Remember your first car? No, not the first one you owned, but rather the first one you wanted before you could even reach the pedals? Everyone has one, and everyone has a different story, a different first love. For me it happened at the most ironic of places. I was visiting my grandfather in Arizona in 1984. I was 11 years old and he took me to an air show in the middle of the Tucson desert . Of all the planes at the air show, there was one in particular, one that to this day is still the meanest looking, most badass plane I have ever seen. The P-51 Mustang, the WWII fighter plane that put the fear of God in the Germans, it looked like a cold blooded killer that could win the war on looks alone. On that August day the tarmac was so hot I remember walking up and touching the plane's fuselage only to burn the piss out of my hand. The shiny metal of the Mustangs all metal body felt like it could melt the skin off Superman. However, what I really remember the most about that day, is the pilot of that mustang, he drove up in the road version, a red 1965 mustang coupe with white racing stripes and a loud V8 engine that sounded like a demon screaming from under hood. I asked my grandfather what it was and will you please buy one? He just laughed and said "that's sounds like a problem for your father, but he's got three kids to take care of and that's expensive enough, but maybe when you get older you can get one yourself".
Fast forward 30 plus years and the Gary odometer finally hit 40; I decided it was time to make my childhood dream a reality. Call it a mid life crisis, a cry for freedom from the trappings of the minivan infested streets and garages of our neighborhoods. Whatever you decide, it was simply time. So I started researching all my options. I poured over countless classic car websites, scouring the internet for a deal we could afford yet find something that I would be both proud and not terrified to drive out on public roads. Lets face it, driving a 49 year old car on modern day roads with all kinds of possible mechanical issues would be both irresponsible and dangerous. After sitting down and really thinking about how far I would be willing to go and a few close close with what seemed to good of a deal to be true; (plopping down $300 bucks driving to Houston only to find out the car was not what I expected) I decided to take a different route. I wanted a specific model, color, and to have complete control over what went into it. The only way to accomplish this was to wrestle one back from grasp of the grave; so began my search for a ghost from the American muscle car past. I decided to do a one-off-restore. This will be a fun adventure, yet I also know it will be a challenge, with it's ups and downs.
A little background on me. I'm a 21 year veteran of US Air Force. I retired in August of 2014. I started as an enlisted man joining in 1993. My dream was to fly ever since my uncle, a captain for Delta airlines, gave me the bug when I went flying with him at the tender age of 7 years old. It was on that day I realized I was a speed junkie. Growing up I was a always a car nut. I had every motor trend magazine ever published from grade school through high school. When I turned 12 I started BMX'ing because of my addiction to speed and danger. I did this for almost a dozen years and even though I got pretty good at it, even going as far thinking I would make a career of it; as with all things in life, change must happen.
When I turned 19 I decided I wanted a new gig. I wanted to follow my dream. So I drove down to the recruiters office and enlisted with the hope of someday becoming a pilot. I spent the next 6 years working my way though college and serving my country. In 1999 I went to pilot training and one year later proudly pinned on the wings of an Air Force Pilot, hence the irony of the mustang story. I've deployed seven times and seen way too much sand, enough to last me and anybody else a life time. Fast forward 14 more years later and I am seeing the end of my career fast approaching. So I am ready for my next challenge. I have always been mechanically inclined, I love building and fixing things that others say is impossible. Seeing a project go from nothing to a work of art is a gratifying feeling and very fun. If I have the tools for it, I can get it done. This project however, is going to be a great challenge but one I am looking forward to completing.
I decided to start this car blog as it gets restored with the hope this may help the next guy or gal who is thinking about tackling this type of project. I'll pass on my successes and my failures; at a minimum I figured it would be a lasting way to share a piece of iconic American history on its journey back to life.
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