Hi ,I have just bought a 71 fastback that has not turned a wheel since 1982 I would be very grateful if anyone could give me the lowdown on the specs off the vin plate , it is a one owner car with gen 69k , 351 4v motor , is it a cleveland or windsor? , unfortunately no power steering , is this a mach 1 model? .I am in the UK , Please send me a pm ,many thanks in advance Nige

 

Hang on... I gotta great vin decoder site. Lemme dig up a link...

Back:

http://www.mustangdecoder.com/

It's pretty self-explanatory how it works, and accurate. I use it all the time...

351 4v, if its the original motor, is probably a Cleveland, and if so, its one of the better performance packages on that model car, but I may get schooled on that one when others chime in. The 71-73's ARE notorious for having anemic set-ups under the hood regardless of 2v or 4v due to new emissions laws and the fuel shortages of the 70s, but even so, the HP is there, you just gotta know how to find it. ;-)

 

Oh yeah,and congrats on the Clydesdale! LOL The 71-73 model cars were some of my favorites before Ford had a complete lapse of sanity and common sense and introduced the Mustang II's. By the way, do you have a manual or auto transmission? Also, I found this at Wikipedia.org, thought it might interest you:

"The Mustang became larger and heavier with each revision, culminating with the 1971 to 1973 models designed under the supervision of Ford's new product design manager, Semon "Bunkie" Knudsen, originally of General Motors. Knudsen's leadership saw the last high-performance big-block Mustang, 1971s 375 hp (280 kW) 429 Super Cobra Jet. The body style designed for the purpose of big-block installation versions was limited to a maximum of 351 cu in (5.8 L) in 1972 and 1973 due to stricter U.S. emission control regulation, as well as the low demand for big block muscle cars because of high insurance premiums. Two more high-performance engines were introduced in 1972; the 351 "HO" and the 351 Cobra Jet. Both versions were high performers for their era, but nowhere near the level of the Boss cars and original Cobra Jet. Automakers in the U.S. switched from "gross" to "net" power and torque ratings in 1972, which coincided with the introduction of low-compression engines with different, far more restrictive induction systems. Thus, it is difficult to compare power and torque ratings.[citation needed]"