Ones That Got Away

1969 Mach 1 "Q" Code

This was my 1969 Mustang Mach 1. It is numbers matching, has a 428 Cobrajet coupled to a 4-speed with a Hurst shifter, and 3.50:1 gear ratio. There is no rust on the car anywhere. The paint was originally Black Jade, but is now Raven Black.

To see the restoration in process click here. This one was a joint effort between DC's Auto Restoration (paint, engine, and body work) and Signature Auto Collection in Columbus, OH, where I purchased the car (interior and engine bay details).

The restoration took almost two years to complete and allowed me to achieve my dream of owning a Cobrajet Mustang. Unfortunately, burn-out with the car set in toward the end of the project and I wound up selling it just before the big-block market took off. The last I heard of it, a dealer in the Midwest sold it on eBay for $40K in December of 2003.

1969 Mustang Convertible

This 1969 H-code Mustang Convertible was originally built in San Jose, California and sold in Denver, Colorado. When I found it on the Internet, it was living in Houston, Texas. It is a one-family car, purchased from the daughter of the original owner. It is essentially original except that the radio has been replaced with an aftermarket system and the right front fender and left rear quarter were replaced as the result of a minor accident in 1978.

The restoration started with an emphasis on a full mechanical rebuild wherever necessary. The body turned out to have been repaired several times in the past, but the undercarriage was very straight with some rust (primarily the rocker panels and floors), but no cowl leaks. My initial plan was to restore it to original condition, but since selling my Mach 1, I decided to restore it with modifications (restomod). The objective was basically to create a convertible equivalent of the Mach 1, but with a 1969 GT appearance.

The modifications accomplished on the car are as follows:

Replaced the FMX Automatic with a Tremec TKO 5-speed and replace the 3:00:1 open rearend with a 3.50:1 Traction-Loc rearend.

Convert the two-barrel, single-exhaust 351 to a 4-barrel, dual exhaust setup.
Change the color to Acapulco Blue with a white top and GT exterior trim, including white GT stripe along rocker panel.
Converted the standard front drum brakes to power disc.

Replace the standard interior with a Mach 1 Deluxe Interior, including high-back bucket seats, wood grain trim, center console with armrest, and a Rim-Blow steering wheel

To follow the trail of this Mustang, which was sold to Randy Marble of Dallas, Texas, go to http://www.marblesmotors.com.

"Cheshire Cat"

1968 Cougar XR-7 - 302-4V, Automatic

This is the first of two Cougars we've added to our motorized menagerie. I found it through the Internet in Cheshire, CT, where it had been parked since 1978.

As found, it was a completely intact XR-7 with a nearly perfect interior. The dash pad and woodgrain dash panels were perfect. The rear seats and quarter panel inserts were also perfect. The leather upholstery on the front seats and the carpeting needed replacement. The wood grain steering wheel needed to be refurbished.

The body was generally straight, but some previous body work had been performed and the car needed to be stripped down to bare metal to find out how good the sheet metal was (both fenders needed to be replaced and the quarters needed work at the wheel arches). The brakes were rusted to the drums, but the car rolled enough to winch it onto the trailer. The motor needed to be rebuilt, along with the C-4 automatic. However, all the emblems, wheel covers, badges, and trim are in place and most of them cleaned up nicely. Click here for in-progress body restoration photos. Click here for pictures of the interior after the upholstery and carpeting was removed.

January 11, 2004 - Cheshire Cat is finished. See more pictures here. They are from just before the vinyl top was installed. (Dial-up warning - there are 8 pictures on the linked page, each at about 75K in size)
June 28, 2004 - Louisville, KY. Cougar Club of America 2004 Eastern Nationals, 2nd place, Street Stock, 67-68 XR-7 class, which is judged against a point standard for cars that are driven.
August 2004 - Northampton, MA. Mustang Car Club of New England (MCCNE) 2004 Regional All-Ford show. 1st place, 1967-73 Cougar, All.
Winter 2005 - The Cheshire Cat is the Winter 2005 feature car for At The Sign Of The Cat (ATSOTC), the magazine for members of the Cougar Club of America.
July 9, 2005 - Fairfax, VA. Cougar Club of America 2005 Eastern Nationals, 1st Place, 1967-68 XR-7 Street Stock. (hosted by the DelMarVa Cougar Club).
August 2005 - Northampton, MA. MCCNE Regional All-Ford Show, 1st place, 67-73 Cougar, All.
November 2005 - Appears as October car in 2006 Cougars and Kittens calendar.
January 2006 - Sold to Larry Roehr, Gig Harbor, WA via eBay auction. Cheshire Cat is going to a good home where I believe Larry will give her the care and respect she deserves.