New from the UK
#1
Good day New

Stumbled on this site via the 69stang site - amazing how you can break down a single model of a car...

I live in the south of England within sight and sound of Gatwick Airport and acquired my second Mach 1 last year.

My first was a 73 Mach 1 which I got as a straight swap for a 1976 Chevy Caprice Wagon (the full size with clamshell tailgate) in 1980. I got it without knowing much about Mustangs, and despite it being in the UK for only a couple of years it was well and truly rusting away. Served me well for a year or so, till I swapped it for a Reliant Scimitar GTE (of which I had 3 models over the next 25 years or so).

According to the government agency website, it is no longer registered so I guess the rust did for it.

Roll forwards too many years and the lack of a fun car (I sold the last Scimitar in 2007 after 21 years) and a legacy from a late aunt started to have an effect. A years 'persuasion' and my wife gave in - just as I found a 69 S Code Mach 1 for sale at the other end of the country...

From what I know of the car it was built in San Jose on 13th February 1969, sold in Portland, Oregon in April (not sure if that was to the dealer or the customer) and at the moment there’s no history until February 2007 when it was sold from Trail in Oregon to Mesa Arizona as good base for a project. The Arizona owner then bought so much stuff for it that it filled the car and boot when the UK importer acquired it in 2012 – I have the invoices to hand for over $10,000… The Arizona owner never got the car finished so it was registered using the title supplied by the Oregon seller of 2007.

When acquired in the US it was in primer, and has now is Chrysler Intense Blue mica, with a gloss blackout on the hood. It’s not a concours job, but then I’d not want one for fear of damage at any point. I like clean cars, but concours isn’t something that I’m going to ever take part in. Originally it was Indian Fire red but I have no problem with its new colour.

I've now done around 1500 miles since acquiring it - and getting used to a left hooker in a right hand drive country once again. I've had a couple of niggles but nothing I couldn't sort myself - no tracking sensor issues buried deep in a packed engine bay - and as it lay unused for many years I'm not complaining about that!

I would have added some images, but it seems I need 2 posts so they will have to wait a while...

TimFF

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#2
Welcome Tim Looks like a very nice example of a 69 Mach1. Living in England I hope you have it under coated, as we've seen what the salt air can do to a car. It will rust one in the craziest places. Good to have you enjoy the site. Lots of info and good people. Jump in anytime. JTS 71 Mach1
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#3
Hi! I'm ex UK (London then Hampshire). Now in Perth Australia (the only other RHD country!!). Had a Cadi Eldorado out here so +1 on the LHD in a RHD country.
Now looking after my daughter's '70 - 351c FMX 83/4 open.
Had mostly Vauxhalls inthe UK until my XJ6 - then wised up and moved out. More a Heathrow man myself but have driven past Gatwick.
That funny noise you hear from your Mustang is the salt attacking it!!
The one thing from England I will never miss.
Welcome.
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#4
Welcome Tim,

Great to have you here with us.

Thanks for sharing your story. Here's to a return to Mustang ownership enjoyment.

Are you still running the original drivetrain or have those pieces been lost?

Make a second post and share some more pictures.
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#5
Re reading the op - the remark about 'breaking down a single model'.
I went on a club run to a private collection of 1940's tractors (among other stuff).
I was stareing at these two tractors that looked the same to me (make, model, colour, castings) and remarked to Ms M1FF that thay has two the same.
This voice behind me informed me that although they shared the same running grear they were TOTALLY different.
The tacho had moved from the right side to the left AND the light switch was now a toggle type rather than rotary style.
Yep, silly me, TOTALLY different.. Sign0175 Duh SSig_help
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#6
Ta for the welcome

(07-15-2015, 10:52 PM)JTS71 Mach1 Wrote: Living in England I hope you have it under coated, as we've seen what the salt air can do to a car. It will rust one in the craziest places.

Indeed it is - it arrived from Arizona with the underneath painted only in red oxide. It's now liberally coated in a protective covering. The cowl is good - when I viewed it we got caught in a real downpour and the only leak we could see was from the rear screen - now sealed professionally.

It doesn't get taken out if the roads are salty and wet, though I will use it on a dry cold winters day, so hopefully it'll make the next 46 years intact!

TimFF
(07-16-2015, 01:55 AM)Mach1FatherFigure Wrote: Hi! I'm ex UK (London then Hampshire). Now in Perth Australia (the only other RHD country!!).

Er, isn't that pair of islands off the east coast of Australia RHD too? (It was when I was there in 96 Wink) And Japan?

I grew up in SE London, and my lil bruv has now been in Sydney longer than he was in the UK

(07-16-2015, 01:55 AM)Mach1FatherFigure Wrote: Had mostly Vauxhalls inthe UK

Funnily enough we were a Ford family, by accident... Just goes to show the Holden/Ford or GM/Ford/Mopar is a truly international occurrence!

TimFF
(07-16-2015, 02:44 AM)Steven Harris Wrote: Are you still running the original drivetrain or have those pieces been lost?

Make a second post and share some more pictures.


Yes - all original and with the build tags in my possession.

Pics on there way very shortly!

TimFF

So - this was my first... Apologies for the relative quality, these are scanned photos which had a strange colour cast which I've got to about as good as I could.

Never gave me a problem in the time I had it - luckily the curse of road humps hadn't hit as the exhaust was non original with 2 cherry bombs the size of coke cans, and it ran under the axle!

Note the lovely UK weather. Anyone say 'rust'?

What you can't see is the 'Starsky' stripes in a swirl effect in a slightly lighter blue.

I've no idea of it's history before I got it, but I did get a letter from the next owner who asked if I had a spare set of keys. Turned out it was in a bodyshop not far away and was now white and gold. That was the last I saw or heard of it.

[Image: 19801copy.jpg]

[Image: 19803copy.jpg]

[Image: 19802copy.jpg]
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#7
So - this is the Mach 1 currently in the garage - which it fits, just...

It runs a different steering wheel as the original is long gone and the one with the car looked out of place and gave me leg clearance issues.

There's no stripes, but I have found a source who sell just the rear 'stripe' and could be tempted, though the costs usually double by the time you add postage and 'fees'.

I have a set of SD stick on letters for the boot, sorry, trunk lid which (after a year!) I still have to get round to.

It runs a Pertronix system too now.

It's been to a few shows, but ironically due to clashes and weather only 1 Mustang meeting.

As found in Arizona in 2012

[Image: DSCF5939.jpg]

May 2014

[Image: IMG_6310.jpg]

[Image: IMG_6312_np.jpg]

[Image: IMG_6313_np.jpg]

[Image: IMG_6321_np.jpg]

[Image: IMG_6316.jpg]

[Image: IMG_6318.jpg]

[Image: IMG_3375.jpg]

[Image: IMG_6656.jpg]
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#8
OK, a bit of license in my post, but you can put all of those places in WA and then spend a month looking for them.
Oh, Sydney, cute bridge, the other side of the island.

'T' reg Mustang. Got to love the Brit licensing rules! Great car though! Smile
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#9
When it's 5 hours at 500mph to get from one side of a country to the other and you only cross 2 state borders I'm with you; it's a big place. I've been to the other side a few times and recall thinking that 3 hours on a Sydney - Alice Springs flight only gets you to the middle of the country...Sign0175

(Yup, I'm aware the US is hardly insignificant!)

Oddly enough the 73 and 76 Chevy were both YJD xxxT - the Chevy was 428T. The old imported car on a much newer (by year) plate loophole has long been closed, hence the 69 being on a G plate. Quite why it's got a Manchester (NB) number I've no idea - but the local DVLA offices are all closed now so it's just a central pool of numbers. Before you'd get an age related local plate.

Still the overall registration process only took 2 weeks so it's not all bad...
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