The 1969 Mach 1 was the car that sounded the death knell for the Mustang’s GT version. The GT had been the effective “go-to” alternative for those seeking an affordable high-performance factory Mustang, but the Mach 1 decimated its sales. Ford quietly retired the GT badge at the end of the year, and it didn’t grace the flanks of another Mustang until 1982. This Mach 1 is a rock-solid project candidate, and its engine bay houses an upgraded V8 promising lightning-fast performance. The seller has decided that after a year in their care, it needs a new home and an owner willing to do it justice. Therefore, the Mustang is listed here on eBay in Trenton, Florida. They set a BIN of $23,000 but may entertain offers.
The history of this Mustang is unclear, but there are two things to note about its appearance. The first is that the seller candidly states that the paint is pretty ordinary. The second is that I believe it has undergone a color change at some point. The Silver gracing its panels isn’t original, but if I am right about the change, the job was thorough, including the trunk interior and the internal steel. However, carefully examining the photos revealed a single area showing Candy Apple Red. I may be wrong, but I believe it wore that shade when it rolled off the line. The new owner will probably strip the exterior to bare metal as part of their build, but they won’t need to spend time or money on rust repairs. The seller acknowledges that the inner and outer rear quarters have been replaced. The rest of the steel seems original, and underside shots confirm that the floors, torque boxes, rails, and trunk pan, are rock-solid. New parts include the bumpers, windshield, and fuel tank. Overall, it appears the new owner should be able to tackle many of this classic’s cosmetic needs in a home workshop utilizing more time than money.
The original owner ordered this Mach 1 with the M-Code 351ci V8 that delivered 290hp and 385 ft/lbs of torque. This fed to the road via a three-speed automatic transmission, making this classic a spirited performer. Those figures are largely irrelevant because that 351 is a distant memory. The engine bay now houses a 429ci monster of 1969 vintage, but the new owner will need to bolt in the transmission. The condition and specifications of the replacement motor are unclear, although the fresh paint suggests it may have received a recent rebuild. Either that or someone “made merry” with the old rattle cans! Life can offer adventures, and that is the case with this Mustang. If the 429 is in good health, it is fair to expect this car to improve on its original ¼-mile ET of 15.1 seconds.
The seller admits this Mustang is a “what you see is what you get” proposition. The interior is missing items like the factory clock and some plastic trim pieces. The seats feature mismatched covers, and the door trims sport some damage. A complete retrim would seem the sensible approach to achieving a consistent result, but it will lighten the buyer’s wallet by around $1,800. However, the finished product should last decades and represent a sound investment when the subject turns to this car’s potential future value.
It is easy to see why Ford dropped its Mustang GT badge at the end of 1969. Total GT sales for 1968 had been 17,458 cars, but this figure plummeted to 5,396 in 1969. The Mach 1 sold up a storm that year, with 72,458 buyers handing over their hard-earned cash to park one in their driveway. That made the demise inevitable, and the Mach 1’s success is more noteworthy considering that, unlike the GT, it was only available as a Fastback. This one needs work but is a solid foundation for a project build. It isn’t numbers-matching, but that isn’t necessarily bad. It allows the new owner scope to create the car of their dreams without copping flack for molesting an original classic. Is that enough to convince you to pursue this Mach 1 further?
In that era car models had more inventive and colorful names, like the Mach 1, Swinger, and Demon. Now we get names like the Impreza and MDX.
I had a 69 Mach 1, the more photos i see on this the worse it gets!!
The reason the transmission isn’t installed is likely because as far as I can tell from my vintage Hollander’s Junkyard Interchange Manuals the 351 transmission won’t interchange with anything I can find that fits with a 429. If it’s the original transmission from the 351, it’s almost guaranteed not to bolt up to a 429.
I’m not a Ford man, so I don’t know for sure, my only Ford (of 9 toys) is a 1943 Ford GPW Jeep that was built by my cousin with mostly 42 Willys parts and a SBC motor.
Correct. In 1969 the 351 offered was the from Windsor series which includes the 289 & 302’s. The 429 is a different engine family that bolts to the same bell housing the 351/400M series used. You can Google the information but most everything I saw when I did is incorrect.
You are correct, the transmission from a 351W will not bolt up to a 429. The later 289, 302, 351W and 351C all share the same bellhousing bolt pattern. The 351M, 400M, 429 and 460 share the same bellhousing bolt pattern. But they are two different patterns and do not interchange.
Im going to say hats off to this seller. He will work on the price to move it, and his BiN is not too bad either. How many $30k for rusty husks (like the 67 fastback) with no motor or tranny’s have we seen come through of late. Just swap the transmission out, either trade or sell the old one as it too has value. Decent car to make into a great build. Well done on this one.
Another great write up on a classic Mustang Adam. Koodles to you sir! You are right in your statement that “life is an adventure.” To finish this project would be an adventure indeed. But alas, some of us are too old now. Finally, I understand the reasoning behind putting shackles on the rear especially when it had the 429 in it, but that doesn’t mean ya gotta like it. I’ll just keep my 2018 Stang, my retirement present to myself three yrs. ago. No wife to “check with” 1st. lol
Needs some work to be right. The rear end looks off center, That C-6 is going to be as much fun to put in as the 429 was. More work than what it would be worth in the end.
Does it have air shocks on the back?sits up too high.Probably can’t put all the power to the pavement with those pizza cutters on the rear.with a set of drag slicks and gear ratio could probably achieve a high 13 sec pass.