Before you read all the way through this post, let me just state that it will be lengthy.
Okay, now that I gave that fair warning, I would like to thank you for continuing, as I've now turned to what I think is that last resort.
I'd like to give you the lowdown on the subject for this thread, to help you better understand my plight.
I'm 19 years old, and in a few months, I'll be getting my first car. As this is a Classic Mustang forum here at AFM, it should be obvious that I'm looking at a Classic Mustang.
Specifically, I'm looking at 1970 to 1973 Mach 1/Fastbacks...
Before we get to the questions, I'd like to give a fairly thorough background.
You see, I'm one of three children, born to loving, caring parents, who raised us with morals and values, tempered by common sense. As all kids have a habit of doing, my sister, brother, and myself all grew up.
And as is the tradition, I suppose more in America than the rest of the world, we all eventually came to the subject of freedom - cars. I like to think of it as the traditional coming-of-age milestone that most all American teens are lucky to experience.
My sister, 23 and the oldest, received her first car - a 1991 Ford Taurus - when she was 17 and we were all still in high school. It was fairly reliable transportation, and didn't cost too much for my parents at the time. She later received a second car - a 1989 Chevy Blazer - for transportation to college. Although my parents were making much better money at this time, she rushed the process, and got the above vehicle.
My brother on the other hand...oh dear. When he was 16, he began asking for a license. My parents, due to previous unauthorized "test drives" of the family van and his general attitude, declined the request. He bypassed them and to their dismay attained his license with the help of a friend's mom.
Still not deeming him responsible, but always patient, they decided to give him a second chance. He recieved a 1993 or 1994 Chevy Cavalier at the age of 17, and proceeded to blow the engine after nearly colliding with a government-tagged van towing a long, sharp nosed, three finned metalic casing with the "name" SAM in bold red letters.
Remind me to tell you that story later, if enough of you want to hear it
After much "we knew you weren't ready" from the parents and "you never really trusted me!" from my brother, they, in their infinite kindness (perhaps too infinite) gave him a THIRD chance. They bestowed upon him my father's old work truck - a 1995 Chevy Silverado. He drove it for only 2 short months before promptly siezing the engine from lack of oil - it has since been sold.
The kindness stopped, no fourth chance, and now he's learning that parents, while sometimes stiff-handed, are most always right. At least ours were.
Anyway, down to the point
I, now at the age of 19, have finally asked for my first car. Why didn't I get it earlier, you may be asking? Well, my sister or brother having transportation, or mother and father being able to take me where I needed to go, I never saw the need in another vehicle in the driveway.
I also knew that the money could go to better places. Although my folks now pull in an average of 100k for the past 4 1/2 years (Professional Truck Drivers), were weren't always so well off.
So I waited, and waited, patient in my decision. Now, as I prepare for a career as a Licensed Practical Nurse / Medical Technician, I have the need for transportation - and due to my patience, my parents have left my decision of vehicles pretty much up to me.
While my brother and sister never truly gained their trust, I have the right to most any vehicle - from throaty muscle cars, to SOME new cars (I've got a budget of roughly 15k), to sleek and fast sports cars.
After MUCH research on various sites, and limited real world viewings, I settled on a muscle car, and specifically the 1970 to 1973 Mach 1 Mustangs. I've fallen in love with the history, the shape and the soul of the car.
Just one problem...
I'm a big guy. Overweight, but not fat. I'm 6 foot 5 inches, and weigh in at about 400. In high school, my nickname was Tree. From 25 inch wide shoulders (across the back, not all the way around), a 60 inch chest, and size 18 feet, the high school coaches begged me to join football (I live in a small NE KY town). When you can squat 600 pounds, you get attention. I'm not huge and muscular, veins popping out, but I'm not skinny by any means either.
So, my questions, my worries, my one problem come down to this - will I fit in the car of my dreams?
I have scoured the internet, even contacted FoMoCo themselves, and have yet to gain information regarding internal measurements. You can find them on today's cars, but I'm not sure if that was a standard thing in the 70s.
So I ask those of you who know about these cars, especially those of you who own them, to help me find out if my dream is realistic, or is it crushed. For information, I've been losing some of my gut, and have talked with my doctor about implementing a rigorous fitness plan to shed excessive weight - but I'm told that my general dimensions won't decrease too much.
The information I'm looking for ranges from actual internal measurements (break out those tape measures), to personal experience. Anything that can help me determine where I stand, and if I can sit!
To sum this all up - I'm say again - I'm looking at the 1970 to 1973 Mach 1 / Fastback Mustangs.
I'd like to thank you for reading this quite lengthy post, and look forward to all of your responses. Help this 19 year old kid decide if his dream is possible.
Sincerely,
David
19, Getting My First Car, Looking for Answers to Questions 
Thank you FoMoCo 
