1970 Ford Mustang SportsRoof Flashes Delightful V8 Mods, Looks Better Than Bumblebee

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Photo: Bring a Trailer/autoevolution

When dealing with late first-gen Mustangs, ideally, you’d want a 1969 model year car, but a 1970 Mustang is one heck of a “consolation prize”, especially after having already gained a new lease on life.

Such is the case with this particular Mustang, up for grabs to the highest bidder while showing just 800 miles on its odometer.

The vehicle was refurbished earlier this year when it was sanded and refinished in yellow with black stripes. It also comes with a front chin spoiler (great add-on), a rear wing, halogen headlights, dual side mirrors, dual exhaust outlets, replacement bumpers, plus a set of Magnum 500-style 15-inch wheels with BFGoodrich Radial T/A tires – thinner at the front, thicker at the rear.

Also worth mentioning is the power steering and power-assisted disc brakes. Meanwhile, the seller states that the suspension has been lowered by 2 inches, which seems about right from what the images are telling us. The car looks planted and aggressive.

Inside, you’ll find black vinyl high-back front bucket seats, a similarly upholstered rear bench (foldable), woodgrain trim, air conditioning, a B&M shifter, a retro-style aftermarket AM/FM radio with aftermarket speakers, plus a trio of auxiliary gauges below the center stack, and a column-mounted Sunpro tachometer.

In terms of performance, we’re dealing with a 351 ci Cleveland V8 engine that’s been fitted with an MSD Atomic fuel injection unit, Ford Racing valve covers, an MSD ignition and coil, custom pulley setup, a chrome-finished alternator, and an aluminum radiator.

It’s hard to say exactly what’s going on with regard to horsepower, but however much there is, it’s all going to the rear wheels via a three-speed automatic transmission. What we can tell you is that such an engine is certainly capable of putting down impressive numbers – you could get well over 300 horsepower even from a stock 351 ci, with the right specification.

As good as it gets?

This Mustang is nice, don’t get me wrong. You can make a good case for it being worth $30,000+ or however much the winning bid will be. But we’ve seen quite a few nicer specs out there, with nearly identical foundations.

For example, this 1970 Mustang SportsRoof in Grabber Blue. It ended up selling for $77,000 and for good reason. Aside from the shaker hood, Cobra badging, and custom interior, it also came with a professionally built 347 ci stroker V8 borrowed from a 1995 Mustang GT. With the help of a few extra mods, that engine was said to produce roughly 400 horsepower, which means you would have smoked any of its stock counterparts, maybe even the Boss 429. Maybe.