According to the ad, this 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 was an “…experimental drag race car, and was supposed to be destroyed afterward…” but it obviously wasn’t. The car has been completely disassembled for restoration and is ready for someone to bring it back to its former glory. It can be found here on eBay with a current bid of $15,100. Located in Maple Park, Illinois, the seller says it has been hiding for 50 years! Let’s take a closer look at this one and you can decide for yourself if this is a very rare Mach 1.
As you can see, the interior is completely stripped. The floors look solid and the seller claims the paint is original. There is a photo of the seats and interior trim pieces as well as the dash components. Everything looks pretty good in the photos. Hopefully, all the small parts have been organized and labeled well during disassembly.
Unfortunately, the photos of the engine and transmission components are a little fuzzy. You can still make out the major components and they don’t look terrible. The seller says, “The 351W was rumored to have been played with by Roush and Gapp until the 351 Clevelands came out.” There is a photo of the actual engine block in the ad as well which the seller describes as being the “correct motor” but it’s not numbers matching…So I guess a more accurate description would be “period-correct” or “correct for this model.” The block has been bored .030 over with new pistons and ported heads. The ad also shows photos of the rear differential, axle shafts, ring gear, and suspension also.
There are NOS (New-Old-Stock) sheet metal pieces that go with the sale as well. The seller has photos of the invoice for the car which they claim verifies the drag racing history since it says the car is tax-exempt. I would personally have the car analyzed by the folks at Marti Auto Works. Having a Marti Report showing the actual build date, factory options, etc. would probably put the debate to bed. For a nominal fee, if this car was found to be a true “experimental drag racer” it would seemingly make the value sky-rocket. What do you think about this one?
I know nothing about this car, but the invoice shows “woodgrain accents” and an uplevel sound system, neither of which I’d specify for a “factory experimental drag racer.” As I remember making only two actual runs down the quarter-mile ever, I’m not sure about the power steering/brakes, though I guess those wouldn’t add much weight….
In the past, I’ve driven a few “factory experimental” cars, and have to say most were pretty identifiable, even if the workmanship was often better than you’d find on a production-line car. Don’t remember ever seeing extraneous options, although I suppose they could have been installed before the car was modified.
So: Montana suggests a Marti Report; I’d consider it essential. To me, this looks like a car that got attention from some privateer Weekend Warrior. Which is not a bad thing. For me, a ‘Stang built up as an “experimental road racer” by the likes of Bill Stroppe, Kar Kraft or Holman & Moody would be more to my taste….
Looks partially destroyed to me.
Interesting and of course a serious buyer would check out the marti report and research/look it over good. Body looks solid and the NOS sheet metal makes me salivate. Lots of desirable goodies there. Wonder what the reserve is?? Anyhoo- good luck and stay safe.
Cheers
GPC
It’s a nice story designed to put more money in the sellers pocket. A Marti report would verify the sellers dubious claims. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has one but didn’t mention it because it doesn’t back him up.
The story doesn’t stand up, the sale date was late April, you would figure a professional shop would need at least a few weeks to prep the car. By then you’d be looking at mid-May before the car could hit the track, just in time for the for end end of the 69’s production run. That doesn’t even bring into play as to why Ford would focus on a 351W, which was about to be phased out in favor of the 351C.
The seller would have been smart to push a narrative he could possibly prove, that the car was sent to the marketing department and might have been used as a media test vehicle.
This car could stand on its own merit. It was really well optioned, shaker, rear wing, 4spd, posi and an attractive color combination. There was no need to make things up or exaggerated the cars story.
Steve R
interesting commentary, Steve r, thanks for sharing!
Cheers
GPC
“According to the ad, this 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 was an “…experimental drag race car, and was supposed to be destroyed afterward…” but it obviously wasn’t.”
Eh…..
Appears Steve and Ray have this one figured out. Race cars are almost always built from a “body in white”, not one with optional stereo systems, wood grain trim and so on. The Windsor engine pretty much kills the fable.
It would be interesting however, to research the Service Center that it was being sent to, and what they did within Ford.
You never know with sellers like this if they are trying to scam a buyer, well meaning but ignorant, or just day dreaming about a big score. As an aside, if this car is so special, why is it being sold?
Way I understood it was Ford felt they needed a better performance 351 HO in ’69, early in the year I suppose, and after much experimenting two versions came about. The 351 with Boss style heads and a 351 Windsor with high performance heads. The 351 with staggered valves copied after the big block Chevy won out, and was focused on being the high output 351 although that engine evolved into an entirely different mill, production of it was to be in Cleveland.
We know all about it, right? What had me and still has me curious are the heads used on the high performance 351W that never went into production losing out to the deep breathing Cleveland. Could they have been the Windsor jr. heads I remember reading about years ago during the 5.0 craze? Am I even close?
Maybe this was a test mule for that very factory experiment, doubt if it’s the tricked out Boss 429 that a certain Cobra Jet Mustang beat flat out,
One thing I’m not seeing here are any big time drag racing engine parts. I like the 351 W, heard of the 351 “Clevor”, and consider the 351 Cleveland a few years too late and about thirty cubic inches too short! Have a great day!
Interesting read Troy s. There’s a lot of clean sheet metal there to put this car back together!! That’s what I’m seeing!! I wouldn’t be paying him for his story I’d be paying him for his car!!! He can keep the story to tell after a couple of beers!!
Bs.
Make up any story you want, but without documentation all you have is a story. Could be a nice car restored, but at the end of the day it is just a 351 Mach 1.
I worked as an engineer for Ford. I think it’s far more likely that this car was used for engineering tests and resold via Ford’s “B-lot” company used car lot. It was routine. As employees, we could even “tag” a test vehicle and purchase it after testing was complete. Had it been modified for drag racing, there’s no way it would have escaped the crusher.
Definitely NOT a Factory EX car. The car even has a heater. The 351W with a four speed (if it was a four speed) is unusual.
Price way out of whack… sort of like the seller. My favorite year Mustang. This would be a great rebuild if you could get it at a reasonable price.
Hmmmmmmmm. 1 of 2 QuaterHorses………….???????????? 1 was red and the other was Blue. Same guy had both at one time.
Scary flashback for me as my Boss was in that shape, 100K later it is restored and worth about 50K.
No evidence of a roll bar ever being installed, no evidence of any factory experimenting (i.e. lightweight parts, engine setback, etc). No dice.
Buy the car, not the story
I keep seeing this matching numbers stuff when people talk about Mustangs. To my knowledge engines with matching VINs stamped in them are very rare with only a couple instances where Ford did this. The 289 K motor is an example. With the rest it’s a matter of matching up the date code of the block to the time period a Ford built the car.
I have an original low mileage one owner 70 Mach 1, with no engine number stamped anywhere on the block.
Apparently some cars were exported out of the US, without engine numbers, which allowed the foreign receiving Ford dealer, to stamp a local number?
top loader MT would have the vin number stamped on the main body case from ford for warrinte purposes.
Barney,
You are quite wrong on the VIN being stamped on Ford engines and transmissions. Starting during the 1968 model year ALL engines and transmissions are VIN stamped. This was required by the federal government. I have parted out lowly 289 2V, 302 2V, 351 2V etc cars and they all have the VIN stamped on the engines and transmissions. If there is no VIN stamp then either the part is earlier than 1968 or it is an over the counter service part.
It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been wrong so I’m willing to learn. I wonder if it had anything to do with the plant the car was produced at. I’ve had the opposite experience. I’ve fooled primarily with small blocks and FE’s and the only time I’ve encountered an actual VIN on a block was with a 289 HP, obviously made before 1968 as you note and a Boss 351 that I had. Maybe I just didn’t look hard enough. All my experience is with cars I found in Arizona except the Boss
This isn’t even a old Mach1, [not a Boss 302/429], doesn’t have any paint schemes on it & big bondo spots so it has been a driver. Yes don’t see any rust in floor /trunk, probably a California/south west car just torn apart 2 make it into his dream Drone Mustang, just died/lost interest/ran out of $? I picked last year anouther 65 Mustang fastback w//HO 302, t5, straight body no rust 4 $20000 running, like I need another 1. Sometimes I just can’t pass them up & I was the only bidder!
This seller is high! I own several 69 & 65 Mustang fastbacks, all I see is old 69 Fastback tore apart 4 restoration [the easy part] & got 2 lazy/lost interest in project 2 put back together. Case closed
Give me a break!! Didn’t meet the reserve at S18.6k!! If the bid is legit, and the greedy con man trying to sell this POS doesn’t take the money and run, he is also very stupid.
My neighbor had a 69 with 390 that would plant the rears and make like a wild stallion. The one add on was a pair of Hookers and jetting the carb. Nice Champagne Gold with Black stripe kit. And Mike had some bigger rubber on it as air shocks and N50’s were a standard back then.
Thanks for the RIDE Mike.
As CCFisher has said and I have heard in the past from another Ford employee from Dearborn that test cars could be acquired. Again verify what you have and let the cards fall. Buy the car, buy the proven history, not the stories. This car is not a thoroughbred.