Mach 1 from the Forest

Hawk 1 · May 13, 2006

I am new to this board and would like to ask for some assistance. While I had the pleasure of owning a few very nice Mustangs in the late 70's and 80's; I am Mustangless and looking to own an older Mustang again. The car I am looking at is a 1970 Mach 1 ( M code, 4 speed and shaker) that has been sitting in the forest for the last 14 years. The body is straight with all the right pieces however the owner burned out the 351 4V and replaced it with a 351 2V which he also burned up leaving the car inoperable. I see no signs of rust on the exterior however there is surface rust in the engine bay and underneath the car. With the car being stationary with no battery; what is the best way to check it's condition. Do componants such as the power steering and brakes wear out from sitting? I am going out to jack up the car, place it on jack stands and take a look from below at which point I should be able to take some pictures. The door jam code table was deteriated beyond recognition with the interior needing a near complete restoration. Odometer reading of 68K ( probably 168k) with the VIN number matching the car. While the car is not officially listed for sale I think I could get it for $6k Any tips to help me evatuate the overall condition of the vehicle would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hawk1

Platonic Solid · May 13, 2006

$6,000 for a car that's been sitting outside for 14 years

That's totally absurd, unless this car is located in Arizona. It might be good for some doner parts, but I seriously doubt it'll be worth restoring. Assume all mechanical components will need replacing or rebuilding. The brakes will definitely be trash, as will the rotors and drums for that matter.

Hawk 1 · May 13, 2006

Thanks for the reply. If the car is worth around 30-35k ( NADA says 35k Average) if the body is solid wouldn't it make sense to restore?

Thanks,

Hawk1

johnsstang04 · May 13, 2006

Wasn't the door jam code stamped onto a plate... not sure how it could be deteriorated beyond recognition. 6k for a 351 4 speed shaker is a fair price, even if the car is pretty rough. You could probably post it on ebay and get the same or more. I always suggest getting something rare to restore and this car certainly fits the bill.

tylerrocks · May 13, 2006

I got my 64 1\2 260 85-90% restored for $5750 3 years ago.

bnickel · May 13, 2006

a 70 M code mach isn't necassarily rare. with a 4 spd and the shaker it's rarer but still not what i'd call rare.

if the car has sat for 14 years, i'm sure it will need quite a bit of work and 6k sounds a little high. i'd say more like 3-4k on the high end.

D.Hearne · May 13, 2006

Hawk 1 said:
Thanks for the reply. If the car is worth around 30-35k ( NADA says 35k Average) if the body is solid wouldn't it make sense to restore?

Thanks,

Hawk1

It's only worth that in a fully restored condition. It can easily cost that to restore the car you describe. And it's only worth what some one is willing to pay for it. Book value means nothing to a car that's sat out doors for 14+ years.

Platonic Solid · May 13, 2006

Hawk 1 said:
...I am going out to jack up the car, place it on jack stands and take a look from below at which point I should be able to take some pictures...

Heck, why not make the act of jacking the car up a test in itself. Place the jack under one of the rear torq boxes and pump away. The car will either start going up or, more likely, you'll hear crunch, crunch, crunch, with each pump as the jack goes right through the rotted out torq box.

johnsstang04 · May 13, 2006

If the car has a solid body, as u described it, than it's well worth 6k. Look at the body and see if you can find bondo. There's a gap between the rocker and the quater panel before the rear wheels. Check to see if that's still there, if its been smoothed over, than its an instant indication there's bondo in the rockers. If the floors and trunk look good, than chances are the rest of the body is nice too. A 351 4bbl, 4 speed is definitely a rare car and there are many people willing to pay top value.

Hawk 1 · May 14, 2006

Thanks for the tips guys. The decal on the inside of the door jam was unfortunately not legible. Not sure how it was worn away but it was. I guess I could run a Marti report on it. Advisable? I will let you know how it looks when I jack up the car. I believe it will jack up . In addition to the rust I would be worried about the electrical functionality. Thanks again for the feedback.

Hawk1

johnsstang04 · May 14, 2006

A marti report would definitely be nice to have. I don't think the vin tells you the transmission, so it would be nice to verify the 4 speed. Wiring harnesses are fairly easy to replace... assuming you keep it factory.

red65 · May 14, 2006

Hawk 1 said:
In addition to the rust I would be worried about the electrical functionality. Hawk1

After sitting outside for 14 years, you're going to need to worry about the functionality of everything - electrical problems will be one thing among 100. There's not a rubber part on the car that will have survived, so consider every hose, brake seal, engine/trans seal and tires likely candidates for replacement. If it's been sitting still for that long, the brakes are probably rusted solid. When you jack it up, see if you can turn a wheel - bet you can't. Add a complete brake rebuild / replacement to your shopping list. The engine's probably rusted frozen - add an engine rebuild to the list. The trans and rear end aren't likely to be much better... If you plan on a complete tear-it-down to sheetmetal restoration, you'll be on the right track.

I'm not trying to dissuade you - I'd be motivated to drag an old Mach I out of the woods too - but go in with your eyes open...

D.Hearne · May 14, 2006

red65 said:
After sitting outside for 14 years, you're going to need to worry about the functionality of everything - electrical problems will be one thing among 100. There's not a rubber part on the car that will have survived, so consider every hose, brake seal, engine/trans seal and tires likely candidates for replacement. If it's been sitting still for that long, the brakes are probably rusted solid. When you jack it up, see if you can turn a wheel - bet you can't. Add a complete brake rebuild / replacement to your shopping list. The engine's probably rusted frozen - add an engine rebuild to the list. The trans and rear end aren't likely to be much better... If you plan on a complete tear-it-down to sheetmetal restoration, you'll be on the right track.

I'm not trying to dissuade you - I'd be motivated to drag an old Mach I out of the woods too - but go in with your eyes open...

If it's got disc brakes, they may or may not be functional, the ones on my 68 Merc were after a 7 year snooze. The engine? that's going to depend on how many parts are still on it. If the aircleaner assembly's still in place and the exhaust hooked up, there's a chance it'll still run, but only after a careful preparation before trying to start it, again, my Merc started right up after my prep work. Carb needed a rebuild though. Points needed changing. But after those were replaced, it was ready to run. Leaked oil everywhere, but it ran like a swiss watch. I've got another 390 that was brought back from a slumber just like it too. The rearend is the one part that likely needs nothing other than a brake job, unless it sat in water or in contact with the ground. The mechanical stuff is the easy part if you ask me.

MustangMatt1966 · May 14, 2006

Pictures for us to look at and help would be great at this point

danny clemens · May 14, 2006

Unless you've restored one before count on doing a whole lot more to it than you think you are at this time. There are so many things that you can't tell about just by looking at them . That being said it would be a good car to restore. If you can take someone with you that has been through this before.

lauras70mach1 · May 15, 2006

I paid $4k for my '70 Mach 1. Sitting in the woods for that long the bottom of the car will most likely be rusted out.

Sicarius428 · May 15, 2006

Definately check the floorboards, trunk area and rear wheel wells. Cowl would be another thing but you will take a bit of work to check out. It would be a great find if all is well but I am leary of cars that have been sitting in the woods that long. Good luck with it though. Mine was sitting in a garage and mine has trunk and wheelwell rust...
Kevin

GNN60GT500 · May 15, 2006

Pics...Post pics and we can help you even more-

Max Power · May 15, 2006

Mustangs went from a stamped door plate in 1969 to a decal in 1970.

Hawk 1 · May 15, 2006

Thanks Guys. I am running a Marti report and will post some pics when my brother and I get a chance to go out and jack up the vehicle. Stay tuned and thanks again.

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