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They'd seen the ultimate Mach One in action.
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Today, around 30 years later (and safely beyond various legal statutes of limitations) the facts can finally be revealed. The witnesses had it right all along. It wasn't their fault the mystery car eluded all efforts at pursuit and capture.
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And the essence of that one-of-a-kind car was a 1969 Ford Mustang Mach One just like you may have owned at some point-- even today! Under the proper circumstances, your Mach One too could be (or have been) Shadowfast.
Want to know why eye-witnesses gave such incredible accounts? Then go to the source: The Shadowfast supercar driver logs.
I bet you'll see your own Mach One in a whole new light.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: The progression of images on this page is meant to convey a sense of the cosmetic changes performed on Shadowfast during his transformation. His standard Mach One rear spoiler was extended and enlarged, his factory hood scoop replaced with that of a Boss 429, and his front corner posts and quad headlight system replaced with the dual set up from a 1970 Mustang. Louvers were also added to the hood, and a racing type air dam and enlarged front fender flares installed. The external radio antenna and much factory ornamentation and trim was removed or blacked out too. The car also went from the standard shiny paint job to all flat black. The last two images above are extremely rare photos of Shadowfast in near-final form.
But unlike most cars, Shadow's extensive outward appearance mods were matched or surpassed by those beneath the sheet metal. The Shadowfast super car project lists his basic supercar upgrades, while Shadow's collection of unique gadgets and tricks describes his more Batmobile-like aspects. END NOTE.
Is it possible to build your own Shadowfast based on the information presented by this site? Yes. But you don't have to go that far! The third party links below offer some of the best general purpose 1969 and 1970 Mustang content available on the web as of 2008. Enjoy!
As my real-life best friend described in my supercar accounts briefly owned and drove an original 1971 Boss 351 Mustang-- plus later drove a 1970 351 Cleveland Mustang as written about in The Daytona 1200 (and the mix of 351 Clevelands and Windsors in 1970 Mustangs (some had one, some the other) caused some confusion in regards to motor matters) I'm including links relating to all that above, too.
Hard-to-find FACTORY STOCK 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 specifications (for the 290 horsepower 4 barrel carb 351 Windsor model such as Shadowfast was prior to modification):
108 in wheelbase
58.5 in track both front and rear
187.4 in long
71.8 in wide
50.3 in tall
3571 lb curb weight
20 US Gallons fuel tank capacity
290.0 bhp @4800 rpm
385 lbft torque @3200 rpm
0-60 mph in 7.5 seconds
Quarter-mile from standing start in 15.6 seconds at 88 mph
179.01 bhp/ton power-to-weight ratio
F70 x 14 tire sizes front and rear
1.00 top gear ratio
3.25 final drive ratio
-- 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 automobile, car, specifications, technical data, information ["http://www.carfolio.com/specifications/models/car/?car=111793&Ford"]; found on or about 3-20-06.
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(Click the image to see it full-size)
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72,458 "63C 2dr fastback Mach 1"[s] were manufactured in 1969.
119 mph official top speed.
Significant changes between the 1968 and 1969 Mustangs included:
An increase in vehicle size measurements everywhere but the wheelbase.
The increase in overall size was accompanied by a weight gain of 150-175 pounds.
Vehicles were pushed half an inch lower onto their suspensions.
The aerodynamic angle of the windshield was improved by 2.2 degrees.
The roof height on SportsRoof models (including the Mach 1) was lowered almost a full inch.
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(Click the image to see it full-size)
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Both doors got their own bullet-style rear view mirror with the Mach 1 option.
The previous 302 engine designs were stretched into 351 cubic inchers.
-- 1969 Mustang ["http://www.theautochannel.com/vehicles/muscle/mustang/f69mcont.frame"] found on or about 3-20-06
"The '69 Mustang body was completely redesigned to make the car more aerodynamic."
-- 1969 Trans Am Racing
by Dennis Begley; October 28, 2000
["http://thecarsource.com/shelby/transam69.html"]
"The Mach 1 has been called the supercar of the masses..."
-- Ford Mustang Mach 1 History ["http://www.jerryodom.com/mach1history.html"] found on or about 3-20-06
"In March 1969, the Mustang Mach I was named 'the quickest four-person production car' ever tested by Car Life magazine..."
-- Ford Mustang Mach I - Ultimatecarpage.com - Images, Specifications and Information ["http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/frame.php?file=car.php&carnum=1285"] found on or about 3-20-06
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"The 351W was produced from 1969 to 1997. It was installed in everything from Mustangs to the full-size cars, and all the way up to the F350. It has been one of Ford's most successful engines."
-- Ford Windsor engine ["http://www.answers.com/topic/ford-windsor-engine"]; 4-1-07; answers.com
"The FMX...is a rock crusher tranny and will take more abuse than anything Ive ever seen."
-- Ford Cruise-o-matic, 5-24-08 ["http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/ford-cruise-o-matic-53163.html"]
"Some say that there has never been a better looking Mustang fastback in the marque’s history."
-- The History of...The Mach 1; A Retrospective Look At Nine Years Of One Of The Mustang's Most Popular Nameplates ["http://www.mustangandfords.com/thehistoryof/16382/"]; By Jim Smart; found on or about 3-26-06
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"The Mach could hold its own against the competition in any theater. Racing veteran Mickey Thompson flogged a couple of specially prepared Mach 1s at the Bonneville Salt Flats in some of the heaviest endurance testing ever performed on a production automobile."
-- The History of...The Mach 1; A Retrospective Look At Nine Years Of One Of The Mustang's Most Popular Nameplates ["http://www.mustangandfords.com/thehistoryof/16382/"]; By Jim Smart; found on or about 3-26-06
"To performance enthusiasts, 1969 was dominated by the hottest Mustangs ever — 428 Mach 1, Boss 429 and Boss 302. Three modified examples of this fearsome threesome were taken to the Bonneville Salt Flats in search of speed records.
Driven by Mickey Thompson, Danny Ongais, Ray Brock and Bob Ottum, they collected 295 United States Auto Club-certified records, including a 24-hour run on a 10-mile course at an average speed of 157 miles an hour."
-- MUSTANG RACING HISTORY; 5-24-08 ["http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=19521"]
"Mickey Thompson set 295 speed records at Bonneville Salt Flats to establish the hi po image."
-- 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 R-Code; 5-24-08; ["http://www.rockymountainclassiccars.com/69%20Mach%201.htm"]
"While straight-line performance is the motivating factor for many buyers, pre-1971 cars have a genuine racing heritage and can be made to handle and stop very well. Various combinations of spring, shock absorber and anti-roll bar settings are available, while 'big-block' Mach 1s and Boss versions used 'staggered' rear shocks for improved axle location. Understeer is the prevailing trait, making Mustangs more at home in the wide open spaces than confined suburban streets."
-- Ford Mustang - Unique Cars Magazine
["http://www.uniquecars.carpoint.com.au/portal/alias__uniquecarsau/tabID__203009/ArticleID__4479/DesktopDefault.aspx"]
"Car and Driver pronounced the [1969] Boss 302 "the best handling Ford ever.... [It] may just be the new standard by which everything from Detroit must be judged..."
-- Howstuffworks "1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429" ["http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1969-1970-ford-mustang5.htm"]
"Obviously ford wasn't interested in mass-marketing the [Boss] 302 when the mach 1 was there as the heady performance machine."
-- The 1969 Boss 302 ["http://www.musclecarclub.com/musclecars/ford-mustang/ford-mustang-history-1.shtml"]
"With the Mach 1 and Boss Mustangs, Shelby's no longer had all that much of an advantage over the original Fords."
-- 1969 Mustang ["http://www.muscularmustangs.com/database/1969.php"]; found on or about 3-26-06
All text above not explicitly authored by others copyright © 2005-2009 by J.R. Mooneyham. All rights reserved.
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