Build an up-to-date GT car a la "Eleanor"
After looking at a lot of possibilities, Mark visited Country Classics to look at
a "Mach I" that looked like it would work for this project.
When Slim delivered the car, however, I immediately suspected trouble when
I saw damage and saw the Illinois Secretary of State "rebuilt" tag.
Although
titled as a Mach 1, I suspect someone transferred parts from a totaled Mach 1
to a regular car and then transferred its title to this body. Country Classics gave
Mark a partial refund to compensate.
The only way a car like this can sustain that type of damage is in a high speed crash.
The car was obviously totaled at one time and re-titled, as indicated by the Secretary
of State tag. In Illinois, any rebuilt vehicle is supposed to be titled as a
"rebuilt" vehicle
and identified by a special windshield sticker, to protect people from buying a car
that had been totaled.
The tunnel is buckled. Normally the tunnel does not have any type of wrinkle in it.
There is a 3" to 4" gap between the passenger floor and the apron. The gap
and
crappy weld indicates that this apron is not the original.
When Michael and I removed the hood, we saw more evidence that
the hood and other front end metal had been straightened / bondo'd up.