[Guest]

New here, so don't kill me if my questions are too dumb! The 71-73 Mach 1's have always been my favorite car. And now I might actually buy one. But I am the kind of guy who likes to do a lot of research first. I have found a Mach that is in decent shape and 'seems' to have very low milage, around 15,000. Two questions:
1) Can Carfax, or a good mechanic tell me if that is really 15,000, or just a rollover or rollback?
2)Let's assume it really is 15,000. How important is mileage in a car like this when considering price? For example, two identical Machs in almost every way, both of good overall quality, but one has 15,000 and the other has over 100,000. How much more would the lower milage one be worth? Thanks!

 

[Guest]

I'd do a carfax. Personally I think if it's a REAL 15K car, it'll demand big $$$$$. Mine is a 74K '65... brother it ain't cheap.

 

[nosaj122081]

Carfax reports don't go back that far, so you're really outta luck... The only other options are to look at tell tail signs of wear, like pedals, radio knobs, seat bolsters, etc.

As far as mileage effecting value, in my worthless opinion it doesn't TOO much, because verification is hard. I'd be more concerned with getting the best possible car for the money I had, plus, hell, not much left on my car that I didn't put there anyway.

 

[L20068]

Nosaj is right... You're SOL on the Carfax, and only a true Mustang nut would be able to tell if this car truly does only have 15,000 original miles. TYhings like the stock tires, original battery, etc can tell a tale... However, with reproduction parts being so good nowadays, it's hard to verify certain claims! JUst go with it being a solid car and if the guy asks for a seriously higher price than a normal Mach 1 on the basis of the mileage, and if he can't prove the mileage, tell him to buzz off - he ain't worth your time.

 

[fordnut]

First of all, Welcome to the best Mustang site on the net.
Second, don't worry about dumb questions. Only dumb question is the ones that are not ask.....
I would be more worried about Rust than milage...Mustangs of all years were prone to rust, and it gets Very expensive to replace rusty parts.....
If you think that this might be the car of your dreams, find someone that knows Mustangs, that you can trust. Have this person inspect the car. Even if you have to pay him, it is good money spent. If it is very bad, walk away, unless you can do a lot of the work yourself, or, you are independly wealthy.....
Good Luck with the car, and keep posting...

 

[TFOB]

Welcome to the VMF you will enjoy your time here. Ahhhhhhhh another 71 - 73 nut!!!!! Our numbers are ever increasing! Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

[motorhead]

There are a lot of signs a good mechanic can use to make an educated guess. L20068 is on the right track. A battery probably won't last 35 years but original parts are a good clue. if there charging a huge premium for such low miles (i sure would be). Look for things like factory rust proofing. The ford people slapped it on like BBQ sauce on ribs, where complete restorations either don't have it at all or is it put on perfectly.

Sounds like a great find, hope it works out.