My journey with my 1969 Mustang Mach 1 began in 1977, a time when muscle cars were kings of the road, even if mine was a more modest base package. As a young man working for just $1.25 an hour, paying $1100 for this car was a significant investment, but even then, I knew I had something special. While other kids flaunted their new Z/28s and Trans Ams, I wouldn’t have traded my Mach 1, even with its 351W 2V engine. It was more than enough to hold its own against those smog-era rivals, and the feeling of driving it was unmatched.
Life, as it often does, led to a long pause in our adventures together. From 1986 to 2015, my Mustang sat in storage, patiently waiting while I navigated the Air Force, marriage, education, business, and raising a family. But in 2015, the time was right. I brought her home, ready to embark on a full restoration.
The first step was disassembly. To get proper access, I built a rotisserie and body cart. Years prior, the car had been in an accident and the subsequent repair work on the front inner fender aprons and radiator support bracket was subpar. These were replaced, along with welding in subframe connectors and reinforcing the shock towers, similar to the big block models, to enhance rigidity. Media blasting followed, stripping the car down to bare metal, and then a protective coat of SPI epoxy was applied. My son even joined in for the undercoating – a messy job, but a memorable bonding experience.
Despite being a Texas car, revealing its history in a generally dry climate, media blasting exposed more rust than anticipated. Repairing the lower rear quarter panels behind the wheels on both sides became necessary. Fabrication and patching were also required on areas within both doors.
Recently, my focus has shifted to refining the bodywork – tackling small dings and dents. This has been a hands-on learning process, honing my hammer and dolly skills, aided by invaluable advice from fellow enthusiasts. Their shared knowledge and encouragement have been crucial, and I’m immensely grateful for the support. As I move closer to the painting stage, more questions will undoubtedly arise, but for now, I’m enjoying the process and looking forward to bringing this 1969 Mustang Mach 1 back to its former glory.
