![1973 mustang conv 1973 mustang conv](http://classiccarsexport.com/photo/big/1973-ford-mustang-68394-miles-red-convertible-10.jpg)
![1973 mustang conv 1973 mustang conv](https://www.mustangspecs.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/IMG_2422-1.jpg)
They often take the car out to their favorite California wineries and breweries on weekends, as well as events hosted by the Orange County Mustang Club (OCMC). Omar and Moriah love cruising in their restored 1973 Mustang convertible with the top down, and so does their dog Rubi. As for the barely-running 302, it got a thorough tune-up along with the 3-speed automatic transmission. The interior received new black carpet and black vinyl seat upholstery with red accents. The body panels would be re-painted in red, the surviving trim would be re-chromed, and everything else would be replaced with original-style reproduction parts.Īfter getting the car back from the body shop, Omar installed a new black vinyl soft top and a fresh convertible top motor with a little help from some YouTube video tutorials. Omar immediately got to work disassembling the car for some much-needed body work. Thankfully, this Mustang's life was about to improve dramatically. They said it had "barely enough power to crawl home" after this hour-long journey. This Mustang was their perfect project car!Īfter purchasing the Mustang from the previous owner, Omar and Moriah carefully drove it back from Oceanside to their house in Orange. But while inspecting the car, Omar noticed that the door tag said "March 1973, Santa Monica." He and Moriah took this as a fateful sign that it belonged in their garage - Omar was born in March, Moriah was born in 1973, and they were married on the Santa Monica pier. The exterior was finished in primer, and the 302ci motor barely ran. Omar and his wife Moriah immediately drove out to see the car in person, and soon decided they had to buy and restore it.Īt that time, this '73 Mustang convertible certainly didn't look as good as it does now. Many years after selling his first Mustang, he found himself browsing used car listings on Craigslist, and stumbled upon the 1973 Mustang convertible seen here. For Omar Palacios, of Orange, California, that long-lost car was a 1985 Mustang 5.0 with T-tops. In the second half of 1964, Ford replaced these engines with a 3.3-liter and a 4.7-liter that offered 120hp and 210 hp, respectively.Many of us have owned classic cars and have eventually been forced to sell them, only to regret that decision years or decades later. Ford offered the Mustang convertible with a wide choice of engines, starting with a low-powered inline-six that offered just 100 hp while the other option was a 4.3-liter V8 good for 164 hp. In front of the driver, the complete dash-panel with its four round dials and a wide speedometer completed the image of that special car. There were two bucket seats in the front with a floor-mounted gearshift and a backbench.
![1973 mustang conv 1973 mustang conv](https://hot-cars.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/blue_1973_mustang_convertible.png)
On its sides, a subtle combination of lines converged toward the rear quarter panels. It was an era where a car had to show some drama to be taken into consideration by the market, and the Mustang convertible had it all: the easy to recognize front fascia, the open-top, and the specific taillights in the back with three vertical light strips.
#1973 mustang conv manual#
The top-down version featured a power-roof that required some manual work to place a vinyl cover over the retracted canvas behind the rear seats.
![1973 mustang conv 1973 mustang conv](https://st.hotrod.com/uploads/sites/21/2015/11/1973-ford-mustang-convertible.jpg)
Regardless of the engine choice, the Mustang was a highly customizable vehicle. It was available either as a three-box sedan coupe grocery-getter with a six-cylinder under the hood or with a big V8 engine that could tear-up the tarmac and impress your friends. Ford designed the Mustang for the younger generation. The original pony-car and the wild horse badge on its grille helped the car be recognized at a glance. The first generation of the Mustang gained a worldwide cult-car status, and the convertible version became a hit just as much as the fastback version.