By the time the 1969 model came around, the Ford Mustang was experiencing some declining sales, as more competition in the pony car market was giving potential buyers a broader range of autos to choose from.  The powers that be at Ford must have thought this period would be a great time to get a more performance-oriented model into the lineup, and that’s exactly what they did when their Mach 1 was introduced in 1969.  This first-year example is a project in need of some attention, but the good news is it’s running and there are plenty of positives to keep things exciting here.

The seller calls his Mach 1 a barn find, which he mentions has been sitting for over 20 years.  It’s also said to have spent a long time in Arizona, which has been friendly to the metal, as the Mustang is stated to be rust-free.  The body is showing some dings and minor dents, but overall the panels appear solid, so I’m guessing most if not all of the major exterior components are going to be salvageable.

The excitement continues under the hood, as this one’s a Q-Code car, indicating it left the factory with a 335 horsepower 428 Cobra Jet.  Even after more than two decades off the road, the seller was able to get the engine running decently, although he does tell us there’s a little smoke.  Quite a bit of fuel-related maintenance has been performed, including replacing the gas tank, flushing the fuel lines, installing a new fuel pump, and adding a rebuilt carburetor.  It’s never verified for sure that this is the actual 428 the Mach 1 was born with, and the only information we get about the transmission is that it’s automatic.

No specifics are provided regarding the interior, and while the inside area could also stand some refreshing, it does seem to be pretty much all there.  One of the things I like about this one is that it could probably become a decent driver without an exhaustive amount of effort, but it also seems like a good candidate to take to whatever level the next owner desires.  This 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is in Tucson, Arizona, and can be found here on eBay, where bidding has reached $33,000 so far.  What direction would you go in if taking this one on as a project?