1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 Barn Find Is an Unpolished Gem, Won't Come Cheap

If you've never had a project car before, you might feel overwhelmed at first if you'll get one. But good things don't come easy, right? So, regardless if you've got any prior experience or not, you should follow your heart and hope for the best.

And today, we came across a vehicle that should be, at least in theory, an easy restoration project. eBay user larr_cartw has posted an ad for his 1969 Ford Mustang, which is located in Maple Valley, Washington. Some people will argue that this is the best-looking first-generation Mustang, and I tend to agree with that too.

If you were planning on buying a Mustang in 1969 or 1970, you could choose between 11 different engines. The smallest one was a 200 ci (3.3-liters) Thriftpower inline-6 that was rated for 120 horsepower and 190 lb-ft (258 Nm) of torque.

The top of the line went up to 429 ci (7.0-liters) and was good for an impressive 375 horsepower and 450 lb-ft (610 Nm) of torque. But this 1969 model, which reportedly ran when parked, sits somewhere in the middle of that line-up.

According to the seller, and confirmed by the Marti report, it has a 351 ci (5.8-liters), 4-barrel Windsor V8 engine inside. With 290 horsepower and 385 lb-ft (522 Nm) at your disposal, this classic Mustang should still be quite exciting to drive.

Of course, there's no one to stop you from swapping in Boss V8 or even a newer generation engine, but it all comes down to your vision regarding the project. And that also includes the budget you're willing to spend on making it happen.

The fact that this is a Mach 1 model further adds to the excitement factor. It was built in March of 1969, at the San Jose factory, and some of you might be happy to see that it does have a third pedal inside as well.

Ford built almost 300,000 Mustangs that year, and about 24% of them were Mach 1 models. But only 9,167 cars came out of the factory with the same engine/transmission code. That aside, you can probably do a full restoration of this car in less than 6 months with the right planning and budget.

The good part is that the current owner will provide a few new spare parts to help you out, including an aftermarket quarter panel, an aftermarket shaker hood, a set of Magnum 500 wheels, and the interior seat upholstery. The actual mileage of this car is unknown, but at least it has minimal rust, which translates to less effort in restoring its original shine.

There are still 5 days to go before the auction is over, and this Acapulco Blue Mach 1 has certainly generated a bit of interest. The highest bid right now stands at $20,100, but it might go up by at least another 50% by the end of it all.