When you’re hell-bent on discovering long lost muscle cars and classic rides, time moves by at an alarmingly fast pace. John Fardone of Croydon, Pennsylvania can attest to it, as it seems like just yesterday John was a 16-year-old car-infatuated teenager pulling his first car, a needy ‘70 Chevelle out of storage and back to his family’s residence to use as his daily ride. Since then, there have been countless muscle cars that have made their way to his homestead, all destined to be rehabilitated and put back on the street where they belong. Though John has a penchant for ‘60s and ‘70s Chevy branded steel, there are times when choice rides from Ford and Chrysler have piqued his interest and found a home in his shop. This was one of those times.

John has met and befriended a lot of interesting people in his habitual car hunting exploits across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and has made some tight-knit friendships that have lasted through his 35 years plus of digging up long lost and forgotten muscle rides. One of those guys is his good friend Rich, a mechanic and collector who lives just a short ride away from John in northern New Jersey. Rich was the proprietor of a very successful transmission shop for more than 40 years and a car enthusiast of the highest degree. While working on trans jobs for his local clientele, he was also busy buying and stashing away parts and collectible cars whenever possible. After four decades of sourcing, buying and gathering choice automobilia, he had successfully filled two large storage facilities with useable rare muscle car parts, as well as several top-of-the-line muscle cars and collectible classics.

X Machs The Spot

When the time came for Rich to thin the herd due to downsizing, John helped out by finding buyers for several of the cars and a good deal of the parts. However, there was one car that John had eyes for, and he quickly let Rich know he was interested in grabbing it up for his own. Sitting side by side in the dusty, dark building were two ‘70 Mach 1 Cobra Jet Mustangs, just waiting for someone to resurrect them. “I immediately fell for the dark green ‘Stang,” quips John, “and asked Rich if I could make an offer on it. We then made a deal on the pony car and when we finally cleared out all the debris that was blocking it in, I came in and pulled it away out of the dust and into my ownership.”

The Mach 1’s Backstory

What John got was an interesting ride to say the least. In the world of first-generation Mustangs, some of the most collectible examples that don’t have a Shelby nameplate attached to them are the Mach 1 optioned ponies. Throw in that this is an original R-Code, 428 Cobra Jet propelled, four-speed car, and you have a special muscle car by anyone’s standards. It was this combination of sought after factory options on the Mustang that hooked John from the start.

Rich went on to tell John that the car had sat for more than four decades. “He told me he bought it off a used car lot in 1979. Soon after he got the car back to his shop, he pulled the 428 cubic-inch mill to detail the engine bay and never got any further with it.” There the car sat with its corresponding powerplant parked right next to it since before Ronald Reagan served as president. The good thing was that the Mustang was always inside and out of the weather which helped keep it in good shape for a 45-year-old Ford.

When John got the Mustang back to the shop, he assessed its overall condition. “The car is extremely complete. The body is nearly rust free, with some light corrosion spots on the hood and the flanks. The typical areas that usually start rusting out on these cars are all in good shape. The floors, trunk, fenders, doors and quarters are clean. You’d be hard pressed to find a survivor in better shape in this neck of the woods.”

The paint is 90% original with just some skin work on one of the doors. There are imperfections, but overall, with a good cleaning and buff, the Dark Ivy Green presented well for paint that’s been on a car for more than half a century. The trim is all there and even the bumpers are fairly clean. Grille, badges, and lights all are OEM and in great shape.

In the cockpit the Mustang retains all its born-with goodies, plus some extras. The upholstery survived long term storage without any major issues. There is the typical rip from entering and exiting the driver’s seat but there is no animal damage to speak of and the Ginger colored vinyl is still pliable. Other accoutrements like the Hurst shifter and rim blow wheel are accounted for. John also added a factory tilt column from another Mustang for good measure. It’s a great option to have and handy when getting in and out of the car.

Mach 1 Revival Tour

As stated, when John picked up the Mustang, the original 428 motor was already out of the engine bay. So, he decided that since he was going to drive the hell out of this Ford, he would keep the motor off to the side and build a new engine for it. He already had a vintage ‘69 428 block and matching heads on hand, so he went ahead and built up a long block with a fresh Eagle crank. He sourced the pistons, cam and used a 427 intake along with an original carb for the build. The accessories from the original 428 engine were passed on to the new build. Now John doesn’t have worry about blowing the original mill under the weight of his heavy right foot.

The Mustang was still wearing its original hubcaps and steel wheels when John brought it home. He decided to add a set of period-perfect Keystone wheels to the Mustang to give it a Day Two vibe. The exhaust was rebuilt and the brakes, fuel system, and suspension were thoroughly gone through before John declared it street worthy. With just 23,000 original miles, this one definitely has many more road trips in its future.