Pedigree Problem: 1969 Ford Mustang Mach I
With a Buy It Now Price of $12,600, this 1969 Ford Mustang Fastback Mach 1 is listed for sale here on eBay. The car is located in Wylie, Texas near Dallas and is an original M Code 341 4 speed Mustang that is ready for restoration. Upon closer examination, the car appears to be a 1970 Mustang but the Marti Report that is included says its a 1969. The seller explains that the car has a bonded title and there are 16 days remaining on listing on eBay.
The front of the car is sitting up because there is no engine or transmission in the car. The seller states that the car was originally blue with a blue interior. However, the Marti Report states that is was painted New Lime with a blacked out hood treatment. There are lots of pictures with the ad which is a true rarity these days. The seller does not reconcile the inconsistencies but adds that the car has been inspected by Texas law enforcement and a surety bon was paid to get the title.
The interior is missing door panels and is stripped except for black seats that must have been placed in the car because the owner states that the interior is blue. You can see the three pedals on the driver floor and the 4 speed hump. There is some rust on the floorboards and trunk but the seller believes this car would make a great Resto-Mod. This is probably due to the inconsistencies with the car’s pedigree.
The windshield is cracked which matches the cracks in the black dash. The engine compartment also shows big block shock towers which the seller states is possible with the 351 cubic inch V8 engine. With the prices of Mustang Mach I’s skyrocketing, this might be a good project. So, who is an expert and can explain why the build date is early 1969 but the car has 1970 trim?
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Comments
Not Me.
Nope, not me either
Thats a 70 don’t care what the vin reads
Thats one of the things about this site, all of the knowledge. If I were to try and determine if this is a 69 or 70, I would to spend all day googling pics and descriptions. Thx
I bet if you take the fender off and look at the vin stamped under there its not the same vin….. that guy will NEVER sell it
I also found my vin stamped on the front windsreen..
I think the purchase of this car was featured on their YouTube channel a couple of months ago. The pricing suggests they are trying to quickly sell this car and move on.
This is a rare occasion where a Dynacorn body actually makes sense. This car isn’t viable as a restoration candidate and it doesn’t make sense as a starting point for a high end restomod. In this situation either move on or start with a clean sheet of paper.
Steve R
Should we start the countdown til this ad disappears?
I doubt it will. As the write up and ad both state, the VIN has been verified by law enforcement and it has a bonded title. There is a clear pictures of the VIN and a Marti report, the seller didn’t come up with a convoluted story to explain away the discrepancy, they just didn’t address it. eBay his lots of car listed without titles, this car has one and it’s been backed up by the state DMV, if they leave those up they will leave this one up.
As far as the state bureaucracy of Texas is likely concerned this is a done deal. Personally, I wouldn’t go near this car with a 10 foot pole but someone might, but that’s their problem.
Steve R
Pretty sure that law enforcement verifies that the vin has not been reported as stolen. Nothing else matters to them.
I had in order a 73, then 65 and last a 66GT. Always wanted a 70 Mach 1, and this is no 69. It’s a damn 70
Look up hot mess in the dictionary. You’ll find this picture.
…
https://youtu.be/5QC0Eys23fM
Steering column and lower dash are 1970. Even if someone put 70 sheet metal and trim on a 69 car they would never swap out the dash and steering column from 69 style to 70. Ignition on a 69 is on the lower dash and in 70 it moved to the steering column for the locking column required in 1970. This car has the 70 style steering column and no evidence of a hole in the lower dash where the 69 style ignition would have been. I would run from this car.
that is a 1970 all day long.
It’s probably build in 69, but the next run so it’s a 70. Anything make after August is the next year model. I worked for Ford and that’s the way they told us they done.
Except that the car VIN reflects the model year, not the year of manufacture. On top of that, the Marti Report shows that the ’69 was built in January 1969 ~ smack in the middle of ’69 model year production.
The car has been spliced with the front half of a ’69 and the rear half of a ’70, and retained the ’69 VIN for licensing purposes.
Doesn’t the bonded title mean the car has to stay in Texas until such time as the bond can be released?
If somebody buys this car and at any time in the future the real owner appears, the car will have to be returned to them.
I wouldn’t take that risk for this car or any car.
It’s a ’70 that has been front clipped using a ’69 donor. So it has the ’69 dash VIN and I would expect the ’69 shock tower VINs.
You can see the horrible stitches along the front torque boxes. It also has the California Evaporative Emissions system in the trunk, which started with the ’70 model year. And no sign of New Lime paint on the floor pans.
definitely a 70 car with a 69 vin. that’s how you explain all the inconsistency.
I had purchased a brand new ’69 Mach 1 upon my return from the rice paddies in the “sun & fun capital” of SE Asia in early 1969…needless to say that when my first child was born in mid 1971, my Mach 1 was replaced by a family sedan (boo-hoo).
I kindly agree with most of what has already been said above…soooo much of what is pictured is clearly 1970 Mach 1…
1) the crappy hood “pins” ( I actually had installed a small brass key-lock on the driver’s side hood pin (which were “true” hood pins on ’69 Mach 1s))….
2) the plastic “rocker trim” (in lieu of the stripe-tape that was on all ’69 Mach 1)
Not sure of the “title fiasco”, but that in itself would be a flashing red light! May seem OK now, but may come back to bite the prospective buyer in the future.
Bottom line, in my opinion…there are too many ‘believable” project Mach 1’s in the market place…projects to fit most budgets & skill levels…I have no doubt that the best decision with regard to this Mustang, would be similar to what we normally due when we see a patch of Poison Ivy…STAY AWAY!
In my past life I was informed mid year production became the following year.
Yes, but the VIN reflects the model year not the year of manufacture. So a ’70 model built during the end of the 69 calendar year would still be VIN’d as a ’70.
Also, look at the Marti Report ~ it clearly shows the Jan ’69 build date. Right in the middle of ’69 model year production.
This car was spliced together with the back half of a ’70 and the front half of a ’69, and retained the ’69 VIN for registration purposes.
Excellent detective work
Run, Forrest! Run!!
Whatever its current status, I have to believe that the odds are strong that the next owner will encounter issues with this hybrid. It’s very likely a 1970 body with a 1969 front structure. Nothing wrong with that, but when the official VIN tag on the dash was swapped, they crossed a line.
In California the DMV can generate a state issued VIN, if that’s possible in Texas that would have been a better route. It would remove the model year, which will always be an issue with this car.
Steve R
Steve, California only does that when the original VIN cannot be determined. If they know the VIN, the use that number on their state sticker.
This car has the original VIN, so they would not change it.
Miguel, this car has an original VIN, but not it’s original VIN.
Steve R
Steve, we don’t know that. They would use the hidden VIN as the VIN for the car no matter what the body parts look like.
It’s possible that someone came out of the store and their car was “stolen”
Car is never found , insurance pays while It’s stashed.
Front end, Drivetrain and a few other items sold off but the rest is kept until the day a suitable vin donor is found and you have this car.
Not a perfect plan but a 69 looks a lot like a 70
They need to find the vin on the fender aproning or the one on the frame. Probably different vin numbers.
The write up said it was inspected by the police. That is what they do.
It is more likely the car has been hacked together with 1970 pieces.
It would mean that someone put 70 rear quarters on this.
Doesn’t seem like that.
As for the police inspection, It’s a 50 year old rusty car with no drivetrain. They’re not putting it under a microscope.
The vin says it’s a mach 1, and the ad says it’s a clone so how close did they really look into it?
Another Dennis Collins dandy .
Not much of a Ford guy, but wouldn’t a ’69 Mach 1 have the fake scoops on the tops of the quarters?
No, but the Boss 302s & Boss 429s did.
actually 69 boss 429 did have those scoops, and the Boss 302 was smooth like this one
Just reading some of the comments tells me to stay far far away but I do commend the seller for making the attempt to do the right thing to sell the car!! I hope someone does something with it!! But it won’t be me!!
It’s states at the end of the eBay ad that this car is a clone “fake” not a car which it’s represented to be!!!
Is it possible that it was built in 69 for 70? You know, end of year mix and match.
Alan…not to burst your bubble, but “mix & match” from Detroit doesn’t happen to this extent…
No. The Marti Report shows a build date of January 1969 for that VIN.
The front half is from a ’69, the back half is from a ’70. Car was probably in a big ol’ wreck and they spliced it together from 2 different cars.
1970. 1969 came stock with 4 headlights, back trunk panel on a 69 was concave, 69 had false brake cooling vent intakes on the rear quarter panels
This is definitely not a 69, is a 70 all day long. First the dash vin tag is not in the proper location dead give away, no door data tag photo or missing is second warning sign. Third no photo of vin stamping in engine bay. Finally original paint colors of blue in the truck and on the floors do not align with the Green on the Marti report. I would seek out the fender stamping to verify the vin. I would personally suggest further investigation in person!
1969 had 4 headlights, 1970 had 2. Patch, reinforce, prime, put a hot engine and a 4 speed in it and drive it like all the trailer queens wish they could. Rat rod and call it a day. Unless the owner is one of those “I know what I got” and wants $30k for it. Then he can keep it, because he surely doesn’t know what he’s got.