1969 R-Code Mustang

Here is a real classic muscle car. It is not everyday you go pick up a car for a new customer and when the garage door is opened you find a R-Code 428 Cobra Jet 1969 Mustang Mach 1. What is really rare is when you see it and there is a yellow paint job over the original Candy Apple Red with Boss 302 Stripes. We did a double take but the big R in the VIN number assured us this was the real deal. We have hauling services for our customer who can’t deliver so we made the short drive to Clarksville Tennessee to pick up the car.

After going over the details of a restoration with the Helicopter Pilot in the Military we excitedly loaded up the Mustang. Once it was back at our shop we put it on a lift to check the originality of Cobra Jet and important R – Code components. The rear “N” case and posi trac were intact has was the original cast iron tail shaft on the C-6 Transmission. The original cast iron exhaust manifolds were still there, and block was date coded correctly for time the car was built. The heads are Cobra Jet numbered and carburetor numbers show it was a ford replacement for a 69 428 CJ. More numbers will be sought out including crank # to make sure this motor came with this car. Numbers matching is important to added value once complete.

A full Marti Report was ordered up so we can get more info on car has options list from original window sticker. These help to see what we are missing to put back original. Soon the motor and transmission will be pulled and trans sent off to a Ford Pro named Jim Paquet in MI for a rebuild. The motor will be set on our run stand and tested for integrity. This is an awesome classic car restoration getting ready to happen.

With the motor removed and disassembled it was realized and rebuild was needed. The stock 428 Cobra Jet Block and all FE blocks need help in the oil delivery system. The main bearing pressure holes are misaligned from the bearing shells and oil pump hole is to small causing turbulence for the high volume pump. Once the modifications were taken care of with a die grinder the block was sent out for machining. With the motor reassembled it was painted and ran on the test stand. A problem with lean mixture from the restored Holley carburetor sent it off to be put on an engine dyno. The leanness was cured by reworking the stock carb and the motor did 400 horsepower on an easy pull to 5000 rpm. The transmission returned and is waiting to be reinstalled. Body work is under way once the sandblasting revealed much.

Once body work was complete, it went on the rotisserie for more and authentic style color and paint on bottom.

The 69 R-code was sent to MI to be assembled and painted once off of rotisserie. The customer could not do the heavy mechanical and the heavy re-boding of the car.