I am new to this board and would like to ask for some assistance. While I had the pleasure of owning a few very nice Mustangs in the late 70's and 80's; I am Mustangless and looking to own an older Mustang again. The car I am looking at is a 1970 Mach 1 ( M code, 4 speed and shaker) that has been sitting in the forest for the last 14 years. The body is straight with all the right pieces however the owner burned out the 351 4V and replaced it with a 351 2V which he also burned up leaving the car inoperable. I see no signs of rust on the exterior however there is surface rust in the engine bay and underneath the car. With the car being stationary with no battery; what is the best way to check it's condition. Do componants such as the power steering and brakes wear out from sitting? I am going out to jack up the car, place it on jack stands and take a look from below at which point I should be able to take some pictures. The door jam code table was deteriated beyond recognition with the interior needing a near complete restoration. Odometer reading of 68K ( probably 168k) with the VIN number matching the car. While the car is not officially listed for sale I think I could get it for $6k Any tips to help me evatuate the overall condition of the vehicle would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Hawk1

 

If it's been sitting in the forest for the past 14 years, I would do some seriuos checking on the frame rails, torque boxes and the floorpans. Your power steering should be fine, but brakes are a very important part and I personally wouldn't trust wheel cylinders and lines that have been sitting for that long.

 

I wouldn't worry about the engine, tranny, etc. Those components are going to need an overhaul anyway. The engine is probably seized up, so trying to turn it over is useless. Rust will be your biggest concern. Especially the body parts, since they are hard to find.

 

Assuming that the body is solid what do you think about the $6000 price?

Thanks,

Hawk 1

 

I personally wouldn't pay more than a few thousand for it since it needs an entire restoration. Do the math, and you will see that you can get in way over your head in a very short time with a rebuild, then what will it be worth? Basically, you are buying a rusty hull that will most likely never see the steet again as a running car unless the seller is willing to part with it at a reasonable price. 6K is way too much.