The question is, "Why?" Why would someone order, in late 1970 or early 1971, from Monaco & Sons Motor Sales in Glastonbury, Connecticut, a white Mustang coupe with a Drag Pack 429 Cobra Jet, a Hurst-shifter four-speed, and a 4.11 Detroit Locker rearend? And why would they avoid all other options except power front disc brakes, console, and tinted glass? In 1971, most Mustang performance buyers wanted the glory to go with the guts, opting for the muscular Mach 1 or at least a SportsRoof with flashy Magnum 500 wheels. But the original owner of this unusual '71 coupe-with dog-dish hubcaps, no less-obviously wanted an ultimate 370hp sleeper. We may never know why.
Ford dealer and performance collector Jacky Jones, from Young Harris, Georgia, doesn't really care why the original purchaser wanted such a plain-Jane Mustang. When Jacky found the rough, unrestored car at the Carlisle All-Ford Nationals a few years ago, he knew it would be a grand conversation piece for his collection of rare, unusual, and ultra-high-performance Mustangs and Fords.
If you break down the production numbers from Kevin Marti's Mustang: By the Numbers book, you'll find that Ford produced 86 Mustang hardtops with the 429 CJ engine in 1971. Of those, just 23 were C-code (non-Ram Air) versions, with only 11 having the four-speed. Marti thinks perhaps only three were SCJs.
Although this coupe didn't get the Ram Air CJ-R engine, it's equipped with the nonfunctional Ram Air NASA-scooped hood as part of the Drag Pack option, which converted the 429 CJ into a Super Cobra Jet with definitely functional items such as a solid-lifter cam, cap-screw connecting rods, forged pistons, and oil cooler, plus either the 3.91 Traction-Lok or 4.11 Detroit Locker differential.
After purchasing the plain SCJ coupe at Carlisle, Jacky had it delivered to his personal shop, where Mike Plott began the tedious restoration, a chore that included locating hard-to-find N.O.S. parts for a '71 Mustang. With help from fellow collectors/restorers Ed Meyer, Bob Perkins, and Steve Vanderwall, Mike rounded up N.O.S. door panels, headliner, dashpad, F60x15 Goodyear Polyglas tires, and even an ultra-rare radio-delete block-off plate. Like all of Mike's restorations for Jacky, the '71 coupe was restored to factory condition, right down to the paint dabs, "Paint OK" markings, and engine-compartment decals. Garland Smallwood freshened up the 429 SCJ engine before it was lowered into the immaculately detailed engine bay.
It doesn't get much plainer than a white coupe with black standard interior and dog-dish hubcaps-and not even a radio. But, for some reason, someone ordered this vanilla '71 with all the performance toppings. Makes you wonder ... Why?