This 1969 Mustang Mach 1 underwent a full restoration in 1989 under the stewardship of its current owner. The work was completed using all NOS parts, and while it now needs a little bit of tidying-up, there is nothing there that would be classed as urgent. That means that the next owner could get out and enjoy this classic pony car during the upcoming Summer months, and then tackle the required work from within their warm workshop next Winter. The Mustang is located in San Jose, California, and has been listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding on the Mach 1 has reached $31,750, and the reserve has been met.

The Mustang’s restoration included a repaint in its original Wimbledon White. The owner says that the car presents nicely from 10-20 feet away. However, a closer inspection reveals the usual assortment of chips that you might come to expect on a car that has accumulated 50,000 miles since the restoration was completed. He says that the underside of the vehicle is clean and rust-free, while the shock towers are also nice and solid. What he does admit is that there is some Bondo in the lower rear quarter panels and a small amount in the doors. It looks like rust might be developing under this, so that would be a priority to address before it can deteriorate too far. The panels themselves appear to be very straight, while the chrome and trim present nicely. The Mustang is fitted with tinted glass all around, and this appears to be free from major flaws.

The Mustang rolled off the production line in January of 1969 fitted with an M-Code 351ci Windsor V8. Backing this is a 4-speed manual transmission, which sends the 351’s power to the 3.25 Traction-Lok rear end. You might not get power steering with this one, but you get the reassurance of power front disc brakes to arrest progress effectively. The owner believes that the engine is original to this car, but doesn’t appear to be completely certain. When it was shiny and new, it would have pumped out 290hp. I suspect that the figure might be slightly higher today. The engine was treated to a rebuild in 2014, and the clutch was replaced at the same time. The original heads, which are included in the sale, were replaced with Edelbrock Performer heads. An Edelbrock intake was also fitted, along with a more aggressive cam from the same manufacturer. Spent gases find their way out of the engine via a set of Hooker headers. In 2019, the steering box, numerous front-end components, and all four shocks were replaced. Since the engine rebuild in 2014, the Mustang has traveled 7,500 miles. The owner doesn’t mention how well the vehicle runs and drives, but it would probably be fair to expect it to perform both tasks very nicely.

The owner purchased the Mustang in 1989, and the interior has remained untouched under his stewardship. It generally presents quite well for a vehicle of this age, although the cover on the driver’s seat does sport a pretty significant tear on the outer bolster. There is also an aftermarket radio/cassette player fitted in place of the original AM unit. A tachometer has been mounted on the steering column, and if the next owner is seeking originality, removing this shouldn’t be a problem. Apart from the tear in the seat, the rest of the interior trim presents nicely, while the dash is free from any appreciable faults.

It would have been very easy for the owner of this Mustang Mach 1 to have completed the restoration work back in 1989 and to have then wrapped the vehicle in cotton-wool. Instead, he has chosen to drive and enjoy this classic pony car, which is what Ford had intended when they designed and built the vehicle. It really appears that it won’t take a lot of work to return the car to a fairly high level of presentation, although it is hardly what I would term as unattractive as it currently stands. I hope that someone grabs this Mach 1, addresses those few issues, and then continues to drive the car on a regular basis. After all, that’s what it was made for.