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1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 With 650 Horsepower!

This 1969 Mustang Mach 1 doesn’t appear to be anything out of the ordinary. Yes, it rolls on a set of aftermarket wheels, and it sits closer to Planet Earth, but there are no visual indications that this is a fire-breathing monster. However, this is a beautifully engineered custom build, and it has more than enough power to keep most enthusiasts happy. How much power? How does 650hp sound? As you will see, the amount of thought that has gone into every aspect of this classic’s development has been astonishing, and it does represent a total package for its next lucky owner. Located in Pleasant Hill, Oregon, you will find this Mach 1 listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $60,100, but the reserve hasn’t been met.

The Mustang rolled off the production line in January of 1969 wearing Black Jade paint. It has retained that color, and it still presents beautifully. Frustratingly, the owner only supplies two photos of the exterior, but what they show is a car that is hard to fault. The paint shines beautifully, while the panels are laser straight. There are no signs of any dings or dents and no evidence of any prior accident repairs. There is also no evidence of rust problems, and none are mentioned in the listing. It features front and rear spoilers, along with a rear window louver. The car has been dropped 2″ using Ford springs and lowering blocks, while the 17″ American Racing Torq Thrust II wheels are as much a matter of necessity as they are about good looks. Hiding behind them are enormous drilled 4-wheel disc brakes (13″ at the front, 12″ at the rear). The rear air scoops on this Mustang are far more than cosmetic. They feature custom stainless steel tubing to direct cold air to the rear brakes. The tinted glass is immaculate, while the Boss 429 hood scoop suggests that there might be more to this Mach 1 than meets the eye.

If you walked into your local Ford dealership in 1969 with a bulging wallet (or an understanding bank manager), you could drive away in a Mach 1 with 360hp on tap. This was a car that could storm the ¼ mile in 13.9 seconds. It wasn’t a car that asked for respect. It demanded it. If that sort of power figure had that effect, what would be the result if the same vehicle had 650hp at the driver’s disposal? This Mach 1 started life with a 390ci V8 under the hood, which produced a relatively puny (in this case) 320hp. The previous owner wanted more from the car when he purchased it in 1987, and so the transformation began. It was completed in around 2004, and by that stage, he had reached the ripe old age of 76-years-old. He sounds like a man after my own heart! The gentleman was a machinist by trade, and his knowledge and engineering skills have been brought to bear on this beauty. The 390 and its Top Loader companion have been consigned to the pages of history. In their place, we find a 428 FE Side-Oiler V8 and a 5-speed Tremec transmission. Once again, this is an engine that is anything but average. The previous owner’s upgrades could fill a medium-sized book, but no corners were cut on this one. It features aluminum heads, solid lifters, and roller rockers. That’s just the entree because you can throw in TRW pistons, a Ford steel crank, a Mallory Pro Master distributor, an Edelbrock Cross-Ram intake, and a pair of Holley 750cfm carburetors. The whole lot has been blueprinted and balanced, and it’s held together throughout with ARP fasteners. Everything has been port-matched, and spent gases exit via a set of Hooker headers and a custom 3″ exhaust with Flowmasters. There is so much more there, but that should give you a taste of what to expect. The result of all of this hard labor is a big block that pumps out a whopping 650hp. Is that enough for you? No? There’s also a Barry Grant/Nitrous Works kit fitted, and this adds a further 280hp to the mix. All of this has to find its way to the road, so between the V8 and the Tremec is a Center Force dual-friction clutch. From there, all of those raging stallions head to a heavy-duty Ford 9″ rear end that has been blessed with 4.10 gears and a cooling pump. With so much power and torque on tap, there would have been a real chance that the car would have twisted like an old training shoe when the right foot was buried. The previous owner fitted the Mach 1 with Custom Frame Connectors, along with a custom-engineered engine brace. The owner says that the Side-Oiler sounds incredible, and that’s a claim that I have no trouble believing. He doesn’t indicate how well the vehicle drives, but I suspect it would be pretty well.

The Mustang’s original Black Knit Vinyl interior has been refurbished, and it appears to be perfect. There are no issues or problems to report, but it is no surprise that there are plenty of custom touches. It features a Shelby wheel, and sitting behind that is a column-mounted Autometer tach with shift light. The original AM radio has made way for an Exhaust Analyzer. This is a smart move because it allows instant monitoring of the fuel mixture. The last thing that the buyer would want is for that incredible V8 to run lean and suffer catastrophic damage. The nitrous system has a quick-activation switch, and this is mounted on the shifter knob for convenience. There is a pair of 3″ lever-lock racing harnesses for safety, while both the cabin and the engine bay feature their owner fire extinguisher systems.

There’s no other way to say this, but this 1969 Mustang Mach 1 is a monster. With 650hp on tap, and the ability to have an additional 280hp available at a moment’s notice, it would be a seriously fast car. Vehicles like this can be temperamental and have the potential to be unreliable. However, this one would seem to be a different kettle of fish, and I say this with some justification. When you scrutinize its specifications carefully, you realize that the previous owner focused on engineering and building the vehicle beautifully. There have been no corners cut, and nothing has escaped his attention. The work was completed in 2004, and the Mustang has managed to survive the following 17-years largely untouched. That in itself indicates how beautifully the work has been executed. It is not a cheap classic, but speed will always come at a cost. How much would you be willing to pay?

Comments

  1. Avatar Dins74 Member

    wow!

    Like 10
  2. bobhess bobhess Member

    Beautiful! It’s the kind of build quality we try to put into our race car builds and restorations. It’s time consuming, not cheap, but very rewarding. Builder has got to be proud of this one.

    Like 25
  3. Avatar Tooyoung4heyday Member

    Wow is right! I don’t care what your brand loyalty is, this car is impressive. I disagree with the author in stating that at first glance this car doesn’t have fire breathing giveaways. The Boss 9 style scoop and “oversized” brakes are ringers for some seriousness. I say oversized that way because with reading the fun list on this car they are clearly needed. The only thing on this ride id change is too clean up the guage cluster. Good luck hooking up the 650 ponies, but a total of 930 on tap?!? Whoohoo! The fit and finish looks great in these pics and the mustang was done very tastefully. As a cross ram owner myself this car gets bonus points with me. Just very cool car that should make anyone happy. I say well done to builder and good luck to new owner.

    Like 16
  4. Avatar gaspumpchas

    man you could hurt yourself with this pony. Pics look good, but you need a good appraisal to see how the body is. Would love to rip thru the gears with this monster one time! Good luck and stay safe.
    Cheers
    GPC

    Like 10
  5. Avatar Troy s

    The Boss ‘9 hood scoop alone has my attention, instantly. Along with big Torque thrusts, modern tires, huge brakes and if it were running, the outrageous noise coming from the exhaust, its anything but docile or unassuming. Its a runner for sure with more power than most could use, it’s also the classic show car which grabs plenty of raised eyebrows and a million questions. Go ahead, roll out and hit that nitrous button….I dare you…

    Like 8
  6. Avatar Sam Shive

    Beautiful Pony

    Like 6
  7. Avatar Ralph

    On one shot of the engine compartment there appears to be an electric radiator fan near the drivers side inner fender. Can anyone explain this to me? I can not remember ever seeing something like this before….Anyone got any ideas about this?
    What a beautiful car. The builder really stepped up to the plate when he did this one. I just hope that he had time left to enjoy his efforts before his time ran out.
    I would buy this in a minute.

    Like 6
    • Avatar Troy s

      Ralph,its a custom engine oil/exhaust air coolong fan, according to the sellers add. A very long list of modifications to say the least some are custom built by the previous owner. It should also be mentioned this engine is a 427 medium riser built in tribute to Holman-Moody, not a 428 as stated above. The intake is a ’66 unit, very rare, custom grind camshaft, custom made air cleaners, and the headers sit very close to the ground so you got to take caution over any bumps, tall approaches, etc.., Well built is an understatement.

      Like 18
      • Avatar Grumpy

        Yup. Never heard of a 428 side oiler. FE blocks are not set up for that.

        Like 3
  8. Avatar jwzg

    Shiiiiiiitft….gears. Amazing build. Ain’t no barn find, but I’ll give that a pass. GLWTA

    Like 6
  9. Avatar JoeNYWF64

    Looking for heater hoses.
    Do i see 2 aftermkt tachs?! Is the factory one really that inaccurate?
    I suppose a similarly equipped boss 429 would have gone in instead – if it would fit – & modifying shock towers is best left to an expert.
    Still, looking at the tight fit here, i think i’d rather drill out broken exhaust manifold bolts on a strait 6 than try to change spark plugs on this 427, tho since it fits, i wonder why Ford didn’t make this engine an option.

    Like 2
    • Avatar BleedNRed

      As a former owner of a Mustang with a 428, it was easier to loosen up the motor mounts and raise the engine to change spark plugs than it was to attempt to remove them in place.

      Like 4
  10. Avatar Joe Haska

    There are very few car builds that are perfect, in my opinion this one is. If you don’t think so, I have no idea what you are looking at.

    Like 5
  11. Avatar dave

    $93,100 with 25 hours to go, reserve still not hit! How far will it go?

    Like 1
  12. Avatar Karl

    Very nicely done! I look at a build like this and the things I look for is fuel/nitrous plumbing then electrical wiring including plug wires. Then get to the mechanical and this car look pretty top shelf on ALL accounts! Builds like this are well planned and thought out prior to starting! Very time consuming and extremely impressive! I hope the seller gets what he wants, it very likely worth every penny!

    Like 3
  13. Avatar Mark

    This is a beautiful mustang but 650 hp I doubt it. I have a 396 bored. 040 with a 454 crank so the cubic inches are very similar. 10.5 :1 compression, AFR aluminum heads, 292 hydraulic roller cam, Brodix aluminum intake With a single 850 holley and it dyno’d at 520 hp.

    Like 2
    • Avatar Timothy Phaff

      Don’t forget the additional 280hp with Nitros 280 + 650 = 930hp. Love to see this on a dyno reaching even 770 total hp. It is a sweet ride, put together really clean.

      Like 1
      • Avatar Mark

        I agree completely, welcome to fantasy island. Unless that Ford is about 13:1 compression it’s not even near 650.

        Like 0
  14. Avatar Donald Deane

    There is nothing else I can say but “WOW”!!! I’m speechless.

    Like 0
  15. Avatar JoeNYWF64

    Mark, this 572 cube naturally aspirated big block puts out 707 hp – on pump gas yet. & with just 9.6 to 1 compression. Unheard of back in the ’60s
    http://www.yearone.com/Product/1964-72-chevelle-monte-carlo-el-camino/cch572pc11
    Tho that’s gross hp – on the stand.

    Like 0
  16. Avatar Whynot Member

    Wow to say the least. What a beautiful well engineered build . 427 was an expensive Motor to build from factory and could put out some serious hp. With the attention put on this build I’m sure it does make its claim of 650.

    Like 1
  17. Avatar Tom Curran

    Be still my Beating Heart!

    Like 0
  18. Avatar TCOPPS Member

    $93,xxx; reserve not met.

    Like 0

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