When you buy a new vehicle, you can choose one from inventory or order one with the exact options that you want. When you buy a used vehicle, you have less flexibility. Our Pick of the Day falls into the latter category, but you still have choices. How so? We’ll tell you in discussing this 1970 Ford Mustang Hardtop that’s listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Bloomington, Illinois.
As you may know, the 1970 Mustang was in its second year of this particular generation. Styling was cleaned up, with all faux scoops removed, as were two headlights, bringing the Mustang back to a pair of headlights after 1969’s quads.
Under the hood, new was a 351 Cleveland that replaced the Windsor in four-barrel form, though the 351 two-barrel was built in both Windsor and Cleveland variants. The Cleveland was exactly the engine Ford needed in the horsepower wars, especially considering that just two years before, the Mustang’s performance engine lineup began with a 390 (with a 428 appearing later), while the Camaro made do with a solid-lifter 302, 350, and several 396s. All together, performance fans had the Boss 302, 300-horse 351C, 428 Cobra Jet, and Boss 429.
Though 1970 was already past the era of psychedelia, Detroit was making up for lost time, and Ford was on the leading edge of dayglow colors. Hues like Calypso Coral (introduced for the 1969 Mustang Boss 302) and Grabber Blue, Grabber Green, Grabber Orange, and Grabber Yellow (introduced for the 1969 Shelby GTs) were popular with the young and the young at heart.
Though 1970 is often referred to as the high point of performance in Detroit, Mustang sales of all stripes were cratering, with overall Mustang sales falling by over 100,000 units, from 299,824 to 190,727. In particular, the sporty Mach I fell from 72,458 to 40,970. Insurance was but one factor to blame. It’s difficult to pinpoint which factors determined what would incur a surcharge (it seems possible a car with a four-speed alone garnered a surcharge), but there were ways around it. This rare 1970 Ford Mustang Hardtop could have been one of those cars ordered to tip-toe around the high cost of insurance.
Note the Marti Report on this vehicle: Hardtop, M-code 351 four-barrel, wide-ratio four-speed, Traction-Lok, and Competition Suspension is a speedy configuration, but this Mustang doesn’t quite look like a performance car. Well, I take it back, as you can see it has a Shaker hood and stripe (legit factory options) and a spoiler (not on the Hardtop). If it were me, I’d remove the spoiler, enjoy the Shaker for awhile before replacing it with a flat hood, and do the same with the wheel covers. It would look like a super-sanitary White Mustang-with-Vermillion-bucket-seat-interior Q-ship. Then again, it also has air conditioning and 3.00 gears, which is not the best thing for quick acceleration, but it adds depth to an already interesting car.
So what would you do? If you buy this $43,995 car, please tell us!
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
