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Progress Thread My First Mustang - Pace Car Mysteries

  • Thread starter Thread starter First Mustang
  • Start date Start date Oct 24, 2024
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First Mustang

Member
Oct 24, 2024
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Oct 24, 2024
#1
  • Oct 24, 2024
  • #1
Hello out there. I am now 60 years of age, have fixed up and sold at least 20 cars in the last 25 years when I've had time, but have never owned a Mustang. 8 miles away was a 1979 Pace Car Mustang. Not been driven since 1989. Not really rotted out, paint faded like crazy to where stripes barely noticeable. Interior complete but rough. Wiring a mess, but enough where the engine turned over. Vin checked out as it's real. 302 Automatic car. I knew what one was, but never researched a Pace Car.
Here's what's baffling me.
This is an original paint car, you tell by the doors to where the two toned black at the bottom was taped off and wrapped around inside the door edges, etc. etc. When removing the interior panels, in the hatch panel on the driver side, there is a washer bottle inside the rear quarter. The filler neck obviously attaches to a hole that's between the hatch weather-strip and rear quarter in the water drain channel. Well here's the ????,
My hatch does not have the wiper arm, nor the hole cut for one or wiring for one. Also on the dash there is no switch or knob to operate a rear wiper. I don't know jack about a Mustang so I wouldn't know what the switch or knob looks like on the dash.
It's a mystery with only 2 possibility. Hatch was at some time replaced OR on the assembly line they stuffed a washer bottle in the rear quarter and then said ooops this car doesn't have a rear wiper and then still sent it on it's way. I just wanted to tell my story as I'm gonna restore this car correctly so I might have to purchase a Marti report
 

LILCBRA

I wish I didn't have all of these balls in the air
Mod Dude
Dec 6, 2005
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Oct 24, 2024
#2
  • Oct 24, 2024
  • #2
Welcome to Stangnet! You may get some answers in this section but you may be better served asking in the 79-93 forum as there are more regulars there. In fact, I've decided to move it for you....

I'm no expert on Fox cars but have had my hands on a few, I don't know why there'd be any kind of bottle shoved in a rear quarter area. From what I can remember, no Fox Mustangs came with a rear wiper so it's hard telling why it was there. Does it have any part numbers molded into it anywhere?
 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
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#3
  • Oct 24, 2024
  • #3
LILCBRA said:
no Fox Mustangs came with a rear wiper
Click to expand...


Not true. Early cars did have a rear wiper option.


I wasn't aware it could spray washer fluid however.
 
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LILCBRA

I wish I didn't have all of these balls in the air
Mod Dude
Dec 6, 2005
6,382
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Corn County USA
Oct 24, 2024
#4
  • Oct 24, 2024
  • #4
Mustang5L5 said:
Not true. Early cars did have a rear wiper option.
Click to expand...
Learn something new every day.
 
F

First Mustang

Member
Oct 24, 2024
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Oct 24, 2024
#5
  • Oct 24, 2024
  • #5
I have seen pictures Pace Cars having a rear wiper and air conditioning but they are very very rare, But again mine has the bottle and the hole for the filler neck but the hatch does not have the hardware for the wiper arm.
 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
43,260
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#6
  • Oct 24, 2024
  • #6
Not sure if 1979 mustangs also did this, but later Fox cars had VIN stickers on every body part. On my '88 it's on th underside of the hatch where the licenved plate lights are. You might want to poke around and see if this car also has VIN stickers and if the hatch one matches the car.

Would look something like this, but with the short VIN that was used in 1979. My car has 11 or so of these all over it

 

LILCBRA

I wish I didn't have all of these balls in the air
Mod Dude
Dec 6, 2005
6,382
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Corn County USA
Oct 24, 2024
#7
  • Oct 24, 2024
  • #7
Curiosity is getting me now..... does it look like either of these?

1979 - 1982 Ford Mustang Hatchback Rear Window Wiper Washer Reservoir Tank | eBay

You are buying a 1979 - 1982 Ford Mustang Hatchback Rear Window Wiper Washer Reservoir Tank. Works as it should without issue. Includes what is pictured.
www.ebay.com

1979 FORD MUSTANG HATCHBACK PACE CAR REAR WIPER/WASHER COMPLETE SYSTEM | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1979 FORD MUSTANG HATCHBACK PACE CAR REAR WIPER/WASHER COMPLETE SYSTEM at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!
www.ebay.com

Maybe it has a replacement hatch without the wiper?
 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
43,260
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Oct 24, 2024
#8
  • Oct 24, 2024
  • #8
LILCBRA said:
Learn something new every day.
Click to expand...


Here's a pic of one installed

 
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LILCBRA

I wish I didn't have all of these balls in the air
Mod Dude
Dec 6, 2005
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#9
  • Oct 24, 2024
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Mustang5L5 said:
Here's a pic of one installed
Click to expand...

Kinda looks outta place....

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if it had a wing on the hatch?

In any event, it seems it'd be a rare option.
 
F

First Mustang

Member
Oct 24, 2024
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Oct 24, 2024
#10
  • Oct 24, 2024
  • #10
Thanks for everyone's reply as I've never owned a Mustang. Yeah the reservoir bottle looks like those in the pics. No rear wiper blade knob or switch on the dash, so I don't know what's up.
 

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor
Admin Dude
Jan 4, 1985
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#11
  • Oct 24, 2024
  • #11
There are no images of the interior but the outside looks pretty unmolested.

I would start hunting around for a build sheet, maybe?

Underneath the caprets
Under a seat cushion (rear perhaps)
I can't recall anybody finding one inside a door panel on a Fox but I mention it anyway
Stuffed up under the dash or maybe the hatch area...
 
F

First Mustang

Member
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#12
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LILCBRA

I wish I didn't have all of these balls in the air
Mod Dude
Dec 6, 2005
6,382
5,371
194
Corn County USA
Oct 24, 2024
#13
  • Oct 24, 2024
  • #13
Judging from those EBay listings the switch looks like it was mounted under the dash, but it should definitely be visible. Maybe someone decided to just remove everything but didn't bother removing the washer bottle since it was hidden? It's hard telling what's happened with everything with it being close to 50 years old now. Maybe you'll be able to truly solve the mystery if you can find a build sheet or if you go ahead and get the Marti report. My vote says that someone removed everything because they needed a new hatch at some point. They probably decided it wasn't worth popping a hole in the replacement hatch and ditched everything except the bottle.

Nice looking project btw....
 

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor
Admin Dude
Jan 4, 1985
43,118
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Box behind Walmart
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#14
  • Oct 24, 2024
  • #14
Whoops... I looked at the image up top thinking [that] was the car.


Anywho... I will leave this here in the case you ever need it:

Phoenix Graphix 1979 Ford Mustang Indy Pace Car Decal Kit

Phoenix Graphix 1979 Ford Mustang Indy Pace Car Decal Kit
phoenixgraphix.com
 

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair
20+ Year Stangneter
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#15
  • Oct 24, 2024
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@FoxChasis may be able to chime in anyway he has a site you can stick the vin # into a get some info, prolly not that specific, I'd get the marti report anyway.

Fox Capri and Mustang Decoder

www.foxchassis.com
 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
43,260
17,945
224
Massachusetts
Oct 24, 2024
#16
  • Oct 24, 2024
  • #16
Marti report would definitely be able to tell you if it was optioned out with a rear wiper
 
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Monkeybutt2000

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#17
  • Oct 24, 2024
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Sweet find. My old 82 GT had a rear wiper.
 

General karthief

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair
20+ Year Stangneter
Aug 25, 2016
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polk county florida
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#18
  • Oct 24, 2024
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I got slats, cooler than a rear wiper
 

Noobz347

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor
Admin Dude
Jan 4, 1985
43,118
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#19
  • Oct 24, 2024
  • #19
Who needs to see behind them anyway? I put those saps down for a reason.
 
F

First Mustang

Member
Oct 24, 2024
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South Carolina
Oct 25, 2024
#20
  • Oct 25, 2024
  • #20
Everyone's been really helpful on this site, Around a year ago or so I registered on a different Mustang forum and didn't get much response and was a more difficult site to use. Thanks for everyone's input and this car is gonna be a big job. But hey I bought the car for only $1,100 and would not have if it wasn't a Pace Car edition.
 
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