My 72 Sportster Concept

[MachSport72]

Hey guy's...new guy here on the board and I wanted to share this with ya's and get some feedback good or bad. I've been wanting to build something a bit different so I'll throw this out to ya. I'll need all the advise I can get about which model to start with, convetible or grande. Don't worry fella's, I'm not a dreamer, and this won't be the first car I've built, but I want it to be the best.

Its a Mach-Sportster concept. Since the Mach has barely and back usable room, what about doing a rear seat delete? Kinda making it a two seater like the Cobra -R's when they came out. Just making a usable pkg area like a vette or something. Pardon the crudeness of my pic, I only have ms paint, and I apologize if this is someones car here but I gleemed this pic from the net. It was a Mach 1 Fastback.

Here's the concept story:
The year is late 1971. Ponycar sales are going down due to the uncertianty of an energy crisis, and the insurance and government regs are starting to make there presence known. The guys at Ford sales have to come up with another way to market the mustang to a broader buying public (like the sprint edition) and compete with the hot selling corvette, a design which Bunkie Knudsen helped along. Hopefully it would cut sales for his fomer his employer. After all.... this was his Mustang.

 

[jonfor]

nice looking car!

 

[Az Pete]

I think you would have to shorten the area between the door and the rear wheel well plus shorten the rear deck lid by a fair amount.

My thoughts are if you just remove the rear seat and smooth it out....it looks just like that...a removed rear seat. Shorten the car and make it to the point that a back seat could have never been installed.

 

[MachSport72]

Hmmmm...thats alot of work AZ but a valid point. Then it's not really a two seater sport is it?

Ok, then. I still want to keep the rear seat delete motiff going on, so, what do I need to start with as a base? A coupe? Or do I need a convertible and somehow graft say maybe a 68 hardtop onto it?

 

[Az Pete]

I would start with a coupe and cut and attach as necessary. Trying to add a roof on top of the other conversions would be just that much more work and more chance to mess up.

I would slide the rear wheel well up to the door opening, and then shorten the trunk to get the right balance and look. Then join the roof back together with the best lines.

 

[tims67]

I would cut right behind the door post & incorporate the rear door post & wheel well together,cut the roof & floor square across & rejoin them like that. that would eliminate the rear side window & rear seat with the wheel well as the rear door post.

 

[MachSport72]

Ok..that gives me some insight. Anyone else wanna chime in???

 

[tx65coupe]

I like the car in the picture. The color scheme and wheels looks sweet. I'll have to vote no on the back seat delete though. I think they look cheap and dont think they look good in most cars.

 

[MachSport72]

Ok..sounds like the rear delete isn't a big swing with everyone, so I think I'll just make a square-ish hardtop coupe. Yeah I know the grande/coupe is already made, but I hate the c pillar. So i guess I'll just have to modify that.

 

[Az Pete]

I think the reason most do not like the rear seat delete is because it still looks like there should be a rear seat there. If you remove the empty body section, there will be no rear seat area for people to look at and wonder why there is a big open gap behind the front seats.

If you are going to just modify the C pillar, it most likely won't be noticed unless parked next to a non modified of the same model. I say go for the big change.........or nothing.

 

[Gud T.B. Blown]

You could take it the other way, high end. Bunkie wanted to kick the Corvette's butt so they turned the Mach mid-engine. Remove the rear seat and mount a Pantera transaxle. Of course you'll need to separate the cabin from the engine in the back ala the Pantera. I don't think you'd have to change the body. Maybe remove the rear window and replace with just louvres like the Miura to get heat out of the engine compartment.

 

[mustangmutt]

That pic looks kinda cool, but it looks like you morphed a 72 Mustang with a 72 Torino. I like the idea of shortening up the wheelbase and reworking the trunk area, Get rid of the quarter windows and flush mount the rear window instead of how it is on the coups. Like a 69 AMC Javelin AMX. Then figure out away to put some FOX body T-tops. :stirpot: