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1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Garage Find!

Your pulse quickens as you hear someone a couple of seats away at the bar …Ol’ Harvey Svoboda’s got one of them Match One Mustangs in his garage. Mint condition! Ain’t moved in 30 years!” Suddenly, getting the bartender’s digits slips off your to-do list and it’s Game On. “Barkeep, another round for my friend! Tell me more about that Mustang.” We don’t know the story behind this 1970 Mustang Mach 1 in San Francisco, California, but its recent trip to the Internet may have started in a similar fashion. The listing here on Facebook Marketplace is about par for the course there, with low-resolution pictures and a spartan description, a blurry Marti Report, and no pictures or description of the engine. Meeting the $26,000 asking price for what we see and read on this non-operable no-title Mustang seems far from a no-brainer, but this is one sharp pony car with lots of potential.

With layers of dust removed, the Medium Lime paint shines! Sadly the GT wheels do not come with the sale, but some “rollers” will get this fine Ford onto your trailer. The Mach 1 package could be combined with numerous V8 engines, and (judging by the air cleaner shown below and the barely-legible Marti Report) this one left the factory with a 351 cid (5.8L) Cleveland V8 topped by a two-barrel carburetor.

A three-speed FMX automatic transmission handles the gear changes. Power front disc brakes and power steering ease the driving chores, though driving this sweet ’70 will be no chore for Mustang lovers.

The black stripes contrast sharply against the bold Lime paint. Though not a hatchback, the Sport Deck rear seat folds forward for transporting large items. The 3.00 gear set should make for decent acceleration and reasonable highway cruising.

What looks like the correct “Ivy Green Clarion Knit Corinthian Vinyl” looks decent for 110,000 miles of wear. Was the vinyl harvested from the hills surrounding Corinth? We think not. Luckily this car wasn’t picked over by parts vultures during its long slumber. We’d all love to rewind some months and become the person who found this car and offered it a second life. With that option off the table, we can only hope that whoever does take ownership puts it back on the road in short order. In my opinion, acquiring a title is the seller’s job, but someone will overlook that flaw and more to own this well-kept Ford. Can you see yourself driving this double-green Mustang?

Comments

  1. Avatar Steve R

    For the asking price I’d expect the car to have a title in the sellers name. If not, there isn’t likely to be much of a paper trail if you run into trouble with the DMV.

    San Francisco used to be a great hunting ground for cars. There is limited street parking and most garages were three cars deep and often two cars wide. More than a few cars that would have been parked outside when they had problems got pushed to the back of the garage. Rust can be a problem, but that’s normally on the western edge of the city, the ocean fog doesn’t normally penetrate over the hills into the Easter part of the city.

    It’s pricey, but worth a look by someone serious about finding an early Mach 1.

    Steve R

    Like 16
    • Avatar Tom Wasney

      Lots of old cars in parking decks also languishing away waiting for discovery and rebirth in SF…!!!

      Like 1
    • Avatar JBD

      Someone found an original Jag E Type lightweight Aluminum bodied car as a barn find in SF. It sold from a dealer in the 1970s for $5k, now valued at over $1M!

      Like 0
  2. Avatar Stang left coral

    No title not running with rust but no underneath pictures snd keeping wheels.

    Gosh i hope the keys aren’t extra along with back seat .

    Good luck on the flip and with sell and if it sell then you can get one running for similar price with title .

    Like 4
    • Avatar Steve R

      Undercarriage rust isn’t an issue on cars from this area unless they were parked long term on dirt/grass or the windows leaked. Locally listed ads rarely show pictures of floors since it’s typically not an issue. A serious buyer would ask for pictures and they should then be provided, but it’s not worth reading too much into their absence at this point.

      Steve R

      Like 2
  3. Avatar JBD

    Worst combos with Green/puke green and a 2v motor/auto.
    Probably worth resto but not for anywhere near $25k, more like $10-15k.

    Like 8
  4. Avatar Steve

    I’ve alway liked that period-perfect Hot Wheels-correct Lime color!

    Like 7
  5. Avatar Roy L

    Maybe you could get a title for the car and then again maybe not.

    Like 2
  6. Avatar Tom Wasney

    My father called a neighbor’s new mach1 a machine 1…. 😀

    Like 3
  7. Avatar Mike_B_SVT

    I say put it back together and throw some Magnums on it, getting running and braking properly, then drive it as is!

    Like 2
  8. Avatar JBD

    I used to buy these mach1s running for $500-1500 tops. Sad to see the market go crazy!

    Like 4
    • Avatar Steve R

      The market has changed a lot in 40 years. Since the early-80’s, when these cars were common it was hard to find Mach 1’s in decent condition for that price. Most of the desirable cars that sold for those prices were already destined to wind up in a wrecking yard.

      Steve R

      Like 2
    • Avatar Mike_B_SVT

      JBD, the XR-7 was not really a trim package, it was considered a separate model from the Standard Cougar. They have different body codes in the VIN.

      Like 0
  9. Avatar Chuck

    2 bbl carb, hahahahaha.
    Ford was ahead of its time selling poser cars that looked fast, but weren’t.

    Like 1
    • Avatar Tom Wasney

      I had a 63 Monterey convertible that had a 390 with a two barrel carb,the torque was more than sufficient to move that big ass boat along post haste….!!!

      Like 2
      • Avatar chuck

        Tom, a Mach 1 was marketed as a muscle car. 351-2 bbl is not a muscle car.

        Like 3
      • Avatar JBD

        The mach 1 was a initially a trim package, just like the R-7 was a trim package on the Cougar. The base mach 1 motor was the 351-2V.

        Like 0
    • Avatar Norm Reyome

      Ir was back when you could order what you wanted, and they would make it. Now it’s white, silver, or black with a grey interior.

      Like 2
  10. Avatar Carlton Firestine

    Well a lot of money for a lot of work. That said; the 1970 Mustang Mach 1 is my favorite car of all time. I remember as a teenager getting a ride in a yellow Mach 1. Love ever since. I’m 61 now (ugh) and still have a great love for the 70’s styling and this car.

    Like 4
  11. Avatar Tooyoung4heyday Member

    Quite a few friends with 70 Mach’s, 428’s and stroked Clevelands. As many of the 69-70 cars you see around, this doesn’t seem a terribly common color. I dig it, something different. I’ve actually got my ear open on a 70 Boss 302 in this color that’s supposed to be pretty rough. I say ear as I have not yet seen the car. It’s within a circle of friends of mine. Owner isn’t sure what to do with it at this point. Would be neat to have, a little stand out at car shows. Car is barn kept, hopefully get to see it this spring, and hopefully it’s not as rough as he thinks it is.

    Like 2

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