Never Assume Anything: 1969 Ford Mustang Mach I

Vorhees, New Jersey is in the rusty Northeast, as is evident when looking at this 1969 Mustang Mach I. Read the ad copy—it focuses on the fact that you should scan the photos for rust damage. Do that and you’ll find plenty. But if this is the project for you, plan to come up with more than the current $10,000 bid here on eBay. And then dig deep into that wallet of yours.

The Mustang Mach I was a performance and appearance package that included hood blackout sections, striping, cool goodies like a pop-open gas cap, an upgraded interior, suspension upgrades, and one of a variety of mandatory V-8 engines up to a 428-CID Cobra Jet. Not exclusive like the Shelby, the Mach I sold about 72,000 copies for 1969, the first of two years of somewhat similar offerings. That’s what Ford offered. This seller is offering a faded and partial version of that ideal. If you want this car, you’re all about potential. What do you see? A stock Mach I in the original color (listed as “brown” and with clues all over the place as to that it could have been this color or that)? Put it back like Ford birthed it, and you would have the 390 thumping along under the hood. But your path is long, starting with getting rid of the Shelby-style taillights that some previous owner with a different (let’s try to be nice) vision installed.

Then, you’re going to have to excise that rust. That will mean a media blasting to render the car in bare metal once again. No doubt with this many body panels that look to have come from different places, you’ll reveal plenty of Bondo and lousy repairs to keep you busy. Note for instance the very scary picture in the “Engine” photos section that seems to show rust-through in the rocker area or the unibody’s frame sections, possibly where the floor rises towards the trunk (reproduced above). One good piece of news is that the frame rail area inside the trunk looks strong, and that the floors survive, though it’s not clear why the car is showing two new seat risers ready to be installed. List of needs not long enough yet? Next will come attending to the interior, which is dirty but not as beat-up as the body.

Then there’s the “buyer beware” stuff. For example, you see a picture of an empty engine bay, and you read, that the vehicle needs work and is not driven regularly. (Oh really?) Elsewhere, the statement that the car has AC but that it is not working. No kidding—it’s out of the car and not pictured. From there? There is a new-looking battery under the hood, but there’s no engine to crank, and no pictures of it or description of its appearance or condition. The ad says more than once that the car comes with every single part pictured. The engine is not pictured—thus there’s no engine? Buyer beware, and never assume anything.