Ford Mustang Mach 1 T5 351 M-Code 1970
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Automobilhersteller : |
Ford |
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Modell: |
Mustang Mach 1 T5 351 M-Code 1970 |
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Jahr: |
1969-1970 |
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Art: |
Coupe |
Ford kept the Mach 1 alive into 1970 and little changed other than the visuals. The 1970 body included dual-beam headlights with the previous inner headlights becoming sport lamps and recessed taillights on a black honeycomb rear panel, side scoops behind both doors removed, revised bucket seats, deep dish sports wheel covers, as well as new side and rear badging and striping were the main visual differences. 1970 saw the previous 351W V8 engine options replaced with a new 351 cu in (5.8 L) Cleveland (351C) V8 in either 2V (2-venturi carburetor) or 4V (4-venturi carburetor) versions. The 351C 4V (M code) engine featured 11.0:1 compression and produced 300bhp (224 kW; 304 PS) at 5400 rpm. This new performance engine incorporated elements learned from the Ford 385 series engine and the Boss 302, particularly the poly-angle combustion chambers with canted valves and the thin-wall casting technology.
Ford Special Promotion Division built a handful (probably 10) of track-modified and highly-optioned R-code 1970 Mustang Pace Cars for American Raceways Inc. According to the late Terry Fritts of the Twister Special Registry, this would have been prohibitively expensive for ARI, so Special Promotions pre-sold 100 similarly equipped cars to the Kansas City District (District 53) Sales Office to subsidize the project. Thus, all Twister Specials were built first and have consecutive VINs in the 118000 range, and ARI Pace Cars have 120000-series VINs. These Specials would be used for a November 7, 1969, Total Performance Day promotion at Kansas City Raceway, and where the ARI Mustangs were both NASCAR-spec and loaded with options, the DSO 53 Kansas cars were all supposed to totally performance-oriented. The only comfort and convenience features at all were tinted glass, hubcaps and trim rings, and an AM radio. Ford was also planning to sell the ARI package as a special Pace Car edition; however, late in 1969 ARI went bankrupt.
All Twister Specials were supposed to have been built as R-code 428 Super Cobra Jet Drag Pack cars with 3.91:1 Traction-Lock differentials; however, there were only 48 SCJs in inventory, so the remainder received the new 4-barrel 351 Cleveland engine. All of them were in Grabber Orange with special Ford Mach 1 side stripes with Twister logo. They all also came with not just the Drag Pack and SCJ competition suspension; but a shaker hood, power front disc brakes and F70x14 raised white letter Polyglas tires. In the end, only 96 Mach 1 Twister Specials were built in October 1969.
