CAR OWNER & CIESIELSKI

CAR NAME–YEAR & MODEL INFO

THE PERFECT PONY - 1969 MACH 1

IN 1996, WE WERE SEARCHING FOR A VINTAGE MUSTANG.

MEMBERS OF THE STANG MAG FAMILY ARE MORE PASSIONATE ABOUT FUN AND INCLUSION THAN THEY ARE THEIR CARS AND THAT SAYS A LOT!

In 1996, we (Mark and Cathy Ciesielski) from Plover, WI started searching for a vintage Mustang. In 1997 a sharp 69 Mach 1 showed up at our neighbor’s house which went up for sale the following year and we made the purchase in May of 1998.

The car was previously featured in Old Cars Weekly Magazine in an article written by Brian Earnest which was named The Perfect Pony. This car is mainly used to do car shows within a 100 mile radius of home.

The Mach 1 received a complete repaint in 2017. The Marti report states this Mustang is a S code 390 4V, 4 speed, shaker hood scoop, tilt away steering, A/C Select Aire, Rear Sport Slat, Sport Deck Rear seat Mustang. Build date is 1-13-69 in San Jose, CA. Release date is 1-16-69 and sold 1-18-69 to Smith Ford Company of Garden Grove, CA.

If you asked me if I thought I’d be writing an article for STANG Magazine for my car this time last year I would’ve said no. If you asked me if I would be writing it about a different car than the 2005 Roush Mustang I had I would’ve said hell no. I loved that car but acquiring this one reinvigorated my passion for car shows and events!

I met Daniel Ramey at a Beltway Mustang show and won my spot with STANG Magazine in their Carlisle Ford Nationals display. Needless to say I wasn’t sure what to expect being that I didn’t know the people attending and was going by myself.

This Mustang had been purchased by J&J Muscle Cars out of Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1993. They work the west coast looking for cars to bring back and restore. A local Mustang restorer (Bart Adams) found out about the big block Mustang and made the purchase. He towed it home on a dolley. Bart and his brother completely dismantled it in 13 hours. He did a complete rotisserie restoration which took about a year doing it part time out of his garage at home. It came from the factory with a shaker hood scoop on it, but all the internals were missing. We were able to find all the parts to make it functional again. There are a lot of 428s out there but just over 3% were 390s which was also the last year for the 390 in a Mustang.

The STANG Mag family welcomed me in from the very start and made me feel like one of their own!

Members of the STANG Mag family are more passionate about fun and inclusion than they are their cars and that says a lot! I can’t wait to see what’s to come in 2022!

PHOTO CRED: MARK & CATHY CIESIELSKI