Classic car enthusiast scores a big find
Mike Lawrence - Staff Writer
“It’s all original, it’s got a clean title, and it drove last in 1982.”
That’s how Andrew Wallace begins to explain the 1973 Mustang Mach 1, a piece of automotive history, sitting on a trailer in his yard.
As Wallace explained, “I have a friend in the city (Winnipeg), who I met a few years ago. He had heard there was a GT350 Mustang in a garage, and that the old fella who collected Mustangs had passed away. His son was left with them (but) he wasn’t a car guy.” While the son declined to sell the GT, he did mention other vehicles being located in a shed on the property.
What Wallace’s friend had discovered in the old shed was not one but two classic iterations of Mustang history, a blue 1965 coupe and the 1973 Mach 1.
As Wallace explained, “It’s literally a barn find. He sent me a couple of pictures and I was on my way to Winnipeg the next day! The 73 Mach 1 hadn’t moved since 82, and the 65 Coupe moved last in 1988. They moved them over to my friend’s, and he kept them for me for a couple of days, until I came in and loaded them.”
According to Motortrend Magazine, “By definition, a barn find is a car person’s classic car that’s fallen off the radar of other car people. They’re old cars (or trucks) that were stashed away in shelters large enough to protect them, without getting in the way, typically on properties that haven’t changed ownership in decades.”
As is often the case with vehicles that have been sitting for extended periods of time, the move wasn’t without its share of challenges. As Wallace noted, “The problem was, all four wheels were locked up in his driveway…on both cars!” He then continued, “I’m just getting into being professional in the business, and (will be) getting my used vehicle dealers license and buying better equipment, but this was my last old school find where I did it myself with a block and tackle and chain falls. No winch. With all four tires on both vehicles stuck, it was a bear to load. They didn’t want to go anywhere, but persistence and hard work paid off. It took me till one in the morning to load (the Mach 1) and 11 the next evening to load the other. I had gone early to get them, so we are talking 8 to 10 hours a piece…it sounds like a lot but when you are trying not to break stuff, you have to take your time.”
Speaking of the Mach 1, Wallace explained, “This one is the last year of the big Mustangs, 1973, before they went to the Mustang 2. This has the original Q-code Cobra Jet engine. This was the last year it was offered… and it’s all original. And it has a title, which can be very rare to get these days. My plan for this is to get it restored mechanically but leave the patina look for a couple of years. I have all the pieces for it, then after my wife’s Mustang (the 65) is done, I’ll paint it, probably all the same color. You don’t really see them in this shape much anymore. Either they are all restored, or they are too far gone.”
As for the 65 Coupe, Wallace had this to say, “The other Mustang is a 65 Coupe trunk back, its originally from North Dakota. It has the paperwork for it and on the odometer and on the paperwork it has only 8500 original kilometers. On a 65! It’s all intact, the interior is there, the seats are there, the headliner, all the chrome, the Ford emblems. We thought maybe it was a 64 ½ car, but I went through it and it’s an early production 65. One of the first 24 months of Mustangs built of the original pony car. That is one of my wife’s favorite cars, so it just kind of came together for me, and I surprised her with it. I got a good reaction.” Wallace finished by adding, “This (the 73) and the 65 are both staying in the family. Everything else can move, but I’m already attached…I’m not going to find another one.”
So, is this the last classic car purchase?
Wallace didn’t hesitate, replying with a grin, “Absolutely not.”