Ford’s Mustang has always been a survivor. And, as today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe Mach 1 proves, its special edition models keep coming back in zombie-like fashion. Will this S95’s price however, still prove worth waking the dead?
In Greek myth, the Sirens were a race of beach babes who lured unwitting sailors to their doom with their intoxicating singing and bare bosoms. Never underestimate the power of a bare bosom or two.
Also never underestimate the appeal, apparently, of the Land Rover name. That was of course, attached to the 2004 Land Rover Freelander SE that we featured yesterday. Its siren-like quality lured a 56-percent Nice Price vote for its $4,499 price tag, despite athe brand’s rep for abhorrent reliability. Maybe that twee pop-top two-door body style was just music to your ears.
Ford once owned Land Rover (swoon) selling off the British Brand along with its Jaguar and Aston Martin flatmates just as the global economy took a dump in the late Aughts. That was a shrewd decision for the Blue Oval and one that allowed the company to weather the economic doldrums without having to answer the siren call of begging for a government bailout.
Ford has recently made another decision to contract the scope of their offerings here in the States. The company is said to be giving up on the traditional sedan here entirely, realigning their model mix to be nothing but trucks, SUVs, crossovers, CUVs, tall-hatches, and the Mustang.
The Mustang is history’s most important pony car. Sorry Camero lovers, but it’s true. Over the years, the Mustang has not only carved out its niche in the American psyche, vying with the Chevy Corvette for the title of ‘America’s Car,’ but has also bred a series of memorable models along the way. I’m sure that names like Boss 302, SVO Mustang, Shelby GT350, Bullitt, and Mach 1 all imbue images of galloping horses, no matter how many decades that have unfolded since the introduction of each.
Actually, when it comes to iconic Mustang models, you don’t have to live in the past. That’s because Ford, in their infinite marketing wisdom, has brought back a bunch of the most well known of their Mustang specials on newer editions.
As example, the first Mach 1 was introduced in 1969, and ran for nine model years thereafter. The name was brought back on the SN-95 over the course of the 2003-2004 model years. That by the way was a full two years before Justin Timberlake claimed he was bringing sexy back. Not so fast there, Mr. Biel.
This blue on black 2003 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is one of those dusted-off badge models, and is in anybody’s book about as sexy as they come.
The top output of the original Mach 1 was 375 gross horsepower achieved by the ’69—’70 edition with a 429-ci Super Cobra Jet V8. This car came from the factory with just one engine, an all-alloy 281-ci DOHC V8, but that pumped out 305 horses net.
Top that with grippier tires, a suspension that’s far more ahead of the curve and real brakes and you can probably decide which one would be your daily.
To corral all those ponies, Ford gave the modular V8 a slew of parts from other editions of the engine. The Windsor Aluminum Plant block was shared with the Cobra (another resurrected name) which also offered up its heads. Intake cams were sourced from the 5.4-litre InTech V8 for better mid-range torque, and the whole thing farted through larger exhausts which shared everything with the great outdoors.
Making the Mach 1 however is its Shaker Hood. Now, that doesn’t mean it was crafted by a quaint New England religious sect. Instead, it means there’s a hole in the hood through which a ram-air intake fits, bringing glorious hood-sourced air into the engine. On the original Mach 1, that typically fed right into the air filter and carb. Here, the air takes a rather convoluted path, forward to the air box, and then back sideways through the air mass sensor to the intake.
It still looks plenty badass and here comes with the added benefit of a a K&N emblem embossed on the aftermarket intake tube. Other mods include BBK headers, more open Dynomax mufflers, engine tune by Don LaSota Racing, and a short shift kit for the T5 transmission. There’s more—the pics show adjustable strut mounts and the brakes have been embiggened—but overall it doesn’t seem too egregiously modded. Mustang mavens however, may be able to point out additional deviations.
The Azura Blue paint was a Mach 1 exclusive this year, and it looks to be in excellent shape on this 50,000 miler. The SVE wheels look pretty tough, especially with the blue lug nuts, but should they not be your cup of tea, the factory wheels are available too.
Inside things are just as nice. The Mach 1 received retro fabric for its upholstery, with comfort weave vinyl on the seats and a mono-tone black theme overall. The car comes with the factory stereo and the cute SRS script on both wheel and dash to denote that it is airbag equipped. A bit of wear is noticeable on the driver’s seat, but other than that, and the fact that the SN-95's interior was kind of chintzy in general, it’s perfectly serviceable.
Asking for this more modern Mach 1 is $15,250, and while the SN-95 Mustangs may not be the best looking of the breed, they certainly featured some of the best performance models. This one is no exception, and now we’ll need to see how it performs in our contest below.
What’s your take on this Mach 1 and that $15,250 price? Does that seem a fair amount to pony up? Or, for that much, would you simply not want to Mach time with it?
You decide!
Dayton, OH Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to copy_run_start for the hookup!
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