Back From Looking At That 69 Mach 1

[95GT]

Well I made it home from looking at that 69 Mach 1. Let me say what a POS. That guy is nuts if he thinks he will sell that car for $14,000. When we got to his house first look at it I thought I would be leaving with that car. Was not bad looking from oh say 20 yards. Once I got looking at it I thought oh my god is this thing junk. The drivers seat had a rip in it about 9 inches long and back seat had a rip about 3 inches long. The both door panels where you grab them to close the door have tears in them and the carpet was worn badly. Had a rim blow steering wheel that was not in bad shape but the horn switch needs to be replaced. Both doors had bubbles on the bottom as did the left rear quarter. Under the car the floor pan was undercoated pretty heavy. So I started pushing on the floorboards and then I saw why it was undercoated so heavy. To hide the holes in the floor. Found holes in both front sides and one in the back. Checking under the hood the car shows it was hit in the front very hard at one time. The drivers side shock tower is pushed back and is touching the master cylinder. The master cylinder also shows signs of a leak. So we start the car up and it blew a cloud of smoke out. Could be valve seals but my guess is the valve guides are bad. Took the car for a ride and first thing I notice is the shifter is very sloppy. It drove ok but every bump you hit the car had more noises than you know.One thing I did notice was when I stepped on the brakes the clutch pedal would move alot. So I pulled over and checked under the dash to see if I could see what was wrong. It looks like the bushings on the pedal are shot and now is digging into the clutch pedal rod. Then I notice the harness under the dash looks to have been cut in half at one time and spliced back together with butt connectors. Brought the car back and the owner asks what I though. All the while I was checking the car over I was writing things down and the list was pretty big so I started telling him things that were wrong.He looks at me and says well I guess your not interested then. I told him no and I think he was really POed. I don't know if he thought I was that big of a sucker or what. So we start walking for our car and he says well make me an offer. I stopped and told him $4000 and he starts laughing. I turned and got in my car and left. At least the wife and I had a nice peaceful ride and stopped and had lunch together. She also commented how proud she was that I checked the car over so well and did not just jump at the first thing I see. So anyhow back to looking I go. One thing though I found out today is that I really like the lines on the 69 cars so I will be looking more for a 69 or 70 than anything else.

[70 StangMan]

Sorry to hear it was so bad, but glad you did your homework and walked away. There will other ones in better shape , just keep looking and doing your homework and you'll be better off down the road.

[lethal289]

just remeber good things come to those who wait, and if your pacient, you can find what your looking for.  However, i dont know what your experience level is with old mustangs, but everyone i've been around makes a ton of noises.

[silverblueBP]

Mine is a "new" 66 and it makes tons of noises, you just can't hear them over the WFO exhaust.

Seriously, good on you  for doing a thorough check, you'll find your car....we all eventually find ours  :nice

[Fast68back]

Did you keep your list? I would look some of those things up in catalogs and on the internet, get prices for things like carpet, seat covers, etc. So when you do look at a car your interested in, you'll have an idea what things will cost to repair/replace, then deduct those from the asking price...

[fast65]

Good job checking it out so thoroughly and not jumping on the first car you found. You'll find your car eventually, just be patient. 

[johnpro]

Great job.  From your description, the $4k is much more in the price range of that car, but I had to laugh at the thought of that whole part of the conversation.

I agree with the others on being patient.  I also agree with you that the '69/'70 sportsroofs are the best looking Mustangs ever built.

Here's a pic of mine to keep you interested LOL

[70 StangMan]

and...

[95GT]

One other thing the wife said on the way home. If we need to spend a little more to find a nice solid car that would be ok. Yeah what a woman. But like i said in my other post I want a nice solid car. If it needs some repairs that is fine. Just not wanting one that needs floor pans and the likes. I am kind of handy so thats not a big problem.

And that's a nice car Johnpro. Don't imagine you would let it go cheap would you?

[Sluggo]

and...

And den.....

[Fast68back]

When you puttin the sportsroof badges on?

[Sluggo]

When you puttin the sportsroof badges on?

Whenever I appropriate some more funds.

Probably next couple weeks. I need to quite dickin with it an get on the Boss.

[DeadStang]

Gosh, maybe I'm just a sucker for a '69 Mustang, but the only things that I really didn't like from your description were the rusty floors and the shock tower damage/mis-alignment.  Ripped seat upholstery, clouds of smoke, and lots of weird noises while driving are kind of homey to me.  One of my cars sounds an awful lot like a boat docking in the front end while you're driving--and all of the bushings/front end is new in that car.  Maybe it's what I see in my area, but you're not getting anything that doesn't require a come-along to move for $4K around here. 

[95GT]

Maybe you did not read my post real well. The owner wanted $14,000 for that car. Way to much IMO. So like I stated he was POed when I told him I was not interested. So as I was leaving he said make him an offer. Well being the smart ass I am I offered him $4000. But you know if he would have said ok I still would have walked away.

[Sluggo]

Maybe you did not read my post real well. The owner wanted $14,000 for that car. Way to much IMO. So like I stated he was POed when I told him I was not interested. So as I was leaving he said make him an offer. Well being the smart ass I am I offered him $4000. But you know if he would have said ok I still would have walked away.

I just seen a roller shell 70 sportsroof (non mach) 302 4 spd car go for 4k here recently.

The car you looked at would bring 8k on the low end pretty easily.

The car you are looking for is out there but you are going to have to be diligent and do a lot of searching.
Start telling everyone you know what you are looking for. you never know who's got one lurking in the garage or knows someone who does.

[DEL65]

I'm glad to hear you dodged a bullet. It's so easy to get caught in the moment and make an impulse buy with remorse later on. It's a great reminder that all potential buyers should inspect the cars in person, because photos don't tell the real story. Press on, don't give up, and don't compromise. It took me 8 months to find my 65.

[DeadStang]

Maybe you did not read my post real well. The owner wanted $14,000 for that car. Way to much IMO. So like I stated he was POed when I told him I was not interested. So as I was leaving he said make him an offer. Well being the smart ass I am I offered him $4000. But you know if he would have said ok I still would have walked away.

Yes, I did read your post.  And opinions are like...  

Good luck.

[napaguy]

I know its a little ways away but...There is a guy locally to me in SW Washington that has a 69 sportsroof that he has had since high school. Needs some work but definately not a POS...he wants 5k for it. If you want more info send me a pm

[95GT]

Wish I was closer so I could check it out. But unless I can go see it I am not really interested. Not that the car is not worth what your friend is asking just that I have heard some bad stories about buying cars from far away.