Photo: http://www.mustangandfords.com
Some people do anything for love, including Meat Loaf, while some people are able to do pretty doubtful things for money. But us gearheads, we're driven by our appreciation for automobiles. Dan Bailey is a prime example of how far that appreciation for internal combustion can go and how much this "vice" costs.
Virtually every man born in the United States that grew up in the '60s and '70s is fond of the glorious muscle car era. That's why so many guys in their 50s or even 60s are trying to find that perfect Dodge Charger their next door neighbor had when they were just kids. Mr. Bailey is one of them and this is his quite unusual Mustang story.
Even though he already was the happy owner of a 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1, Dan set his eyes on a second Mach 1 built in 1969. For the better part of 10 years, Mr. Bailey made generous offers to the owner's father, Raymond. Finally, the pony's owner, Shawn, agreed to sell the car to Dan with bittersweetness in his heart because the '69 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is actually the first vehicle Shawn owned when he was just a young lad.
According to a report from Mustang 360, Shawn's father directed Bailey to the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1's location and surprise - the barn find pony was actually a hen-roost buried in a mountain of junk. The Champagne Gold Mach 1 was "rusty but straight," and the M-code 351 c.i. V8 engine was nowhere to be found. However, that wasn't enough to turn Dan off from buying the car in order to restore it to its former Motown era glory.
Some very rare original bits and bobs were in pretty good shape, including the slotted chrome wheels and dog dish center caps, but Dan doesn't want to apply some TLC to the old lady in order to sell her for profit. In fact, Mr. Bailey explained for the aforementioned publication that he would do a proper nut-and-bolt restoration and Shawn would be the first option to buy the car back if Dan ever decides to sell the restored '69 Mach 1.
Are you curious about how much money Mr. Bailey payed Shawn for the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 that sat in a barn three miles away from Dan's residence for almost three decades? Just 500 bucks. Now that's what we call a damn fine automotive story with a damn fine happy ending.
Even though he already was the happy owner of a 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1, Dan set his eyes on a second Mach 1 built in 1969. For the better part of 10 years, Mr. Bailey made generous offers to the owner's father, Raymond. Finally, the pony's owner, Shawn, agreed to sell the car to Dan with bittersweetness in his heart because the '69 Ford Mustang Mach 1 is actually the first vehicle Shawn owned when he was just a young lad.
According to a report from Mustang 360, Shawn's father directed Bailey to the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1's location and surprise - the barn find pony was actually a hen-roost buried in a mountain of junk. The Champagne Gold Mach 1 was "rusty but straight," and the M-code 351 c.i. V8 engine was nowhere to be found. However, that wasn't enough to turn Dan off from buying the car in order to restore it to its former Motown era glory.
Some very rare original bits and bobs were in pretty good shape, including the slotted chrome wheels and dog dish center caps, but Dan doesn't want to apply some TLC to the old lady in order to sell her for profit. In fact, Mr. Bailey explained for the aforementioned publication that he would do a proper nut-and-bolt restoration and Shawn would be the first option to buy the car back if Dan ever decides to sell the restored '69 Mach 1.
Are you curious about how much money Mr. Bailey payed Shawn for the 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 that sat in a barn three miles away from Dan's residence for almost three decades? Just 500 bucks. Now that's what we call a damn fine automotive story with a damn fine happy ending.
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