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Four-Engined 1969 Ford Mustang "Mach IV" Dragster Is Crazy

Mach Intravenous? No, that IV in the name is a four, as in Mach 1 times 4, because this is a Ford Mustang with that many amazing V8 engines. The Mach IV really puts the funny in Funny Car.
Four-Engined 1969 Mustang "Mach IV" Dragster Is Crazy 6 photos
Photo: Dave Shuten
Four-Engined 1969 Mustang "Mach IV" Dragster Is CrazyFour-Engined 1969 Mustang "Mach IV" Dragster Is CrazyFour-Engined 1969 Mustang "Mach IV" Dragster Is CrazyFour-Engined 1969 Mustang "Mach IV" Dragster Is CrazyFour-Engined 1969 Mustang "Mach IV" Dragster Is Crazy
Dragsters really took off as a young form of motorsport back in the 1960s. Just like drifting, it was actually more about putting on a show and impressing people than going fast. Econoline vans with the V8 at the back did the whole track on two wheels, and paint jobs were wild.

Engine technology wasn't as good as it is today, and swapping in jet engines didn't become a thing until much later. So when you wanted more power, adding extra engines actually was a thing you should do.

Funny Cars made a lasting impressing on long-haul trucker and drag racer Gary Weckesser, who decided to make his own. Being a fan of Ford, the model he chose was a 1969 Mach 1 Sportsroof.

A custom chassis was constructed, big enough to accommodate four 351 V8 engines. The Mustang body was chopped down the middle to make it narrower, but many of the OEM pieces were left intact, which is pretty unusual for a dragster.

Those V8s have fuel injection and boast more individual stacks and exhaust pipes than we can count (it's actually 32). Together, these numerous cylinders put out about 2,000-3,000 horsepower, and the Mach IV reportedly had a 1/4-mile time of under 8 seconds with gate speeds of around 180 mph (290 kph). Again, cars like this are about showing off.

Just about now, you're probably curious how you'd use that much power from four separate engines. Initially, we thought it's got hydraulic pups hooked up to each engine like in tractor pulling. But Ford says "a small network of driveshafts, U-joints and other mechanical magic pipes all the power through a single clutch actuating a custom-built direct drive gearbox – there was no transmission ratios per se, and no chain-drives involved, either. As you might guess, driving this beast in a straight line was no small task."

It underwent a full restoration a few years back, is in better-than-new condition and can be seen at the Galpin museum in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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