KW72

Well, it's like this. I'm a Chevy guy. Building a mid 11 sec Nova with my son just now. Spent 20 years in Chevy Dealerships as a tech. I have buddies in tha Blue Oval dealership biz and a Wife that loves 65 stangs. Thats the next project so it's time to get to know you guy's. After all it's all steel with a different name right? Lookin for a 65 but right now I need some opinions. I have a golf buddy with an all original rust free NUMBERS MATCHING complete drivable yellow 72 Mustang MachI for sale. He knows nothing about the rareity or value of the unit and nor do I so I need help. It broke down on him a few weeks ago and I came to the rescue. The original points were closed up so I re-set them and got him on the road. I told him he should convert the dist to electronic ign and would'nt hear of it because he wants it all original. With out details I gotta say it's all original but I have not studied it all that close. He is about to let it go to a co-worker for cheap and I said let me find out whats up before he does.

Help me guy's! Don't let this car go to waste! What is it worth and what should he ask? If he really wants to let it go I would'nt mind offering it here but I need some idea what it's worth and what needs to be known to determine that. He says it's a 351 Clevland factory 4 speed.

Where is the VIN# on the block to verify numbers matching?
Where is the option # to verify the original equipment, paint color ect.?
Where do I find the info you need to Know to give me an educated answer?


Thanks in advance...
An old Chevy Guy lookin for help from his Ford buddies...

Steve

EmperorOfChicken

there should be a tag on the inside drivers door and drivers side fender with numbers stamped on them. write em down and come back here for decoding. (im not possotive if this is where the numbers are on the big cars thats how it is on mine!) good luck!

Soaring

There is also a VIN stamped on the dash in front of the steering wheel next to the window. Give us that VIN (warranty) number and also look on the driver's door and on the inner fender on the driver's side. Take the starter out, and you will see the engine casting number. Give us all those numbers.

Colorado_Mustang

If it is an original Mach 1 with the 351 and 4-speed, it's reasonably rare. If it's the R, don't wait. Same for the Q.

There were 27,675 Mach 1's in 1972.
18,045 Grande's
15,622 SportRoof's
6,121 Convertibles
and 57,350 Coupes. For a total of 125,093.

THUMPIN455

VIN should be in the same place as 72 vintage GM vehicles. There is a mchined pad on the rear of the Cleveland where there should be a number stamped with a partial VIN on it. If there is a Q or an R in the VIN, its a valuable car for sure. If it isnt rusted and is in decent shape for its age, you know garage kept, no snow etc, nothing faded or broken off with relatively low miles, figure a high of $20k if its absolutely mint, and roughly around $5k-$15k if its a typical driver minus the rust, lower prices being worse shape. NADA has them listed somewhat low compared to what people are paying for them, if you wnt to look there. Also the prices wont be going up much longer, the speculators and idiots who are driving the prices up like they did in the late 80s early 90s are finding other things to spend money on now.

Im a Pontiac guy who also happens to own Fords, but I race the Pontiacs. More cubes from the same size package, just need to get good heads for them. Have a 71 Mustang fastback in the shop getting massive rust repair/replacement, and my 67 Cougar sitting right next to it. When the Mustang is done, I would be asking between $13k and $20k for it, as a complete rebuild, but not 100%stock.

See if the wife likes it, because they are really a decent car. Even if they arent one of the small ones, and you cant see out the back window very well. You can easily install a 460 in the 71-73s, and that means a 514CJ will fit nver nice, 600hp daily driver would be fun. Even if its a Ford.. Clevelands are great engines, even the 2V heads flow better than ANY small chevy head and are on par with oval port BBC heads. The 4V runs well, especially if you make the ports smaller by filling the bottom dead space in the portsm and they flow similar to a rectangle port BBC, just need more cubes under them to create more velocity..

Clevelands are canted valve like the BBC, and have large valves, and ood parts. High RPM and sustained high RPM needs oiling mods partly because oil doesnt drain back as fast from the top of the head. You know the drill there.

So theres some background on them, I can get an exact location of the block stamping if I ever go back outside and look. Have two Clevelands in the shop next to the 455's, 400s, and the 454 goin in my 76 shortbox.

Seems to take alot to get a chevy in the 11s with stock heads.. I find that interesting..

Soaring

Correct me if I'm wrong. Seems like I read where in 1972 the Cleveland 2V engine was a low compression 8:3 engine. Not sure about the R or Q though. I also remember reading that the 427 stopped production in 1971, so the 72's didn't have large block engines as an option.
Yeah, some numbers and pictures would really help with determining the worth of that Mach. I'm with the wife though. The 65-66 Mustangs look more like what a classic Mustang should look like.

THUMPIN455

Glen.. think 429. Also nothing in the mustang or similar vehicles had over 8.6:1 compression. That was an effort to reduce NOX emissions, 71 still had 2 Clevelands and two 429s with 11:1, but the 2V C that year had 9.0, and that is a good head for a pump gas street engine.

Yes you couuld still order a 429 in the Mustang, and you can still put them in relatively easily, but with the massive chunk of iron up front, the Cleveland was often a better choice, unless it needs to be stone stock like in F.A.S.T type racing.. I surely woudnt mind having a 429 with aluminum heads on it in my fastback.. It might get it before too long.

KW72

Thanks to all above for the info. I will try to get the VIN# and post that. If I have to take the starter off to get the engine number then he probably won't want me to do that. I am resonably sure it is the original engine anyway. I will snap a few shots of it and post those too. My wife won't settle for anything less than a 65 stang and would prefer a convertable. So me buying the 72 Mach is out of the question.

For a photo posting test here is my 72 Chevy:

Could'nt get it to work and have to run just now. I will try later.

Thanks again....Steve

Colorado_Mustang

I have a '65 Stang....

noroof66

You really don't have tp post the '72 Chevy pic.........[sm=badidea.gif]