Editor's Choice
It was certainly nice to see a Mustang II at the Laurel Mountain Mustang Auto Show during the NMRA's World Finals in Kentucky. So nice, in fact, that photographer Paul Rosner selected Joe Davis' '75 Mach 1 for the Mustang Monthly "Editor's Choice" award.
A machinist from Crawfordsville, Indiana, Joe has made some improvements to his well-optioned Mustang II, but none that take away from the car's stock demeanor. As a nod to earlier Mach 1s, the vintage Shaker-style hoodscoop is attached to the hood instead of protruding through. Fifteen-inch Magnum 500 wheels add yet another touch of previous Mustang muscle. Less obvious updates include a 9-inch rearend with 3.50 gears, four-wheel disc brakes, and 2-inch dropped front spindles. Under the hood, Joe has replaced the 302's factory two-barrel setup with an Edelbrock Performer intake and Holley four-barrel carb.
While most Mustang enthusiasts associate the Mach 1 name with the more muscular models from '69-'73, the Mach 1 model continued right through the '74-'78 Mustang II era. In 1975, the package included dual door mirrors, Styled Steel wheels with Wide-Oval tires, black rocker panel body paint, and trunk lid striping. The base engine was the 2.8L V-6, but Joe's Mach 1 was originally optioned with the 302 V-8. Other factory options included power steering and brakes, air conditioning, rear window defroster, Luxury Interior Group, and spoke aluminum wheels.