Repro Boss StripesI'm restoring a Grabber Yellow '71 Mach 1 and recently ordered a set of replacement stripes. Since it will be a few months before I install them, I've been researching the side striping and noticed that there are several different "cornerings" on the area between the front fender tire opening and the bumper. I've noticed at least three striping differences:
1. Straight "hockey handle" with very sharp corners.
2. Straight "hockey handles" but the corners aren't as sharp.
3. The "hockey handles" have a nice curvature going forward and the downward striping also has a nice curvature as it goes down along with the small accent stripes.
The stripes I ordered and received belong in the second group, which I feel are incorrect for my car because it originally had the third style. If the last group of stripes are correct for my car, can you tell me how to obtain them? Clio LauraTemple, TX
The third stripe kit you've described is the most correct for your '71 Mach 1. Check the accompanying photo of a '71 Boss 351 with original stripes as a reference. I'm not familiar with the reproduction stripe kits because we haven't used any in our shop.
There are still many NOS stripe kits available, and that's what we use for several reasons. Often the cars we work on need only a partial stripe replacement. The older Ford kits seem to match better than the reproductions, especially if they're reflective. We had to spot the fender on a '70 Boss 302 a few years ago, and the owner supplied a reproduction stripe kit. I noticed that the reflective material was more silver than the original gold. The negative aspect of NOS stripe kits is that they're difficult to work with. Sometimes it takes two kits to make a complete one that works on the car.
I recommend that you check with the major suppliers and use this Boss 351 photo to match a reproduction similar to your third description.
CJ Mach DetailsI have a '69 Mach 1 with the 428 Cobra Jet that I'm planning to show at Mustang Club of America events this summer. I have a couple of questions that I couldn't answer by reading the MCA rule book. First, what is the correct battery for the '69 Mach 1? Is it an Autolite Group 24 or 27? I also need to obtain the correct battery tray.
Second, should my Mach 1 have the round, heavy-duty starter relay or the standard Autolite relay? I see most 428 cars with the round one.Joe ThomasSpringfield, MO
The '69 Mach 1 with the 428 engine option used the Autolite Group 27 series battery. The CJ Machs also came with the battery heat shield, available today as a reproduction from the major Mustang parts suppliers.
The '69 CJ Mach 1 used the round, heavy-duty Autolite starter relay. A correct one is hard to find today because there are no reproductions. We've seen one for sale on eBay, but it doesn't have Autolite identification, which is an MCA requirement.
It seems every model has a few hard-to-find parts that haven't been reproduced yet. Unfortunately, the Autolite heavy-duty relay is one of them.