Time can be kinder to some classic cars than to others, and it’s been pretty cruel in the case of this 1970 Mustang Mach 1. In its glory days, this was one of the most potent vehicles to wear the blue-oval badge. Now, it is a shadow of its former self. The big question will be whether someone is willing to return it to its original specifications. Barn Finder Larry D spotted the Mach 1 for us, so thank you for that, Larry. It is located in Beckley, West Virginia, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. The owner has set a BIN of $4,500, and you have to wonder whether the seventy-four people watching the auction are doing so out of genuine interest or morbid fascination.
The Marti Report for this classic makes interesting reading, and it also makes it harder to swallow what has happened to this Mach 1. It rolled off the production line wearing Bright Gold Metallic paint, complete with a Black hood stripe, Sport Slats, tinted glass, and styled steel wheels. It would’ve turned heads when it was new, but those days are a long way behind it. I’m not going to insult the intelligence of our readers by using lines like “that will buff out” because I don’t see this car as deserving of those types of jokes. It’s pretty evident that it has been in some kind of serious accident, and most of the desirable components that made this classic so special have been removed since then. The remains have been left to the ravages of the elements, and what remains of the shell is riddled with rust. I can spot the rear seat, but the remaining Ginger Knit upholstery is now gone. The interior was quite nicely equipped, with the original owner ordering the car with air conditioning, an AM radio, and Deluxe belts. That is only the entree because you needed to look below the surface to discover what made this car such an impressive performer. It seems that the original owner wasn’t merely interested in appearance or comfort because this Mach 1 started life with ground-pounding power at its disposal. The original 428 Cobra Jet Ram Air V8 would have been pumping out an “official” 335hp, which found its way to the 3.00 rear end via a C6 automatic transmission. Power steering would’ve made driving a breeze, while power front disc brakes would’ve provided adequate stopping power. Pointed at a ¼ mile, this Mustang should have romped through in around 14.6 seconds. All of that is now a distant memory, and it appears that it is a case of “what you see is what you get” with this old warhorse.
If this Mach 1 has any redeeming value, it is what we find in this photo. Not only are the VIN tags, including dash tag, buck tag, and both shock tower apron stamps intact, but the Mustang has a clean title and is still on a current registration. That leaves potential buyers with the option of recreating this classic from scratch, and while it is possible, it will take some patience and a fat wallet to do so. If there is a potential buyer out there with a drivetrain floating around that matches the Marti Report, a faithful replica is an option that they may consider. Either way, there’s an automotive mountain waiting to be scaled by the buyer.
As a person who is passionate about classic cars, seeing a vehicle like this 1970 Mustang Mach 1 makes me feel physically ill. The fact that I have a leaning towards Ford products merely exacerbates those feelings. Anyone who has any involvement in the classic car scene knows that it is inevitable that cars like this will surface occasionally, but that doesn’t make them any less painful to look at. With what you’ve seen of this Mustang, is it a project that you would be willing to tackle?
Ran when squarshed.
The vin tag is worth $4500.00
I’d take it for $4500. But the seller would have to give me cash up front.
Yeah, you’ll get monopoly money up front!
Clearly this is not for the car but for the tags to be used for a donor car.
I think this might be the most lakes I’ve ever seen on a barn finds post. Here, have another.
Can’t make words.
I see the seller has already been kind enough to cut out the bits of the car that are useful. The buyer can put them in their carry-on bag, fly home, and leave the rest.
It does beg the question – does the average BF reader really want to see these types of sales? The tired jokes have all been done and it really comes down to selling of VIN plates…
Say it with me… “ran when parked”…”it will buff out’… “I’m gonna fix it up one day”….” LS Swap”….
Crush it and put it out of our misery. The real car is gone,
Sad part of this is it has gone in for decades.
rustylink….
You kidding me? These jokes are gold baby…
Oopppss, just used a Sinfield joke….lol
This is a vin tag sale…nothing more nothing less
This car has an unusual story and I am surprised it is not posted. Nothing clever or funny to write.
My guess is this car was famous for a short time. On the front page of the local paper in a horrific crash. One look at the twisted body and it’s easy to see it’s a death car.
Shipping cost offered by parcel post using regular stamps. 😉
Give me the vins…to swap on your driving car now…
I was going to put to those in my VW bug…
“That leaves potential buyers with the option of recreating this classic from scratch”….
And when completed, think the guy who flips it is going to say, “here, let me show you pics of what all the tags were taken off of”……
Why post this crap which does nothing more than promote the fraudulent use of tags?
Nobody is going to go to the trouble of recreating this car from scratch. The VIN tags are going to end up on a Dynacorn body. No question.
They won’t go on a Dynacorn body, they will go on an original body, likely either an original 6 cylinder or 302 sports roof. Dynacorn body’s are not exact copies of an original, there are noticeable differences to the floorboards and bracing. They aren’t suitable for a high end “restoration” since any thorough inspection by a real expert would notice the differences thus bringing potentially legal jeopardy to the builder, what they are good for are pro touring cars.
Steve R
The point is, someone will re-body it, one way or another. That being said, the lack of available donor bodies is why Dynacorn bodies exist.
You are right, the lack of good bodies is why Dynacorn exists, but its not a viable default solution.
Steve R
There are plenty of perfectly good donor bodies, all the way up to concourse condition. All it takes is the will.
(Do you mean to say that stealing a car and changing the VIN is wrong and I shouldn’t have done that? I had no idea. Listen, let’s just let by-gones be by-gones. Had I known it was wrong I would not have done it several times.)
As far as the VIN tags go, transferring them to a Dynacorn body for a Pro-Touring project would indeed make more sense than a standard restoration, and Dynacorn can provide a Manufacturer Statement of Origin that can be taken to the DMV to assist in the registration process.
Somebody’s idea of a joke. Any scrapyard would only give you $5. for it.
Will Fox….
This is no joke, besides it comes with a sunroof!
$4,500? Does that include the cost of a stamp for mailing the VIN tag to the buyer?
Hopefully insured too😂
I believe this “car” was featured on this site a couple of years ago, he’s fishing.
Steve R
Even Mark Whorman couldn’t bring this one back to life even if he specialed in them….. this one has even left the graveyard.
Is it April 1st?
Only a complete tard would buy this POS. Selling the VIN only. Just another con artist.
Cold start video ? Compression test ? Would I be able to drive cross country ?
A scrapyard reject.
Like to know how it ended up in this condition.But it is in VW.
I’m guessing that area of WV uses/used scrap cars and trucks to hold up ditch banks and prevent erosion. That thing has the look of a long buried shell that surrendered it’s good parts many moons ago.
I think the speedometer and tachometer gauges are a little crooked.
Sounds like an Avanti.
Write up says it’s just a shadow of itself now. There isn’t enough left to cast a shadow.
Not a single panel on this car is straight, even the best bodymen have nothing to work with. You would need a straight part of the car to start with to correct the damage, but is all cockeyed. Shame too, I love seeing goners similar to this come back from the dead.
The seller certainly knows what he has…
They forgot to mention, “Fan replica of Eleanor from the original Gone in 60 seconds “.
More like gone in 51 years.
No comment.
That s#*t’ll buff out .
This does not even belong on BF
I didn’t know the Porsche junkyard clowns had branched out into Mustangs!
OK, I am not aware of any state in America where cutting a VIN off of one car and riveting it to another is illegal. The people running that company in Texas building 1967 GT500 Eleanor who went to Federal prison can attest to that.
But the funny part is that typically when people try and sell VIN tags for a illegal VIN swap, they HIDE the last 6 sequence numbers so nobody will know THIS car is a retagged VIN swap when it was done. I can assure you that the Cobra Jet registry has already been updated with this VIN number so everyone will know that after you “build” this fake Mach 1 it will not be worth the parts and labor you put into it. So…. you would have to be a really stupid person to buy this pair of VIN tags and build a car using them.
I just Googled the VIN, it doesn’t come up, which is a bit surprising since it’s in the eBay listing. When it appears there it will normally appear when you search the VIN number. As of right now, it’s history isn’t showing up.
Steve R
1970 Mustang 429 VIN 0T05R120458
How does that work? When I Googled the VIN numbers of three pre-seventeen digit vehicles all I get back is nonsense. What’s the trick?
1970 Mustang 429 VIN 0T05R120458
Thank you, I was going to do the same thing. Adding this page to the Internet Archive so the VIN will be preserved incase this car pops up again re-shelled on another auction site.
You wouldnae get four an’ a hauf large if you weighed it in; maybe a fiver if yer lucky.
How much is a tag worth, given that there’s loads of work in creating a replica?
The Beckley area is tough on cars! Our division of Westinghouse sent a new 1986 full-size Bronco with the 300 inch six and granny gear 4 speed to them and got it back on a trailer 6 months later. Everything ahead of the firewall was crushed back to the firewall! The engine was between the front seats and the transmission was in the back seat. Seems that the tech met up with a triaxle coal truck going the opposite direction on a one-lane mountain curve. He fared better, a broken collarbone injury. This Mustang may have suffered the same fate.
So bad that the people at BHCC winced.
Mach 1 is not the name of the car, but the speed it was going when it crashed.
Imagine what a good Clay bar would do to this car should buff right out
If I was a wealthy mustang guy I could see buying it for wall art in my mega garage. But the vin being cut out ruins the cool part of that story. Plus vin swapping is sketchy.
Vin swapping is ILLEGAL. Plus how would you like shelling out 59-100k on a fake? Karma is a bitch
What hit me?
Seller, has a lively sense of humor! But, some fool may just buy this.
Thats too trashed… Grab the VIN and that looks like around $3-400 of steel
We can rebuild it, better than it was before…The six million dollar car.
“This 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is a project vehicle. The owner has had it for 5+ years. The vehicle needs work.”
Ya think?
Yard art. Meanwhile invest in another vehicle.
Those VIN tags will show up on a clone which will be sold to some unsuspecting buyer for far too much money.
I know it’s a free site so I’ll try not to complain too much but why post this “non-car” or a beat up $12,500 Gremlin? I’ve submitted tips for a bunch of cool, reasonably-priced cars and they never make it to Barn Finds yet this stuff gets posted. I like this site but WTH?
My sentiments exactly.
Even the VIN plate is suspect here, how could it be in such perfect condition when the rest of the car is trashed so badly, also even though I am NOT a Mustang historian, I believe that after 1964 ALL US vehicle VIN plates were mandated to be attached by rosette rivets. Copied from The Camaro Forum: https://www.camaros.net/threads/are-vin-rosette-rivits-illegal-to-sell.209995
Jan 22, 2016 · Because state law in Michigan apparently prohibits the sale. 750.415 (5) A person shall not knowingly possess, buy, deliver, or offer to buy, sell, exchange, or give away any manufacturer’s vehicle identification number plate, federal safety certification label, antitheft label, posident die stamps, secretary of state vehicle identification label, rosette rivet, or any facsimile thereof.
you mean like on Graveyard Cars where he takes the VIN plate off and sends it separate from the car to the new owner?
VIN swapping is ILLEGAL. You legally cannot make a 6 cyl or a SB 302 into something it didn’t come with, like the 428CJ.
Did that all happen in one wreck?
Why pay for a Marti report on something like this?
Is it just me, or is it a bit rough?
I think this is a case of stupid laws making it necessary to scrounge up a VIN in order to register a car. I guess every state is different and I have heard of perfectly good cars not being driven because thes is no paper trail allowing the vehicle to be registered.
The VIN plates are what you are buying here folks.
Needs detailing.
MUCH better looking than a Citreon! 😆
The auction has ended. Must of found a sucker, I mean buyer!
What is sad is that someday someone will buy this vin. tag and put it on a mis represented clone and sell it to some one as the real deal.
I don’t know is “sad” is the word, seller and new buyer will both be Happy!
Sad because its dishonest
Buy the VIN tags and title. Steal a nice specimen, swap the VIN tags, and ship it overseas with the good title before the theft can even be reported. I’m sure there are those with the connections to make that happen. Is there any other reason for buying them?
Quite a few laughable comments. Let me guess the seller is waiting for the FORD version of Graveyard Cars. Where the owner has the VIN and the original Driver’s side wiper blade. Presto! Show quality MACH1.
Just jack up the radiator cap and install a new car under it. Oh, wait, the cap is gone too? Never mind.
More honest than the price at some of these auctions! 😆
Come on BF, this is an insult not worthy to be featured anywhere. Not even a scrap yard would take it for free.
My first reaction is “why take up space with crap like this?” But after seeing many comments, I’m assuming it was for some sort of entertainment? Still, why?
In 1970* [and newer], all new vehicles sold in the USA had a minimum of FIVE VIN locations, some of them hidden. As someone who was in Law Enforcement I am familiar with some of the hidden locations. These locations were generally not released to the public, only to law enforcement. *Possibly earlier than 1970, I don’t know.]
Years ago I had a Range Rover in my shop. When I went to order parts, the VIN on the car came back as from an earlier Land Rover, not Range Rover. So I called a long time friend at Range Rover of North America [only about 20 miles from my shop], in Landover, MD. My friend said there was a report of a stolen Range Rover matching the description, and he said I should disconnect the battery for an hour, then re-connect the battery. The next step was to turn the ignition on, then turn the radio on. It had a theft deterrrent, and he said to enter the number 1661 using the radio push buttons. The radio came to life. He said “call the cops!”
I Called local Police who sent over a detective who brought with her a book she said was filled with hidden VIN stamp locations. She checked the right rear frame and found the location where the VIN had been cut out and replaced with sheet metal, then undercoated.
The vehicle was then transported to the police station. By the time I arrived, they had a warrant to inspect the car further. I was allowed to observe because I was a former member of law enforcement.
She then unscrewed several screws on the xxxx xxxxx xxxx* along the rear xxxxx xxxxx*, and popped the xxxx xxxxx xxxx* off. Bingo! Stamped VIN that matched a stolen Range Rover. *Self censoring as I don’t know if I can print the info. I have always assumed it was the match to the one my friend at Land Rover had mentioned.
I heard later on that numerous stolen weapons were found hidden in the vehicle as well!
Amazing how the police would be that “on it” concerning a stolen car. Must have been years ago like you said.
In the mid 1980s I was trailering a red & silver Cougar XR-7 with the CJ(?) Hi-Po 428, back to my shop outside Washington DC. I stopped at a gas station along the interstate [I-68?] and a guy came over from the station’s shop area. He said he had a local family member who tried to race a train in the nearby valley with a SCJ or CJ big block Mustang [I don’t remember which]. Said the Mustang and driver didn’t make it across the grade crossing.
He ran back to the shop and returned with a framed newspaper account of the crash, and a photo in the paper showed what was left of the car. It’s been too long since I saw the newspaper article to identify if they were the same, but I can say the car looked a lot like what we see here.
The new owner should do some investigating.
If an “extra” unidentifiable VIN plate is present, it might be from the train.
In the time frame you mentioned, what today is Interstate 68 was known as U.S. 48, a patchwork of four-lane Interstate and two-lane U.S.40. It runs from I-79 near Morgantown, West Virginia, to I-70 near Hancock, Maryland.
Today, as then, it remains a highway that favors vehicles with a high power to weight ratio, and good brakes.
Dave,
I guess I had forgotten some of the more terrifying aspects of that trip, and yep, I was sweating some of that trip’s steep grades!
Bill McCoskey
Great story. We will never know for sure but looking at pics of car ….
Thanks
I am surprised that some of the ebay flippers on this site have not said it’s a low mileage one owner survivor.
Does anyone know if those are factory valve covers and air cleaner.
The seller should have sold this PRIVATELY so that the buyer could re-body or do whatever they wanted to with the “Stainless” and paperwork.
Selling what’s left of this car on EBAY has significantly DEVALUED the “Stainless and Paperwork” to anyone who intends to fix this car as any Google search will now show up with the auction price and pictures of the “Stainless” cut out of the car
That’s what happens when ya git GREEDY!
You make DUMB DECISIONS!
REALLY????
What a waste of space.
Are those valve covers factory.
Forget it, the heater core has a leak!
Seriously ? What Moron put that pile of scrap up for sale
If nothing else, this vehicle posting brought out some interesting comments to read!
If you buy this car to restore at least you will know there is nothing hidden as it could not get any worse!
Did not know that vultures ate metal!
“If you think you hate it now, wait till you drive it.”
Ran when parked? Needs TLC?
ring ring…..ring ring….Hello….Dynacorn?
James 427, I think you meant to say that there is no state in America where it is NOT illegal to switch VIN plates.
Junk.
$4500 the seller is giving it away! Would have been nice to have the wheels and tires. A couple of weekends and this gem will be in showroom condition maybe!lol
A re-body and transfer of tags onto ANOTHER car. ILLEGAL!!!!!
BIN for a VIN plain and simple.
why would you let this person advertise this
what are these people thinking what a joke
It’s interesting to note that a piece of twisted metal can promote such spirited and interesting discussion plus humour yet an expensive complete car is sometimes overlooked in this forum.
For $4500 you can Make-A-Fake.
Clones? Tributes? Nah….Fakes
Shame on BarnFind for helping perpetrate what is likely to be a misrepresented car
Jay Bree,
It’s more like Barn Finds featuring this car along with it’s VIN, will make it really hard to re-create the vehicle without the builder telling the future buyer the real history of the vehicle.
It’s likely the VIN for this car will be added to various car club vehicle lists. Any person willing to pay big money for this car should check the VIN before purchase. If they don’t, they can only blame themselves.
It’s situations like this that I wish vehicle titles could have additional information added, much like real estate property titles have specific areas to add information.