1973 Ford Mustang

Mach 1 Fastback

351 Cleveland (Q Code) Cobra Jet

Custom Ford AOD ( 4 speed automatic w/overdrive)

Clear

Before you bid or purchase any Muscle Car or Classic Car here is a bit of advice from someone who has been in the hobby for over thirty five years. Look at the car VERY carefully. Go online and look at lots of examples to see what they are supposed to look like. Is the car a correct color for that particular year? Does it have the correct grill and trim for that year and model? Does it have desirable options like a Rim Blow Steering Wheel or other features? Here is a big one on Mustangs, does it have the correct color scheme and striping for that year? Mach 1s used different striping for different years, the difference in overall value of a correct car down the road could be significant. I bring this up because I have known this car, and how it has been treated from the day it was purchased. That was why I bought it fifteen years ago. This car was purchased by the original owner at Gray's Ford in Reading, Massachusetts in June of 1973. Since this was to be the last of the big Mustangs he ordered it the way he wanted it. Since he was a Mechanical Engineer he was pretty specific as to what he wanted. This is not a trailer queen and was built to be driven and enjoyed. Options on the car were as follows- 351 Cobra Jet Engine (Q Code) C6 Selectshift automatic transmissionLimited Slip DifferentialDual Exhaust Power SteeringPower Disc Brakes Instrumentation GroupRim-Blow Steering WheelConsoleAM/FM Stereo with 8Track PlayerMach 1 PackageMach 1 Sports Interior OptionFold down rear seat with pass through doorColor Keyed Racing MirrorsTuTone Hood with twist type hood lock pinsOptional Gold Glow Poly PaintGinger Interior At that time, the top performance option was the Q Code or Cobra Jet. When the car arrived it was okay but certainly not the fire breather he had expected it to be. He drove the car sparingly and never in the winter months and started to work on it. He raided the Ford Parts books and purchased everything he needed to add functional Ram Air to the car. (For the record, due to EPA certifications in 1973 the Ram Air was only available from the factory on the 351 Cleveland 2V). Along with this he added an Edelbrock Aluminum Intake and a Holley Carb. Since he had the intake out of the car he added a BOSS 351 spec cam and the BOSS 351 finned aluminum valve covers. The heads and bottom end have never been modified. The original 4V heads that were installed on the car at the factory are still on it. He ordered a set of Hooker Super Comp full length headers and backed them up with a set of Corvair turbo mufflers. I replaced the headers in 2002 and was lucky enough to find a guy in Hooker's Engineering Department that remembered where the original prints were, so they made me another set. The final addition was a new exhaust system with Flowmaster Mufflers. The car had been equipped with 14 inch forged aluminum wheels from the factory, he ordered the 15 Inch Factory "Ford Script" Magnum 500 wheels and 60 series tires. Because of the fold down back seat option the car has the original "mini spare" and the original freon inflation canister. I would not inflate the spare due to its age but it is cool and original. I always carried a spare from my 65 Mustang just to be safe. Once it was done he left it pretty much alone and enjoyed it. In the mid 90's he had Transmission and Performance of Wakefield, Massachusetts build him a custom Ford AOD four speed automatic transmission with overdrive. This allows the car to run at about 70 mph with an engine speed of right around 2100 rpm. To see videos of the car please go to YouTube and search "StarrySkiesRanch". You can select from one of four videos currently on the site. To answer the question, he did not save the factory parts, no idea what happened to them. The only very minor issue is a seam in the headliner that has a very small separation over the back seat. I would have replaced the headliner but when I looked into it the back window had to be removed to change it. For fear of damaging it and destroying the rear window seal, I left it alone. When people look at the Driver's door they sometimes notice a small gap at the top of the door at the window line, this was done at the factory when the door was bucked up to be spot welded and never caught. The seams at the top of the sail panels where they meet the roof panel have a very slight wave where the line mechanic applied the lead to the seam, which again is factory workmanship. I learned that when you show these cars, the factory workmanship is perfectly acceptable and only adds authenticity to the car. If a car has been repainted these are usually sanded out which is a mistake. Since this is an almost totally original paint car and it is forty one years old, there are a couple of small chips, overall the paint is gorgeous, I can send you photos if it helps. I bought the car in September of 1999 with just over 83,000 miles on it. I did some detailing and added a set of KYB shocks. Other than that the car is pretty much as Keith built it. It has always been kept in a dark garage and since I have owned it has only been in the rain once when we got caught in a shower at the All Ford Nationals. This is a very original car and has never been cut up for speakers or stereos. It was never rusty or has it ever been patched or had panels reworked. It is a WONDERFUL car out on the road and is very comfortable. It has won numerous awards and was never driven in the winters. I moved to Texas ten years ago and the car is always parked in a windowless garage. The car has been on a diet of Mobil 1 since it was introduced and I have continued the practice. I had planned on keeping this car until the end of my days but at the age of 60 my wife and I have adopted our three grandsons, they are 10, 7, and 5 and need the chance for a future. Since I want to be able to have them go to college when the time comes, my wife and I have decided to sell the Mustang now to start a college fund for them. This is a really great car and we have enjoyed it for 15 years. We know you will be happy with it as long as you own it. Happy Bidding. SHIPPING NOTE- I live on a ranch 70 miles west of Austin, Texas. If you should buy the car and want it shipped, I can take it to my office in Cedar Park, Texas where it can be picked up usually for less than a Johnson City, Texas pickup. On Jun-04-14 at 13:39:24 PDT, seller added the following information: