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Project Mach 1 as a First Car?

2K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  mcc351 
#1 ·
Sorry if I'm posting in the wrong section, new here :p. Let me just start off by saying that I'm going to be getting my license soon and up in Canada (specifically Ontario) it's a longer process, usually 3 years to get a full one but in about 2 you can drive with almost the same privileges as a 16 year old could in most parts of the U.S. I've recently really been looking at some older mostly late 60's to mid 70's muscle cars and thought to myself that it might be a good idea to (partially) restore or work on an older mustang. I love the look of the mach one, specifically the '69-'73 ones but I don't know much about the technical differences.

Part of the main reason I'd love to do this is because most of my family is away for a bit and it'd be a great bonding thing to do with my Dad, he restored a Jeep Cherokee last summer and had a lot of fun doing it. He's completely on board for working on a muscle car. I've been doing a lot of reading on models and the common look outs for mustangs (looking for rust, VIN, stuff like that) but I think I have to ask this question before I try to go forward with this. Is it a good idea to "restore" (I use the term lightly for just fixing a car up and learning about it more) an older mustang as my first car? My dad works at chrysler and knows a bunch about cars, I was never into them myself so much but they've gotten a lot more interesting, financially this would be a lot cheaper for me than buying a newer car and I think a better learning experience too.

If anyone has any opinions they'd like to share on my question or an answer I'd love to hear them :). Some other inquiries I have are, is the Mach 1 a good project car to start with? I've heard generally mustangs are the best car to restore because of their simplicity and abundance but is there a better model or specific year of a mustang that would benefit me? To be clear I'd be driving this daily back and forth to school probably and out to places on weekends.

Another big thing on my mind is that I don't really know where to get an affordable project car. I've been looking around and they go into the 25k range but these are usually restored ones and I can't seem to find one thats in decent condition but does require some work. I've seen those sites where they have stolen or damaged cars that insurance companies sell, they look great and the prices are amazing but it feels way too good to be true. Sites like autosource.biz and things like that. Are these a scam? They require a $25 fee for registering which isn't the bad part, but I don't want to get my hopes up.

Thanks for reading and sorry for the lengthy post, hope you can help!
 
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#2 ·
Welcome to the site! Personally I would advise heavily against it. Thinking you can restore one cheaper then buying a newer safer car is probably 100% wrong and the safety factor would be my major reason to keep you out of one if you were my son. The only part that sounds great is the father son project part to be honest. I do wish you the best of luck whichever way you decide to go.
 
#3 ·
You need to do some deciding on one of 3 things, daily driver, modifications, or concours(this is restored to factory condition and is the most expensive). You need to decide on a budget, like 5K to purchase a car, and maybe another 5K (for example) in repairs, or updates, etc. Getting insurance to cover the car, as without an appraisal from a reliable source, you will have no leverage with an insurance company is your car is wrecked, whether it is your fault or not. Another choice would be to get a newer mustang say older than a 2004, which shouldn't require a lot of maintenance, should get good gas mileage, and have great brakes and traction. My 2 cts. Good luck.
 
#4 ·
I also would not recommend a vintage Mustang as a daily driver for a young person. They have few of the common safety items found on today's cars. You should get yourself a newer car to gain basic driving experience.

Reworking a car is VERY consuming on all fronts. I just put one on the road this month after 33 months, not the 3 I first figured on. Almost all of that time was for body and interior work to save this rusted car.

A lot of insurance companies will not give full coverage under a normal policy. They will turn you over to a vintage broker and that usually means several sever restrictions that will not allow you to do what you want. I have a restriction in FL that says I have to keep it in a locked garage. So check all that out before you buy.
 
#5 ·
Oh wow that's a lot of great information thanks guys. I did think about safety and have worried, didn't know there were a lot of insurance problems associated with this. I'd love a current gen mustang, they look beautiful but I thought with the fact that an older car might be cheaper and they look even better I could go that route. I'm sure as hell not crazy experienced in anything automotive so I guess you all have a point in that this project is a bit too much. Thanks for the advice, any more would be helpful too!
 
#6 ·
What they said, not to mention it's definitely NOT financially cheaper than a good used car for a daily driver. 69's are quite expensive to restore because the parts are expensive. And they're expensive to buy off the bat.
 
#7 ·
To add to what's already been said... Restoring/ working on a fixer upper always seems cheaper when you first look at it. In the long, buying one that is completely finished makes the best financial sense. If you can live without a Mach 1 ( I couldn't). You can get a nice fastback for almost half the price and it wouldn't look that much different. If cost isn't the main concern ( it may not start that way but cost has a way of catching up to us), then fixing up an old stang is a great way to learn about the cars. The best part is that there were a ton of classic mustangs made and just about every parts is available. If you wanted to restore another muscle car from say Chevy or Chrysler... You'll find that they can cost more on the initial purchase and some parts are hard to come by.
 
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