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My 1969 Mustang Mach 1 has been sitting in a garage for 20 years with all liquids drained. Where do I begin?

Asked by admin on June 3rd, 2009 Listed in: Mustang Mach 1
mustang mach 1
Scott asked:


My dad just gave me his 1969 Mach 1, and has told me that he drained it knowing that it would sit for a while. Well it’s been 20 years, and now that I able to start fixing it, I’m not sure where I should start. I want this up and running as soon as possible. I hope to use this as my project car and begin restoring it. Are there books that would help with this?

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4 Answers »

  1. Marketing Gal on June 5th, 2009 at 10:23 am:

    This site has everything you’ll need. It has a tech forum, new parts for your mustang, and actual shop manuals for your 69. That’s the best place to start. Get a manual and go from there.

  2. Tim on June 7th, 2009 at 1:29 pm:

    First thing to do is to pull the spark plugs out and get some oil into the cylinder. Spray or pump some oil in each cylinder before you try to rotate the motor. You should put a little in for a couple of days, so that you can make sure the rings don’t seize. Then I would rotate it by hand so that you can feel if it is right. Fill the crank case too before you try to turn it. Leave the plugs out too so that it can push out the oil and doesn’t try to squeeze it if you put too much in. Sounds like fun. Do the work it needs before you get it running because once it is running you will be turning the wheel and not a wrench.

  3. Dr. Strangelove on June 7th, 2009 at 9:03 pm:

    My second new mustang was a ’69 Mach1 ! Mine was midnight blue w/louvers, a 390 325hp, and a 4 spd. No power anything.
    If your car were mine, I’d want to tear it down and rebuild it. Even though you drained the fluids, all the seals and gaskets will be dried out and leaky. If you do it right the first time, you’ll save yourself a lot of grief later on.

  4. dbmaxwell1 on June 10th, 2009 at 3:50 am:

    Your seals are all dry and shot, the cylinders are corroded, etc etc etc. It would be a good time to tear down the engine, trans, axle, brakes and clean them up. That way you don’t trash the original parts. The car is special, would be nice to keep it that way.

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