There can be many casualties of a relationship breakdown, and the fact that this 1973 Mustang Mach 1 has only 39,000 genuine miles on the odometer is one of the more unusual consequences of such a situation. Due to a relationship breakdown, the car was parked in 1978, and it has only just emerged from hibernation. It is located in Waterford, Michigan, and is now looking for a new home. You will find it listed for sale here on eBay, where bidding has now reached $2,850.

The Mach 1 is finished in Medium Bright Yellow and has a Black vinyl top. The paint is definitely showing its age and doesn’t hide the fact that the car has suffered some accident damage in the past. The driver’s side quarter panel has undergone a repaint as a result of this, while the front fender on the passenger side has also been replaced. It’s a 1st generation Mustang, so it is no huge surprise that the car also has some rust issues that will need to be addressed. The worst of these is in the rear frame rails, although they don’t look to be too bad. The battery tray has also rotted, but the frame rail beneath is unaffected. There are also a couple of small holes in the trunk pan, but the rockers, floors, torque boxes, and the front frame rails are all said to be good.

Generally speaking, the Mustang’s Black interior presents quite reasonably. The seats, headliner, and the majority of the trim look to be quite good. Downsides include a crack in the dash pad and the fact that the door trims and rear parcel tray have been cut to fit aftermarket speakers. There are apparently some issues with the under-dash wiring, but it isn’t clear how extensive these are, or how they impact the operation of the vehicle and its accessories. Given the fact that this car is more a luxury car than a high-performance model, the inclusion of factory air conditioning should help to make life a bit more pleasant on those warmer days.

Powering the Mustang is the venerable 351ci Cleveland V8, producing 177hp. This power is sent to the rear via a 3-speed FMX transmission, while the Mustang also features power steering and power brakes. After sitting for more than four decades there is going to be some work required before this Mach 1 is fit to grace the road again. However, the engine does run on an external fuel source, and the car will move under its own power. The gas tank has been cleaned and sealed at some point in the past but has never been hooked back up. Due to the rotted battery tray, the car has to be started on an external jumper pack, so this will also need to be repaired. The engine wears a 4V intake and a brand new Holley carburetor, but the original 2-barrel intake and carburetor are included in the sale. There are a few other mechanical issues that will need to be attended to, the most obvious of these being a leaking power steering hose, so all of that should be enough to keep the next owner occupied for a while.

This Mustang Mach 1 is going to need some work, but the photos and description provided by the owner tend to indicate that it is a relatively solid car. By 1973, these were no longer a bitumen-burning proposition, but they were still a relatively comfortable and effortless cruiser. They are not a car that will command the sorts of high prices that other Mustang variants will, but a really nicely restored example will run out for between $30,000 and $40,000, depending on which option boxes the original owner chose to tick. This would appear to be another of those project cars that we see that would be a financially viable proposition if the next owner is willing to undertake as many tasks as possible for themselves. The fact that it is a Mach 1 with such low mileage would seem to make it worth the effort.