Most car guys make the choice to buy a classic on their own—without direction.
That’s not the case with this 1970 Mustang Mach I because the decision to buy it came from someone else.
Jerry Sutherland
Douglas Cassell is the proud owner of this classic pony car, and he freely admitted it wasn’t his choice to buy it. His son saw a classic Mustang and told him he should track one down so they could work on it.
Douglas found a 1970 Mach I at an auction that fit the bill and went to bid on it with his son. This was in 1994 and when Douglas didn’t win the bid, but he did talk to a guy whose son was selling his Mach I. They cut a deal and Douglas had his son drove the Mustang home. Doug admitted he never drove the car until after it was finished.
The process took four years from 1994 until 1999. The Mustang was in relatively good shape because it was bought new at a Calgary, Alberta Canada Ford dealership. Calgary is a relatively dry climate, so the Mustang didn’t suffer from the expected ravages of a typical winter climate.
It did have a few problem areas. Douglas had to replace the driver’s side floor pan and he did some work on the passenger’s side, plus he replaced the front fenders. He regretted that decision because the aftermarket fenders didn’t fit like NOS.
Douglas did most of the work in his garage, but he did farm out the paint job because he wanted the Grabber Blue paint to be done professionally.
He had the engine done by a professional too. Douglas said the 351 Cleveland was “freshened up the point where it runs close to a boss 351 by a guy who builds CASCAR ”. He’s really happy with its performance.
Douglas didn’t build a trailer queen ’70 Mach I. In fact, the day it was done he didn’t just take it on a few timid test runs. He jumped into the car with his wife and drove it on a 1300-mile round trip to Cody, Wyoming for an International Mustang meet.
That decision alone should make him a Hall of Fame car guy because he did have a problem on the trip. Douglas liked to check the engine fluids every morning and he found out his oil had taken on a milky color, so he limped the car home. Fortunately, the engine builder knew exactly what the problem was—oil had seeped into the water pump.
He makes a point of attending as many Mustang Meets as possible because he loves the culture behind these cars. They switch back and forth between Canada and the United States and he’s a regular attendee. He also likes to drive his Mach I to local shows to showcase his car and explain its history.
Douglas loves his time behind the wheel of his Mach I, but he admitted, “It rides kind of rough—not a like a new car”. That’s a small price to pay—his son suggested his license plate should read ‘Eques’.
Eques was Latin for a type of knight in ancient Rome—they were skilled horsemen.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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