There is absolutely no shortage of 1969 Ford Mustangs here on BF but not many are the Grande version – a sort of luxury notchback edition, first offered in ’69. Nope, it’s the fastbacks (SportsRoof), often in Mach I form, that usually make press. Today’s Riverbank, California find, courtesy of Gunter K, is considered salvage but it’s still worth taking a gander, again, because these Grandes just don’t surface that often. Details can be found here on craigslist where this forlorn pony is available for $3,500.

Introduced in ’69, the Grande, continued on through ’73 and had a pretty successful first year knocking out 23K copies or almost 8% of the total ’69 Mustang production of 299K units. The Grande didn’t differ much from a standard notchback Mustang, the exterior features were subtle and included wheel opening moldings, dual “racing style” mirrors, stainless rocker panel moldings, wire wheel covers, and a two-toned strip traversing the length of the car along the top fender line and extending to the rear edge of the quarter panels. A vinyl roof covering was not standard equipment but most observed examples seem to come so equipped. Inside there were luxury tendencies such as vinyl/hopsack cloth upholstery, molded door panels with mounted courtesy lights, teak-toned appliques placed hither and yonder, a standard clock, stainless steel pedal trim, and additional sound insulation. Mechanically, the suspension was softened up for a cushier ride.

The Grande came standard with a 200 CI six-cylinder engine but our subject car is “F-Code” equipped which means it is powered, when running, by a 200 gross HP, 302 CI V8 powerplant. Looking at the engine, I’d say that it’s a safe bet that it hasn’t turned a lick in many moons – a missing radiator is probably the least of its worries though it may now be domiciled in the trunk.  The seller describes this Mustang’s motivational capabilities as “It does have an engine but it is not in working condition in its current state“. As is often the case, an automatic transmission is tethered to this non-running lump.

The body of this Mustang looks rough and the mossy overgrowth isn’t helping with the presentation. The listing suggests an “intact body that just has light rust damage“. Admittedly, I can’t spy any serious rot but I’d want to give this Grande a pretty thorough look-see if I were interested. The missing grille is in the trunk – no telling if it is still serviceable. A good pressure washing would reveal what’s really here.

The interior is pretty grimy looking. There’s so much mold and dust that the environment’s true condition is obscured. The dash pad and steering wheel are split, the headliner is gravity-challenged, and the back seat looks like it took a direct shot from a Bazooka. Also, those luxury molded door panels, more mold now than molded, are going to need some attention.

So, what’s next for this Mustang? It’s really nothing special and needs a whole lot of work. A dedicated Mustang fan may have some interest but this I imagine most would take a pass and look for a better or more collectible example. Still, with a good cleaning, some paint, an interior fumigation, and an engine redo…oh, never mind, that’s a lot of stuff. Anywat, what do you think, one to save or one to take a pass?