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Back in 1986 My buddy and I would hang out and he was driving his fathers '74 Cougar and I was driving and hand me down '79 Cadillac Seville Diesel....Mike wrecked the cougar(my father wouldn't let me buy it from his father for $75...only needed $600 worth of a frame pull...and I wrecked and fixed the cadillac...we were dumb teenagers being stupid. Anyway...Mike's father found him a Springtime Yellow '66 Coupe california car with no rust in Springfield, VA for $900....steel wheels, 289 2V and a 3 speed. This was the first Mustang I ever rode in and worked on and is the car that bit me and gave me the bug....37 years later here I am restoring and building Mustangs for a living. We got into a lot of trouble in that car and it was the car we drove around in while I looked for a Mustang and finally bought my first one which was a '68 Coupe.
While I've owned countless Mustangs through the decades this car always held a special place in my heart because of so much time spent wrenching, riding, chasing girls, etc.
Well, about 2 years ago Mike reached out to me...he was going through a divorce and moving from West Virginia to Maine and realized he had no time for the car like he had hoped...it had been sitting outside for over 20 years in West Virginia and he offered me the car! Nomrally I'll discuss things with the wife saying "I'm thinking about buying XXX car"..This conversation was different, I said "I'm buying this car"...she knew what it meant to me and said "when are we going?" so we hooked up the trailer and drove to Romney, WVA and picked the car up. The car had some rust issues but really not bad for sitting where it did for so long. Got it back to the shop, installed a new fuel tank, a carb and batter and she came right to life! I repaired the rust in the trunk floor so I could install the tank properly...I installed disc brakes and a holley Sniper along with the Vintage 45's I had with some new Generals. I intended to do the power tour with it as it was last year but had overheating issues which I believe to be sediment in the block as it was chocolate that I tried to flush. The hood was not salvageable so I painted the Shelby hood I've had since 1990 and put it on the car. So as it sits now I'm still working on bugs and I'm about to put a new clutch in it but I plan to just drive it and slowly fix the issues it needs...I don't want to blow it apart and have it down where I can't enjoy it. I have lots of stories with this car and this is one that cannot be bought....you could offer me a '65 Shelby in trade and I'd turn you down.
Simple Times a Simple Car and a Simple Pleasure! The More I Dig Through The Old Posts and Relive The Members Connections to Cars & The Dare Are I Say Again Simpler Times The More I Appreciate Days Gone Past. Those Days We Hurried Through with Drive and The Energy of Youth. Just Not Knowing How Special They were at the Time. It was The Longing For Those Days That Brought So Many in When This Site Came About for the Sn-197. It was for Many a Second Childhood This Time With More Knowledge & Money To Enjoy Again. What a Large Band of Brothers we Were!
Here is to Having that Third Run For Those of Us Still Hanging In There. Like a 40th Class Reunion the Ranks have Slimmed! Lets Try & Share That Feeling For Those Young & Upcoming to Appreciate the Beat Up First Car & See the Joy of Making That Car Your Own with a Shoestring Budget and a Tough Working Schedule. It Maybe will be The Best time of Their Lives as Well!
C'mon All You Fountains of Knowledge Lets Share Online What we Shared as Young Men with Our Buddies in Late Night Wrenching Sessions in a Crowded Garage with The Music Blaring.
Also for Those Who Missed the Experience The 1st & 2nd Time and Are Now Our Age or Older and are Just Learning or Just Now Able to get That Time Machine. We who Have Been There are The Knowledge Base to Pass on The Hobby or Dare I Say Gearhead Lifestyle. I see the Ages of New Members and it is Surprising!
Upon Further Reflection I Want to Share This. Rememer When You Were 17 and Driving That First Car and You Saw an Adult , An Old Man or a Really Old Man Like a Lot of Us are Now Driving a Really Cool Car We Would Die To Own. C'mon What Did you Think???? I Bet it Makes You feel a Little Silly Now That You Are The Other Old Guy Driving That Cool Car I Know I Do!
I don't feel inside like that old guy even though I am....lol but I also look back and realize how young those "old guys" were then and now I'm older than they were when I met them! That's a reality check...lol
When I Look At That 66 I Don't See Anyhthing But FUN,FUN,FUN! Make it Reliable and Enjoy! No Ground Up! Just Old School like It's The Only Car I Got Attitude and it Needs To Run Monday Morning For School or Work Like I Was a Teenager Again!
A Weekend of Repairs and Upgrades on the Cheap. Man I Could Make a Greasy old Engine Look Like a Gem with Some Scrubbing and Spray Paint! I was Very Good at That!
That's This Old Man's Idea of Heaven!
Ya,Ya, Ya!
My Mind Says I Gotta Get One of My Old Cars Out! Body Says are You Crazy!
I plan to do small detailing and repairs one at a time rather than make this one where I can't drive it....my 65 Fastback and my 69 Cyclone have been undriveable for years because business comes first and I never have the time or space to dedicate...so this one stays a driver!
I plan to do small detailing and repairs one at a time rather than make this one where I can't drive it....my 65 Fastback and my 69 Cyclone have been undriveable for years because business comes first and I never have the time or space to dedicate...so this one stays a driver!
Absolutely, It's a Time Machine and Enjoy it My Friend! It's Gonna Be a Real Blast to Drive!
9/11/23, 09:31 AM
What a Large Band of Brothers we Were!
