12-07-2020, 11:01 AM
Hey everybody! Thought I'd introduce myself and my recently purchased big horse. Me, I had a 1973 coupe 351C back in my teenage days in the late 80's in north east Florida. What a great car to have as an awkward teenager! The car was WAY more cool and better known than I was for sure. I had a blast in it though. In my early twenties while I lived in Baltimore Maryland I bought two more coupes, one of which I owned twice, bought it the second time from my ex wife. Oddly enough, neither of these cars made me a teenager again. lol. Now, at age 52 and back in my home state of Kentucky where I have been for the last 36 years, I decided to buy another Mustang and it had to be a '71-'73, Coupe or Mach 1. (I dig em both) So after some internet researching, ALMOST buying an Arizona car sight unseen but deciding I just couldn't do it and looking at a couple fairly close to home and realizing I had to at least double the WAY too low budget of $10k I had set for myself (just to keep the friction from my wife low) My wife and myself set out the Friday after Thanksgiving with seven Mustangs for sale on a list here in Kentucky and in Ohio. While on the road we found a few more on the internet in Illinois and Missouri but could only get replies back from two of the owners in Missouri in time to see the cars before we had to be home on Sunday Evening. So far, of the seven (one of them driving five and a half hours out of the way to NW Ohio to see a Mach 1 that was supposedly a nice car in good condition that turned out to be a heap that wouldn't even stay running (actually died several times on the test drive and barely was even able to get it back to his place) and was all over the road when it did run and the guy wanted in the mid $20k's for it, only one car was near what I was looking for condition wise at a price I'd consider. So two more to see in Missouri, the first one a '73 coupe with 14k original miles (yes, I believe it really was). Decent car but not as pristine as one would think for 14,000 miles but priced somewhat reasonably for a car with a few garage dents and probably no maintenance for twenty years. He still had the title in the original owners name signed on the back that I don't think was ever registered in his name (unless maybe that's how they did it in Missouri 20 years ago) and it has only 2,000 more miles now than it shows on that title, and a (MY) Mach 1. About 1900 miles, five states and nine cars in three days (VERY much social distancing of course) and the Mach WON me over. I also have a few other pretty cool rides and can turn a wrench but I am in no way a skilled mechanic or knowledgeable much beyond the basics. My other toys include a 1956 Ford F100 bbw (Bought it somewhat disassembled this year and just getting around to getting it started to see what all I need to do mechanically before I reassemble it to enjoy it in as is condition before a total restoration in a few years), a 1978 Kenworth A model rat rod/resto mod semi truck, a lifted 2002 Jeep TJ and a couple of Harley Davidsons. My daughter says she won't inherit much money when I'm gone but she'll get some cool toys.
So, my Mach 1, It's a White 1972, was originally a 351C car BUT now it's powered by a BUILT 429 Super Cobra Jet stroked out to 521 C.I. producing around 630 hp on pump gas. Definitely not a perfect car but when I first saw it I figured it would be the one I'd buy, when I heard it run and drove it I think my wife may have had to wipe drool off my chin so the sellers wouldn't know they could jack the price up five grand and I'd still buy it. To make it even better the sellers have kids that live a couple hours away from me and would be going to visit Friday and would meet me just a little over an hour away from where I live with the car so I didn't even have to drive the five and a half hours one way to get the car (although I'm always up for a road trip! lol). In KY when we buy a car from out of state we have to have it inspected by the county sheriffs department which includes verifying the vin. So I stop on my way home with the car on the trailer to have it inspected. While the lady from the the sheriffs office was inspecting it there were a couple of deputy sheriffs admiring the car. One of them jokingly says they're gonna need to hear it run and I just laughed it off, not really wanting to display the how built and kinda loud this car is to the present company. Meanwhile, a few of the girls that work in the licensing department in the courthouse had come to the door looking at the car and the same deputy said the girls want to hear the car run. So, with hesitation, I jokingly admitted that I wasn't real sure I should do that in present company (cops) but did. While I was just letting it idle the deputy says to me. "I know ya want to so lets hear it" so I obliged. It was well taken and hopefully no future damage done to my good driving record. lol.