1971 Ford Mustang

Description

We're finally seeing the 1971-73 Mustangs come into their own as legitimate collectors' items, and while this awesome 1971 Mustang Mach 1 sportsroof isn't perfect, it's a very cool vintage Mustang with a few tricks up its sleeve.

The longer, lower, wider Mustangs have a look that's always polarized Mustang faithful, but I, for one, like the way the "flatbacks" look and always have. You can see how the amazing 1970 models evolved into this car and many of the same design cues are here that you'd find on its more expensive siblings. The color is a modern burgundy metallic that's pretty close to, say, 1993 Electric Red, and looks good from any angle, It was done a few years ago, so there are a few signs of use, but if you want to get some attention, this Mustang will definitely deliver in a big way. Mach 1 stripes were added during the build and although it's just a code 02 Mustang fastback, we think these cars look unfinished without the aggressive satin black details. They got the important stuff right, adding a chin spoiler, NACA (not NASA!) ducts on the hood, and a wing on the trunk lid, making for one heck of a good-looking Mustang. The '71s are nice because they have a bit of chrome on the nose to offset the voluptuous new sheet metal, and the bumpers on this car shine up beautifully.

It's quite possible that the interior is entirely original, and with high-back bucket seats, it's still a great place to do some serious driving. The Comfort-Weave upholstery remains in excellent condition for its age with only minor wear in the high traffic areas and the fold-down back seat looks almost new. A center console dresses up the shifter so it's not just sticking out of the transmission tunnel and a set of contrasting black and white floor mats match the steering wheel wrap. Original gauges include a tach and auxiliary gauges in the center stack and the factory AM/FM radio has been replaced by an Alpine AM/FM/CD stereo head unit. Original carpets might be showing a few signs of age but it would probably be a mistake to replace them given how nice the rest of the interior is, and the trunk is outfitted with matching black carpets and a space-saver spare.

Properly built, the 351 cubic inch "Cleveland" V8 builds plenty of horsepower and torque and loves to rev. With an Edelbrock intake manifold and 4-barrel carburetor, MSD ignition system, and long-tube headers, they've done all the right things to help this engine get the air in and exhaust out through those oversized ports. Chrome valve covers and a matching air cleaner dress up the engine, which also wears a fairly recent coat of Ford Blue engine enamel that really pops against the satin black engine bay. Plenty of torque means the FMX 3-speed automatic transmission doesn't have a lot to do most of the time and 3.00 gears out back make it a comfortable cruiser on the highway. The underside wears a fresh Flowmaster exhaust system and looks pretty darned good for being 43 years old and newer Mach 1 alloys from a late-model have been fitted for a cool OEM look.

This is a great time to grab an affordable early '70s Mustang because they can only go up from here. This cool fastback has a lot going for it, most notably a very attractive price. Call today!