1971mach1

I went thru the same quandry on the 71 and found that it's YOU that needs to decide what your intentions for the car are. Both our cars are/were numbers matching but not rare like a Boss 351 or 428 Mach1 , so the decision becomes less clear.
I came to the conclusion that i wanted to keep it in the family for sentemental reasons (I won't mention) and enjoy it on weekends, rather than fix it up and sell it in a few years. So if i'm keeping it, what's the diff if it's numbers match? Only a concourse judge or a buyer is really going to care.
So the car looks stock inside and out but I made a few mods that made it really fun to drive (5-speed with stock looking shifter and peddles, new carb, Flows and probably future headers and engine mods).

philthy

Well not quite Miami but about 30min south in Homestead.

Oxnard Montalvo

Do what you want and save the parts.

knuckless

dont make an eleanor, thats all i ask

please

philthy

I feel ya,, no elenor! Maybe a CS duck tail but thats it!

Carlos Pineiro

After 18 years I've put my car through several thematic looks, including pure stock (inspired by a set of Firestone polyglass tires I acquired). You couldn't corner, but they were quiet, which was cool at high speeds.

Keep the parts, including the motor if it is in fact correct/original, and do whatever you want as long as you can undo. If the paint is original (I mean factory), color sand and buff, but don't repaint. Good Luck Post Pix.

CP

ThongsareSweet

yeah I agree keep all the parts but if a 289 isn't enough power, build up a 302 or something but don't go crazy. Even with a tricked out 289 it goes pretty quick but if you are worried about keeping it original keep the stock 289 and store it. Same goes with other parts. Its when you start putting on an eleanor kit you loose the value and you will empty your pockets or start cloning it into a fastback. I don't know about you but I still love the look of the coupes and it pisses me off when I see a rusty fastback for sale and the owner thinks he has a gold mine in his barn and won't make any deals. I have a coupe iam working on and have gone through a few things like putting in a 347 and then jumped back to 302 and I seem to be bouncing around that area. If you deciede on more power you need more support for your frame, take that into account! Again its your ride, I find the stock 4 speed a pain in the *** with the linkages but thats my 2 cents. I locked it up once in 2nd gear and I will tell you its not fun trying to feather it home in rush hour stuck in 2nd gear...