1973 MACH ONE

[Russ]

Okay guys I am back and I want to show some progress that I got this will be a page that I will be adding too in the future and want everyone to hit me back with something they like and dislike about what I have done there are also some pics that I need advice on.


  The first pic is when My wife got it and brought it home while I was still in Iraq you can see the rust( IN RED) and the nasty trailer hitch that the guy that had it before me but on there to pull his golf cart.

  When I got her, she was in good shape for 73 limited rust, great running motor and drive train, and interior that only had a few flaws. I really thought this car would be done time soon and I could get it on the road....... but after some looking and being able to tear it down and really start to look at it I saw that she was going to be a good challenge.

  I first took that ball hitch off and those mud flaps pretty easy even for me. The next question I had was to redo the vinyl top or just take it off. It was a hard one to think about since the car was so close to factory I didn’t want to lose any value of the car, since that year itself wasn’t a big collector car I didn’t want to start taking money from my own pocket and paying to have that thing put back on there, since most people would find it to look better off. Really was a good choice, I think.

[Russ]

As you can tell I had rust on both quarters which is normal in any case of old cars, but it wasn’t as bad as I have seen but still bad enough to really want to take care of them. I wasn’t sure how to take care of that issue I am not a welder and not sure where even to start, so I got some help from a couple of dad’s buddies to help me make the right choice.

 Well I found a good deal so I went ahead and ordered them.  As you could guess while I was working on them or looking at them as my dad would like to call it, I saw that my back window seal was old of course and had a small leak in it. Well, since I couldn’t do anything with the quarters until they got here I went ahead and tried to fix that window. I knew that the car was going to be in garage and would not be rained on but I figured why not.

  So, I took it out and fix it right up, but when I put it in the bottom right side( as you are looking at) didn’t want to seal right my dad told me that it would fix itself after awhile and some sun it would help it seat and I guess it did.  I never dumped water on it to try it but it looks better, and I will make sure before it ever sees a night in the open.

[Russ]

Well I knew the paint was old and kind of ugly if you asked me 5A light sliver pewter, so I wanted to get it off of there since it was going to have to get a fresh coat anyway.  I want to paint it back factory for the fact that you can trace it but think I might add a little funk to it like the ram air being outlined or something I don’t know yet. As I started to take that paint off I saw a lot more bondo in it than I would have liked too. I know all cars have bondo in them but when you are trying to get the paint flying off of there to get some new stuff on it is a real moral breaker to see it.

  Another thing that I started to see was all the little bumps nicks that this girl has taken over the years, which I am sure you all know started to break me down. I already had to get this quarters done what else was I going to have to do when all the paint was removed?

  The first pic is of the rear driver side by the rear deck lid which looks like something feel on it or a ninja was using his kumchuks way to close, either way it was going the only bondo job on this car,HAHAHAHAHA.

 Well as sanding went on so did my drinking and it made for a great time until I found some more spots that needed my attention, to include my arm.

  As the days went on sanding just like the Army got easier but I still needed to stay focused and get it done.

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[mustanger]

Hi,rentascout how u been looks like you did a lot of work since i saw it when you first got it.But i saw it had a vinyl top at one time on it.Are you sure it is a true mach one as I never saw one with a vinyl top before.Also check on the left door jam and you will find every thing about the car with the serial number and codes.As i found mine when i got my 72 mach 1.Let me know what you find out.Good luck.

[Thierry]

It looks like you are doing a great job restoring your Mustang.
I didn't realize that but Mustanger might be right about the vinyl top. I never heard about them being on a Mach1. If your car is a real Mach1 and came from the factory with a vinyl top you may have a rare Mustang.
I did find a 72 Mach1 with a vinyl top while searching the web so it might be a rare option.

[Thierry]

Have you looked around at local community colleges or high schools to get your sheet metal fixed by students? Here you can bring your car and have it fixed for a great price and I am sure, the students and teachers would rather work on a 1973 Mustang like yours than an old beat up Honda Civic.

[Russ]

Thierry that is a great idea I haven't thought of that one yet with the school shops, I will have to look into it and see what might happen.

  As far as the top there did make them all my numbers match but you cannot tell that it had it on there by running the numbers.  I called ford to find out why and they informed me that they made them but it was just like luck of the draw, it was like they took 1500 cars and said put it on them.

  I know it might be nicer but it is ugly and that is something even myself will be willing to take a hit on,lol. The top to me is something that just like most people on here would think that is cannot be a real mustang, but it is I will post a pic of they driver side door and let everyone see and it shows nothing about the top. Keep the news flowing. STANG OUT