1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 just a member of the family
The good doctor who sold Dave Goldwater his 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 had some strict orders as part of the deal. He had good reason; it was 1987 and Goldwater was a newly licensed 17-year-old.
The Mach 1 was Goldwater's first car and quite a handful for any teen.
“He was worried about me racing,” Goldwater said. After some thoughtful contemplation, the physician “finally came around.”
“He knew there wasn't much left underneath and the engine was tired,” Goldwater said.
Goldwater's father, Bill, was on hand and viewed the tuckered out 'Stang as a project the two could embark on together. “Dad was quite handy and loved cars,” Goldwater said.
In 1988 the pair replaced the front fenders and welded in steel plates to reinforce the rusting spring towers. It was also time for a new timing chain, with the odometer showing 120,000 miles. Goldwater wasted no time before he was out cruising in his new steed.
“On Friday nights, the place to be was Fluky's on Milwaukee (Avenue in Niles),” Goldwater said. He also drove the muscle machine during his senior year of high school.
With the rough and ready Ford in need of regular repairs, Goldwater received quite a hands-on education. The youngster learned plenty because of a frequent transmission problem.
“I would drive up on the curb in front of my parent's house,” said Goldwater. “I'd slide underneath and drop and rebuild the trans.”
It was growing skills like that that prompted Goldwater in 1990 to attend a vocational school and learn automotive repair. Meanwhile, his father took over Mustang driving duties and even had it repainted in its factory Candy Apple Red color.
In the summer of 1991, Goldwater returned home, raring to go to work on the Mach 1. He proceeded to “tear it all apart.”
“Dad was livid,” said Goldwater. “He knew his kid's tendency to take things apart and never get them back together.”
Soon Goldwater began a budding full-time career as an automotive technician and planned on finishing the Ford. Sadly, he never had a chance to show his father the final product. Bill passed away in 1991.
The precious pony sat for a number of years until 1995 when Goldwater had the frame straightened, remedying a previous owner's accident. With a solid foundation, in 1999 he got the engine running once again and performed some other bodywork.
The Mach made another leap forward in 2003. The paint was stripped, the body bead-blasted and a new coat of paint applied. Goldwater maintained the stock exterior appearance but made some changes for improved performance. Upgrades includes four-wheel disc brakes, rack-and-pinion steering and fuel injection.
Goldwater's wife, Susan, recalls a special memory from this time.
“Dave was determined to have it done before our 2003 wedding,” she said. “With both of his parents deceased, it was his way to include a part of his family in our special day.”
Goldwater now plans to pass the vehicle on to their son, Ethan. “I want to continue the tradition of having it be a father-son project.”
True to his word, Goldwater did follow the doc's mandate and didn't race the car, or at least not in the condition in which he got it. Since the vehicle's full transformation, Goldwater has taken it several times to the track, where “going all out” never fails to put a smile on his face.