1971 Ford Mustang

1971 Ford Mustang Hardtop As 1970 models were one year designs, 1971 ushered in a new look which lasted three years. Then came the 1974's which were met with some vocal consternation. In contrast, the '71-'73 retained at least a hint of Mustang's glory days. The print ad proclaimed, Mustang, it's a personal thing. Like anything that lets you be yourself. It happens every time. Get into a Mustang and something gets into you. For consignment, a 1971 Ford Mustang hardtop showing 19,856 miles, but the true miles are unknown due to a title exemption. This car has been owned by the same family for 51 years and is believed to have original paint and interior. The '71's we usually see at the mall are Mach I's, so it's refreshing to see a surviving base model join our inventory! Exterior Ford didn't pull any punches naming this color as Yellow Gold, here in its single stage application and picked up by the 14x7 steel wheels partially covered by the proper FoMoCo hubcaps. The long hood leads into a shoulder line that rises on the rear quarter panel and terminates in a vertically flat tail, all under a white vinyl top that flows onto rear buttresses. Distinctive tail lights are flush with the rear panel and have the reverse light in the center of three segments and along with the chrome bumpers, front and back, present in good condition. 205/75R14 tires have a mid 2025 date code. Imperfections include some age and rust spots developing under the vinyl top, paint that could use some detailing, panels that vary slightly in color shade, various chips, staining, blemishes, and an area of blistering on a fender. In general, panels are straight with no major dings or dents noted. Interior White vinyl interiors were not uncommon in the early 70's and that's what presents here, beginning on the door panels which have electric window switches and the driver can also control the small rear units as well. The suggestion of tufting and stitching is stamped into the vinyl on the doors and to a greater extent, on the bucket seats, all of which show a touch of patina but are intact. The rear seats show very nicely and have their own window switches. Up front, this commuter gets a basic steering wheel and instrument cluster, refreshingly simple and analogue, and the center stack houses an AM/FM/Cassette radio and a vent panel along with a cubby. Ford's oh so ubiquitous T-handle shifter is on the tunnel, all nicely coated with black loop carpet. It's back to white up top where the headliner remains intact and is home to the shoulder belts and visors. The trunk is clean and barren and holds a spare. Drivetrain Under the hood is a clan 250ci inline six cylinder with a 1- barrel carburetor, rated at 145 horsepower. It's mated to a C4 3-speed automatic transmission that sends power rearward to the Ford 8 with 2.79 gears. The car is equipped with power steering and power brakes while decals and Ford blue paint remain crisp under the hood. Undercarriage Typical surface rust and oil on the pan and transmission pan are noted but otherwise this is a clean underside. A single exhaust flows through a stock style muffler and suspension includes coil springs in front and leaf spring in back. Power brakes are split between discs up ahead and drums behind. Drive-Ability A real time capsule greets us as we prime the single barrel and turn the key, firing up the six cylinders and putting that T-shifter to work! This is a smooth idling and good running car that tracks straight and stops when asked. We note the turn signals and left rear power window are not working but all other functions on this survivor work as intended. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase. Is it yellow or is it gold? Who cares! It's a straight survivor right out of 1971 and we simply don't see many like this. It's an instant sh