This Restored 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Has One Gem Of A Story
This ex-drag racing muscle car underwent full surgery from a diehard classic Ford pony car enthusiast with a fantastic final result.
The Ford Mustang is one of the best-selling muscle cars ever made, and among the many generations of the blue-oval classic muscle cars, the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is without a doubt one of the most iconic Mustang models of all time.
Ford built the Mach 1 to directly compete with the Chevy Camaros, Plymouth Barracudas, and Pontiac Firebirds of that day, and since then, the Ford Mustang Mach 1 has gained legendary status.
That legendary status is one of the reasons gearheads love the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1, with YouTuber Junkcar Willy showing in his latest video just how beautiful a properly restored ’69 Mach 1 looks on display at the Earth Angel car show in Ohio.
This is no ordinary Mach 1 show car though as Willy learns about the storied past of this ex-drag racing car.
The 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Had Four Different V8 Engine Options
One of the main selling points of the first-generation model was the wide variety of options and features available on the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1, with four different engine trims available. Junkcar Willy walks right up to the gorgeous red and gold ’69 SportsRoof i.e. Fastback and gives a closeup view of the 351 Windsor V8 engine. The 5.8-liter mount puts down up to 290 hp and 385 lb-ft of torque.
The owner of the car reveals that when he bought the car it had the 428 Super Cobra Jet engine installed as it got used for drag racing. The 7.0-liter V8 Super Cobra Jet engine has a conservative rating of 335 hp but made upwards of 400 hp in reality. The other engine options available in the ’69 Mach 1 were the 351 Cleveland V8 and the 6.4-liter FE V8 engine, both formidable in their own right.
How Much Is A 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Worth Today?
Junkcar Willy gets the scoop on the car with the owner informing him he replaced every nut and bolt on the car after he bought it in 1984. He put over 3 years of work into rebuilding the car including spot-welding an entire new front end. The owner took pictures of the entire rebuild process and Willy looks amazed at the level of detail shown in the owner’s photo album.
The owner went as far as tracking down the original numbers-matching Windsor V8 engine and re-installing it to keep the car as original as possible. With the cost of a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 in this kind of restored condition possibly upwards of $100,000 today, Willy thinks that is time and effort well spent.
Credits: Eric King / Hotcars
