1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1 2-Door SportsRoof

- Beautifully Restored Yellow with Black
- Upgraded and Rebuilt 351 V8
- 4 Speed Manual
- Fastback with Rear Window Louvers
- Dual Exhaust
- Last Year of Classic American Muscle Car Era

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1 on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 150 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, please go to our main website: Garage Kept Motors.)

“… the '71-'73 Mustang might just be the best of the breed”- DrivingLine.com, March 2021

The 1973 Mustang ended the “original Mustang” run. Mustang IIs that followed would be a completely different—and somewhat controversial—take on sporty cars. As DrivingLine writer, Mike Garrett, saw it, the 1973 pony car might well be the best of the breed. He listed the '73 Mustang's distinct advantages: “The Look… a sleeker, more muscular look (that) worked well; The Performance… the same basic chassis layout and powertrain choices that made the earlier cars so successful; Bang for the Buck; Movie Star… cemented its status as an automotive icon after starring in the cult classic 1974 car chase film Gone in 60 Seconds; A Character All Its Own… 1973 cars though, are far less common while still delivering all the benefits of classic Mustang ownership—and great looks to boot.” Add serious performance and beautifully refreshed paint, and a '73 Mustang has lots going for it.

Offered here is a 1973 Mustang Mach 1 fastback—the final year of the original Mustangs—beautifully restored in yellow over black. Currently showing 85,180 miles, the car has traveled just 1,775 miles per-year on average since new. It was restored and re-born with performance additions not available back in the day in a brighter yellow paint than the “medium yellow” offered back in the day to create a “one-of-one Mach 1.”

The car's exterior non-metallic bright yellow paint was professionally applied (including door jambs, trunk interior, underside of the hood, etc.). The finish is uniformly glossy, consistent, and free of damage. The color was an especially good choice as it highlights the flowing "long-roof" body lines, and “speed” yellow works perfectly with the Mach 1 vibe. Black body-side Mach 1 stripes also make the performance-heritage statement. (To best assess the quality of the paint and trim finishes, be sure to view the close-up photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) The front spoiler, grille, hood-scoop trim, rear-deck spoiler, rear-valance insert, rear-window louvers, and rear bumper are all finished in matte black. Badging—including the running-pony grille emblem, script-Mustang fender badges, “Mach 1” lettering in the side stripe, “mach 1” on the rear stripe, and Mustang-logo gas cap—is all properly located. Cabin glass and all lighting lenses are clear and free of cracks or other imperfections. Magnum 500®-style polished alloy wheels are mounted with BFGoodrich® Radial T/A raised-white-letter tires for a period-correct look.

The car's interior features black vinyl upholstery in a classic, horizontal pattern on the high-back front buckets and the folding rear bench seat. The condition of interior surfaces overall is excellent; upholstery is fresh and free of even minor wear or damage. Black cabin carpeting has been well maintained. A 3-spoke, chrome, aftermarket sport steering wheel frames the stock instrument cluster augmented by a column-mounted AutoMeter® Sport-Comp programmable tachometer. In the center stack, a JVC® audio head unit replaced the factory radio above slide-lever-operated ventilation and heating controls. The Hurst® shift lever the 4-speed manual transmission is console-mounted and topped with a “cue ball” knob bearing the shift pattern. Door trim includes padded-vinyl panels and roll-up window cranks.

Under the hood, the upgraded and rebuilt, 351-cubic-inch Ford V8 draws air through the hood scoops directly into the open-sided air cleaner. An oval, finned-aluminum air-cleaner cover and M/T®-embossed (Mickey Thompson) identified bare-metal, finned valve covers, braided-steel fuel and coolant hoses, chrome-trimmed shock-tower braces, and aluminum radiator add visual interest and serious performance cred. The engine bay is very clean and all components are properly located. Viewed from below, the chassis is straight, complete, and free of any signs of damage. The massive “snake-look” racing-style headers and full dual-exhaust system are obvious focal points. Most chassis components have been treated with rust inhibitor.

The Mustang's original identification tag remains mounted (and is de-coded below).

While the more than 150 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '73 Mustang Mach 1 in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.

The large number of Mustang enthusiasts, clubs, and aftermarket parts suppliers helps make owning any of these performance cars a real joy, especially so when the upgrades have been well thought-out and executed. Every Mustang model draws interest at cars-and-coffee gatherings, so the next owner of this properly performance-upgraded, stand-out-yellow Mach 1 can expect more than their fair share of admirers and plenty of “thumbs up” endorsements from fellow pony-car loyalists.

VIN Decoder:
3 - Model Year: 1973
F - Assembly Plant: Dearborn, MI
05 - Body: Fastback Mach 1
F - Engine: 302 V8
164786 - Production Sequence Number