully removed the coil wire and then the coil. To my shock, it turned out the coil was still the original factory unit. That’s right, despite installing several go-fast items, including what was at that time a state of the art ignition system, they had left the factory coil. You could still barely see the remnants of the original factory ink stamp.
Original factory coil. You can barely see the remnants of the factory ink stamp.Factory coils had a unique yellow cap. Reproductions won’t match this color exactly.
The coil was carefully cleaned and restored by All Classic Motors to like new condition. This included restamping it with the factory markings. It was then set aside to be reinstalled later.
The original coil and coil retainer bracket were cleaned and restored to like new.Here you can see that unique yellow top, now fully cleaned.
With the coil out of the way, I removed the distributor cap and spark plug wires then proceeded to remove the distributor. Here you can see the magnetic pickup unit and reluctor that were press-fit onto the autolite shaft cam.
Here you can see the various internal components of the Hays Stinger ignition.
With the distributor out of the car, it was easy to see the part number, and date stamp, 9E2, indicating this too was the original factory unit produced on May 2, 1969.
The date code, 9E2, means May 2, 1969 which confirms this is the original Autolite distributor that came with the car when new.
Overall it was in fairly good shape and would restore nicely. Knowing the Hays Stinger ignition is highly sought after by people building a period correct hot rod I carefully removed and stored all of the internal components for future use.
Here is a picture showing all the Hays components now pulled from the car.
The distributor was then completely stripped and rebuilt. It was not only returned to a new factory original appearance, but also made to perform like new.
Here you can see the distributor now fully restored including the correct Autolite coil tension wire.Notice the factory correct white cap on the coil tension wire.Gone are the Hays components and in their place are the correct factory plates, points and condensor.Close up of the coil tension wire showing the embossed ‘Autolite’.
While I was at it, I decided now would be a good time to order a reproduction Autolite distributor cap from National Parts Depot and a set of plug wires with the proper factory markings and date code from Marti Auto Works.
Notice one plug wire has an orange colored boot. This was done intentionally because during production two plug wires were crossed as installed on the engine. To avoid confusion during assembly, the workers were instructed to make sure the orange boot was put on the number 6 spark plug.
Reproduction Autolite spark plug wires with the correct factory markings and date code.Reproduction Autolite distributor cap.
One of the previous owners had removed virtually all the air conditioning parts in an attempt to free up horsepower. This meant I was chasing classic parts around the country. I had to locate not only the proper A/C compressor, but also the clutch, condenser, the receiver dryer, the various brackets and the idler pulleys.
We’ve all heard it before, it pays to follow leads no matter where they may seem to be taking you. During my search I had received a lead on someone who had accumulated many old Mustang parts. After speaking with him, he actually did not have the compressor I needed but referred me to another friend.
Long story short, the friend of a friend of a friend did indeed have the A/C compressor…but not just a used compressor. No, this gentlemen still had an NOS compressor unit in the original ford box! In turn he referred to someone else who had an NOS clutch.
While these parts were NOS, they were still 50 year old parts so I had them checked. Once they were confirmed to be in perfect working order the clutch was attached to the compressor.
NOS A/C compressorHere you can see the NOS A/C clutch installed onto the NOS A/C compressor.In this picture you can see the original engineering number sticker.
Despite our best efforts we could not locate an original condenser. So we purchased a reproduction unit from National Parts Depot. While the unit has a concours correct exterior it features redesigned internal circuits that replace the old style 3 circuit or core with a 6 circuit design.
A quick search of eBay yielded an original NOS receiver dryer unit, the proper A/C brackets and supports as well as a set of original idler pulleys. Unfortunately the idler pulleys turned out to be to pitted to be restored to show quality. Luckily, I was able to find another set of idler pulleys from All Classic Motors that were in far better shape.
NOS A/C receiver and dryer.This is the second set of A/C idler pulleys, after the first set was found to be too pitted to restore.
As I continued searching for the parts that had been removed by one of the previous owners, I turned my attention to chasing induction parts.
I started by attempting to locate the original factory cast iron manifold. Ironically, for years these were often discarded as more and more owners opted for a lighter aluminum intake manifold.
This made finding one with the proper date code challenging. After months of searching I was able to locate one that was in excellent condition…but it was in Florida. Nothing like shipping a 75 pound intake manifold across the country!
Factory original cast iron intake manifold. Date code, 9D14, means April 14, 1969.
With the proper intake now in my possession I turned my attention to trying to find an original, date coded, C8AE-A ported vacuum switch. Since my Mach 1 had come from California, the ported vacuum switch had long been removed due to the states NOX program. Luckily, I was able to find one at Dead Nuts On with the proper date code that had already been restored.
Original ported vacuum switch, now fully restored.Date code 7-H-69 means July 1969. In this case the H is simply the manufacturer code.
Now I had to find the proper color coded vacuum hoses that would have been attached to this vacuum switch. Each color designates its intended location and purpose. In this case Marti Auto Works offers a reproduction kit with the authentic hose markings. The factory coloring was not bright, but actually more muted in color.
Color coded vacuum hoses.
It was now time to turn my attention toward locating the appropriate carburetor. In 1968 all 390 Mustangs came with a Holley 4150 carburetor. However, for 1969 Ford switched to an Autolite 4300 carburetor on its 390 Mustangs.
So for months I tried to locate one with the appropriate date code for this car. After months of looking, I spoke with a gentlemen who specializes in Ford carburetors who explained to me that by the middle of June 1969 Ford had discontinued the Autolite and returned to using the Holley 4150 in anticipation of the 1970 model year. With this information in hand it didn’t take me long to find the correct date coded carburetor.
Fully restored Holley 4150 carburetor.If you look closely at the line below the word ‘list’ you can barely see the date code, 964, which means this carburetor was produced on June 4, 1969
One of the unique features on the 390 Mach 1s was the carburetor spacer which featured a pass-through connection for the heater hose. This was designed to allow the warm coolant to flow thru the spacer warming the fuel to allow for easier starts in cold weather.
This picture shows the unique carb spacer with the heater hose attachments.
Chasing classic parts doesn’t always entail mechanical or even cosmetic parts. No, sometimes it means chasing original paperwork that would have accompanied the car when it was first purchased.
As an example, Marti Auto Works is reproducing the temporary ownercard. This would have been placed in the glove box when the car was new and was used for any warranty claims that may arise before the owner received their permanent ownercard.
Reproduction temporary ownercard offered by Marti Autoworks.
How about the other paperwork that would have been provided when you purchased the car new. All of the following items shown below are original issue Ford paperwork and are not reproductions. Often times it’s harder to find items like this then the actual parts for the car.
Ownercard information booklet, insideOwnercard information booklet, outside.Temporary warranty statement, inside.Temporary warranty statement, outside.Warranty Facts BookletHelpful hints for a safer ride booklet.Original owner’s manual, front.Original owners manual, back.Original owners manual, inside cover showing the printing date.
The restoration of a classic muscle car often entails chasing classic parts. As such, you are faced with a few decisions. The first, and possibly the most critical, question…does the overall condition of the car warrant returning it to bone stock or should you create some level of restomod?
In this case, that decision was fairly easy for me to make. This car had been sitting in a nice warm California garage for 30 years. That meant there would be little rust and the wear and tear on the vehicle would have been lessened by it prolonged slumber. This Mach 1 deserved to be restored back to bone stock.
So then I had to decide for any part that was either missing from the car, or was too far gone to have restored, whether to use original Ford parts or aftermarket reproductions. Reproduction parts are generally less expensive and easier to find but may not fit or work exactly like the original.
Conversely original Ford parts can be hard to locate and may be more expensive but you know they are going to fit and work as originally intended.
I decided for this restoration that I would use original Ford parts wherever possible but I knew if I weren’t careful here I could easily spend more restoring the car than the car would be worth when completed.
Finally I had to decide the intended purpose for the car once it was complete. As an example, would this car be driven to and from car shows or trailered?
Well anyone who knows me will tell you, I don’t believe in trailering cars. It is, and has always been, my belief that cars like this are meant to be driven and enjoyed.
But here is where I am different than many Mustang enthusiasts. Despite the fact I will be driving this car to and from car shows and taking it on the occasional pleasure cruise, I intend to do a full nut and bolt restoration. This means every aspect of the car will be restored to factory new condition, including the undercarriage.
Why would I go through that level of effort for a car that I intend to drive? The answer is simple, reliability. By returning this car to the same condition it was in when purchased new, I know I can drive it anywhere and at any time. It will be just like owning any other new car…except this one is sexier.
Missing Power Steering Parts
I knew the first course of business would be to locate the power steering components that had been removed by a previous owner. This included the power steering pump, pulley and brackets, control valve, slave cylinder, center link and all the accompanying hoses. Yes, they had removed virtually everything related to the power steering (see Sins of Our Youth).
I was able to locate a correct power steering pump, as well as the correct pulley and brackets and had everything restored by All Classic Motors to like new factory condition.
Front view of the newly restored power steering pump. Note the correct blueish color.
I then located a date code correct Bendix power steering control valve, and again had it restored by All Classic Motors to like new factory condition.
Newly restored Bendix power steering control valve.Here you can clearly see all the different finishes. This is how they looked when new.Embossed with ‘BENDIX’.This is the date stamp, indicating this unit was built April 29, 1969 on the B shift.
Next came the slave cylinder. Here again, I was able to locate a date code correct Bendix unit and had it restored to like new factory condition.
View of the newly restored power steering slave cylinder. Here you can see a close up of the factory correct yellow clamp.This is the date code, which shows January 13, 1969 on the A shift.This is the correct 1969 Bendix logo.
Of course, I also had to find the proper power steering center link. Luckily I was able to find one fairly easily. This particular one had already been restored to like new condition including the proper yellow paint daub marking.
Restored center link with the yellow paint daub marking.
Finally, I had to locate someone who was reproducing accurate power steering hoses. Yes, I could have gone down to the neighborhood parts store and just purchased an over the counter replacement, but I wanted the hoses to look as good as they perform.
Blue Dot Specialties offers these hoses that not only feature the proper materials, textures and markings, but even have the appropriate parts numbers stamped into them. These reproductions are as close as you’ll ever find to factory original pieces.
Power steering ‘shortie’ hose. Note the ribbed material and correct yellow stripe.Hose came embossed with the proper Ford engineering number, C60A-3A714-A. The second ‘Shortie’ hose.This one has the Ford engineering number, C60A-3A717-A.Valve to pump power steering hose. Yes the gold cad finish is factory correct.Ford engineering number, C8ZA-3A713-AHigh pressure to valve power steering hose. Here again you can see the gold cad finish.Ford engineering number, C8ZA-3494-AHigh pressure from the pump power steering hose.
Being a child of the 1980’s I can remember owning Mustangs like this and and being obsessed with one thing…making them faster! Originality be damned, I wanted the fastest horse in town. These are the sins of our youth.
So it wasn’t much of a surprise when I opened the hood of this Mustang, and found one of the previous owners had the same obsession.
Gone was the original cast iron intake manifold and in its place was a very desirable Edelbrock Streetmaster 390 aluminum intake manifold. This manifold was long held as one of the best performing aftermarket manifolds for the Ford FE (see http://www.fepower.net/GFEIC.html).
Likewise, the factory manifold weighed 75 pounds, so the aluminum intake would not only perform better but would also be substantially lighter.
Likewise the original carburetor had been long been replaced. Sitting on top of that Edelbrock aluminum intake was now a Holley, 750 cfm, carburetor.
Here you can see the huge 750 cfm Holley carburetor.The Streetmaster 390 has long been considered one of the best manifolds for a 390.
But this was just the tip of the iceberg. They also improved the spark delivery by installing a Hays Stinger ignition. Now for those of you too young to remember the 1980s, the Hays Stinger ignition was the ignition to get. Cars equipped with the Hays Stinger consistently made 5-6 hp more than those with the MSD units of the day.
It was basically an electronic conversion from points to a “Mopar-like” magnetic pickup unit in the distributor and a trick reluctor that was press-fit onto the Autolite shaft cam. The system also included an electronic box to read the signal from the pickup, similar to other units that were and still are available today.
Vintage Hays Stinger ignition system.
On top of adding performance items, they also lightened the car by removing as much weight as possible. This included the factory air conditioning compressor, condenser and brackets as well as the power steering pump and virtually every other power steering component. In short, if it wasn’t adding performance to the car it was removed!
With collector cars, determining provenance is critical in knowing its value. This means understanding its rarity and its history is important.
One of the first things I did was to order the elite Marti Report. This report, in addition to giving me the complete factory option list, door data plate info, a reproduction of the door data plate and a reproduction of the window sticker, would also provide me with the vital production statistics for the vehicle.
Determining provenance means understanding the rarity of the car. A Marti report provides this valuable information.
In this case, I had already decoded the door tag so I knew a fair amount about the car. I knew it was a genuine Mach 1 built in July 1969, that it had come with the rarely seen 390 engine, C6 automatic transmission and that it was originally a beautiful Acapulco Blue color.
That didn’t mean there weren’t a few surprises. For example, I had no way of knowing it was originally equipped with power steering. By the time I got it, the power steering pump and most of the components were long gone (see Sins of Our Youth).
It was also interesting to realize the car had originally been sold by Beverly Hills Ford, which was merely 30 miles from where it had been parked in 1989.
Even more surprising was to learn it was the only 1969 Mustang Mach 1 built in this color and with its specific list of options. So you may be asking yourself ‘What is so special about it coming with the fiberglass belted F70x14 raised white letter tires?’
What most people don’t realize is that while most of the restored Mach 1s you see at car shows are wearing those tires, very few of them actually came equipped with those tires from the factory.
Unless your Mach 1 was equipped with the 428 Cobra Jet in 1969, it actually came standard with a E78x14 tire. Now you could order the optional tires, but that upgrade actually got you a F70x14 white sidewall tire, not the raised white letter tires. Those tires were supposed to only be available on the Cobra Jet cars!
This was a confirmed one of one Mustang Mach 1 with the options ordered.
While cleaning out the center console and the glove box I found the bill of sale from the original owner to the second owner, several of the old vehicle registrations, and even a few repair bill receipts. With the combination of all these items I was able to track its lineage from when it was a new car until the day I purchased it!
Original Bill of Sale from the first owner to the second ownerRegistration for 1977 in the name of the second owner. Here is the 1981 registration still in the name of the second ownerHere is a repair bill from August of 1982 in the name of the third ownerHere is a 1985 registration in the name of the third ownerHere is the final registration from 1989 when the car was parked, and remained undisturbed until I purchased it.
Noting that the car still wore the original black and yellow California license plate, I decided to carefully peel back the registration tag stickers to see if I could get back to the first set (1969/1970). Note, California hadn’t begun using the ‘month’ stickers back then.
This original black and yellow license plate has been with the car since new.
After months of searching I had found a true barn find Mustang, and came to an agreement with the seller to purchase it (see Unearthed After 30 Years). Now its was time to make arrangements to have it picked up by Reliable Carriers and transported home to Colorado.
After a few anxious weeks of waiting it was finally delivered. I quickly learned that large car transport trucks like this won’t actually deliver the car in front of your house. So the car got unloaded about a block from the house and would need to be driven home.
Transported Home – Car coming off the transport truck.
I knew I had made a wise purchase when the transport driver offered to buy the car for substantially more money than I had paid. I politely turned down his offer and explained I had plans for this one!
Transport driver who was hoping to make a quick deal on the car.
Once it was in my home garage I immediately put a drip pan under the car as I knew it would soon start dripping fluids. When cars sit for a substantial length of time the gaskets dry out and when they become saturated with fluid again they inevitably weep.
I than began the painstaking task of carefully documenting everything on the car. I knew photos would be an invaluable asset when we began the restoration process. So I was determined to treat the documentation process of this Mustang like it was an archaeological dig.
For years we’ve been told all the barn find Ford Mustang were already discovered. I’m here to tell you, they are still out there!
After what seemed like an eternity of searching places like Hemmings Motor News, I stumbled upon a rather generic Craigslist ad in Los Angeles. After talking to the seller, I left a deposit on the car and flew out to California to inspect it.
Upon inspection I found the car to be a true Mach 1, built in July of 1969 and with the very rare 390 FE big block. It was very straight and just as solid as the seller had told me. It was obvious the car had received a very inexpensive paint job earlier in its life. In fact, it looked like it had been painted in a high school auto shop. The paint was flaking off in places revealing the original Acapulco blue underneath.
Here are pictures of the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 as it was found in August 2019. This vehicle had been parked in a garage in southern California for the previous 30 years.
View of the drivers side. You can see the car is very straight.View from the rear reveals the original black and yellow California license plate.
Likewise, the interior was fully intact and original down to the original AM radio. There were no tears in the seats or door panels and overall everything look in remarkably good shape. The only issue was the headliner which one of the previous owners had partially removed and never replaced.
The interior was remarkably complete and completely original down to the AM radio. Car came with the desirable fold down rear seat.
Remarkably, with some fresh fuel the vehicle actually started and idled. I didn’t allow it to idle long, as I didn’t want to take any chances with damaging the engine. It wasn’t pretty, but it appeared to be complete.
View of the engine. Note the new, hastily installed, AC compressor. Seller added it prior to listing the vehicle as he didn’t think the car would sell without working AC.
I was unable to get a Marti Report on demand, but after checking the VIN number and the door tag I felt confident in moving forward with the purchase. Soon a deal was struck and arrangements were made to get it transported back home to Colorado.
