Ford Mustang Mach 1 1969: Retro Road Test

Ford Mustang Mach 1 1969: Retro Road Test

It鈥檚 Friday afternoon and I receive a phone call from a close family friend asking me to drive his Mustang as a wedding car. Leaping at the chance, and before he has time to rethink or renege, I accept. Honestly, I鈥檝e been waiting for an opportunity to get behind the wheel of this 1969 Mach 1 Ford Mustang ever since a 鈥渘ut and bolt鈥?restoration was completed a year ago. But upon arrival at owner Graham's house, it becomes worryingly apparent I鈥檓 in uncharted territory. The rebuilt car remains left-hand drive and although I鈥檝e driven on the wrong side previously, it was a while ago when I was touring the US and everyone drove the same way. So I agree to let Graham ride shotgun during a familiarity lap around his housing estate, So he can be confident I won鈥檛 wander into oncoming traffic. All at once I鈥檓 introduced to many characteristics typical of a car this age, like preparing for a corner well in advance. 鈥楾urn in鈥?especially leaves me with an unsettling feeling, as the suspension lurches and front tyres squeal, even at low speeds.

Soon I鈥檓 out on the open road, on my own, trying to convert miles per hour on the speedo to kilometres to ensure I don鈥檛 get a speeding ticket. Pulling up at traffic lights gives me the opportunity to practise smooth take-offs, using the old 鈥榟eel and toe鈥?method. The parking brake is actuated by a pedal on the floor and released by a hand lever under the steering wheel, so it鈥檚 completely useless for handbrake starts. Here I discover there鈥檚 a very fine line between stalling and laying rubber. Although I don鈥檛 stall taking off I quickly discover varied levels of wheel spin, which seem impossible to ease out of with the throttle alone. It seems the only way to stop the spinning is to grab another gear, which is not an issue due to the smooth-shifting nature of the drag-spec Tremec TKO five-speed manual transmission. The positive feeling is enhanced by a reasonably light hydraulic clutch and decent length in the gear stick, and I can鈥檛 wish for a better 鈥榖ox to learn the art of right hand shifting.

During casual driving I never require fifth gear as long as revs stay above 1100rpm, as the torque easily holds fourth at low speeds and requires little encouragement to return to higher speeds. Something else I notice at traffic lights (while I have a moment to relax a bit) is the attention this car is attracting. People at pedestrian crossings stop to snap shots on their smart phones and drivers point the Mach 1 out to their passengers. The feelings I experience while driving this car range across the entire emotional spectrum. From joy when the engine rumbles and I鈥檓 pushed back into the seat, to fear when I apply the brakes, hoping it will stop in time. To be honest, it鈥檚 a bit wearing and after an hour or more behind the wheel I feel mentally and physically tired, not helped by the heavy, unassisted steering when it comes time to park the car. Arriving to pick up the bride, I quickly learn it鈥檚 best to pull up well away from other cars as the doors are massively long and easily exceed most allotted car park spaces when trying to squeeze out.

After contemplating the back seat we decide the dress and bridal bouquet are best suited to the front passenger seat. So the beautiful Ruth rides shotgun, which is the only way to experience a Mustang. Now comes the moment where I stall. I was on a hill. While the bride鈥檚 car normally leads the way in a motorcade, we aren鈥檛 parked in that configuration and the exit is via a very steep driveway. So to let me past, another member of our convey stops at the top of the driveway. Only there isn鈥檛 enough room for me to squeeze past, causing us both to come to a stop. I turn sheepishly towards the bride, who has a strange look of both surprise and disbelief on her face. 鈥?and we burst out laughing. Fortunately, the next few kilometres to the wedding venue are uneventful and the wedding goes off without a hitch. While the formalities and photos are taking place I return to depart in the Mustang, only to discover several tourists posing for photos in front. The noise from the remote central locking doesn鈥檛 deter them, so I jump in and leave.

I smile, thinking maybe it doesn鈥檛 want to stop and for a split second a sad feeling creeps in because I know my test drive is over. So many things about this Mustang go against the grain. It could hardly be called sporting with the suspension not really geared for comfort or handling. Despite the lusty V8 it isn鈥檛 really a performance car; rather it鈥檚 an emotional rollercoaster. I experienced so much joy, fear, envy and satisfaction when driving it that I quickly became attached to it. While I couldn鈥檛 drive it every day, if I owned it I鈥檇 want to, or regret not taking it out. That said, a car like this needs some skill and special treatment, and will show up inexperience. Graham, the Victorian owner of this 1969 Mustang Mach 1 is a true enthusiast. He found and imported the desirable, two-door fastback model three years ago, and in the time it took to get the car packed into a shipping container had sourced most of the components required to restore it.