1971 Ford Mustang Fastback

Description

By 1971, the writing was on the wall, but Ford was still building cars like this Mustang fastback, which delivered plenty of thrills using small block power and handsome good looks. Offering an awesome color combination, 351 Cleveland power, and an entertaining drive, this is a lot of Mustang for the money.

Code V is called Pewter in Ford vernacular, and it looks absolutely incredible on the "flatback" bodywork. Even with the stripes and blacked-out hood treatment, this Mustang looks sophisticated, like a muscle car for a grown-up, and loses none of its performance attitude despite the subtle color. It was freshly repainted not too long ago and looks extremely good, with a deep shine and just the right combination of silver and gold in the final mix. The fastback was all-new in 1971, and you'd better believe Ford wanted to get it noticed, so it wears a performance hood with NACA (not NASA) style hood scoops, blacked-out rocker panels, and a rear wing out back, all of which make it look very long and low indeed. There's not much chrome aside from the bumpers, and those remain in excellent shape, and we have to admit that we like the very clean, unadorned flanks that accentuate the longer, lower, wider Mustang's profile. This is an easy car to like.

The stunning code 2E Vermillion interior isn't what you would have chosen sight-unseen from a book, but now that you've seen it inside a Pewter car, you've probably realized that it's just gorgeous. The seats have obviously been re-covered and just about everything else has been replaced at some point, so it looks very fresh and except for the AM radio in the dash which could stand to be upgraded, there's nothing in here needing any attention so you can get in and go immediately. The factory gauges cover the basics and custom red rubber floor mats look exactly right and protect those new carpets and the fold-down back seat makes the fastback the most practical of all Mustangs. The trunk is clean and carries what may just be the original spare tire.

The 351 cubic inch V8 under the hood pretty much sticks to the factory recipe. Up top there's a 2-barrel carburetor, as advertised on the air cleaner. That big air cleaner assembly dominates the engine bay and there's quite a bit of Ford Blue on display. It's not really detailed for show, but it could easily be taken up a notch with an afternoon of detailing; even as it sits, this is a great driver-grade car that's obviously led a good life. It starts easily, idles well, and moves with surprising torque on tap, which is aided by the quick-shifting C4 3-speed automatic transmission. A newer dual exhaust system with stock-style mufflers add that familiar Ford Mustang performance exhaust note and there are easy-cruising 3.00 gears in the 9-inch rear end. Magnum 500 wheels never looked better than when they're mounted on one of these early '70s Mustangs and it wears staggered 235/60/15 front and 255/60/15 rear BFGoodrich T/A radials that accentuate the wedge-shaped profile.

With the prices on early Mustangs inching up all the time, we're seeing some gains on these cars as well. We love the color combination on this fastback and with all the heavy lifting already done, there's nothing left to do but get in and have some fun. Call today!