StangerX

I sat down today and read an article on autoextremist.com. Delorenzo was talking about a special event he had attended where old race car drivers were back in their iron on the track. Some really rare cars made an appearance - many of which had not seen each other since they first graced the tracks 40 years ago.

This got me to thinking. I am a 2005 owner. Before purchasing my 2005 last december, I found love of the Mustang about 4-5 years prior. I purchased a 1966 strait 6 Mustang and went through the dedicated job of converting it to a V8 car.

Reading that article, I got to thinking...

I wasn't born in the time. I never lived in the time. My entire family was disconnected from the culture, and never steeped me in it. Yet, several years ago, I found myself being drawn towards the golden age of automobiles. I never have learned it all. I never learned about the amazing race history. My learning has not taken me that far, but it has certainly taken me far enough considering I had no reason to BE interested.

Somehow I feel like I was born in the wrong time. Being 25 years old, All I can remember are the 80's. Nothing looked good, and nothing has to me... until now. Yet there I was 4-5 years ago being drawn towards the rich history off automobiles. I wanted to be steeped in it. I bought an old Mustang and started falling in love with the nostalgia. Pretty soon I knew as much or more than people who had lived in the time.

Since then, I have wanted so desperately to feel the presence of that era. I know now that I was born in the wrong time. I should have been a 50's greaser. I should have been a youngster in the muscle car era. I should have known the music, the times, the history of that era. And yet, I'm trapped here. Delorenzo's words this week were amazing. They took me there with him. I got to feel the excitement of those old cars and the legends that were made by them.

I wish so badly that the automobile industry would go back to that time when cars were stunning, fast, and bristling with innovation. Yet I don't know what it would take to change things. I know it will never be exactly what it was. Culture has changed too much so that even if we had the same exact automobiles, people themselves would be different. Music would be different. All of it would be different.

That golden age is one I will never know, but I dream about every time I get in my old Mustang. I get to smell, hear and feel what it was like to be there. When I turn on the music (like CCR among others), I get transported back. As I drive around, it's like my car becomes a time machine. I feel like I'm really there in the 60's driving around. It's surreal.

I imagine driving the streets and hearing nothing but powerful V8's. I imagine seeing big sedans and sports cars. I imagine painted steel and chrome. I imagine those gorgeous colors and shapes. I imagine the feeling of the culture and I can hear the sound of the music. Sometimes I can just swear I'm there... if only for a second - experiencing bits and pieces of different decades and cars.

My imagination is as far as I can go though. Just like I can only imagine what it would be like to remember the times and experience something like that race with the legends hitting the road in their cars.

Perhaps as my generation grows up, we will urn for that time when cars were cool. I see it happening now. To my generation, the car is your greatest form of expression. We have helped return the automotive aftermarket from the brink and turned it into a blossoming industry again. Granted it is different than before, but the love of cars is still there. We also want cars that look and sound good. As we get older and start making money... we want those cars to be new, not just some old modified jalopy. That is why some of these fine machines are succeeding like they are.

I hope that in time, my generation can bring back the glory days of the automobile. It doesn't matter who makes it, or where they make it. I want to see cars with style, with rumble, and with character. Perhaps someday I will see my own unique golden age of automobiles. It will never be what it was, but perhaps it can be just as great. It sure seems like the time is long over due.

I realize now more than ever that I missed an amazing time in history. My 2005 is just one more way for me to connect with that time that I wish I could have been a part of.

How many of you 2005 owners lived in that golden age? Was it everything we talk it up to be? Does the 2005 link you back? Funny as it is, it links me back to a time that I didn't even live in. What's even cooler is that I get to have a feel for how cool it would have been back then to own one of these cars BRAND NEW. It's not the same, but it sure as heck makes me feel like just for a moment I am there. For someone born many years too late... that's just enough.

Paris MkVI

Hey Phillip, don't worry - you get it.

And BTW - that is a mighty straight and clean '66!!

Turn2

Like Carly Simon Said:

The Lyin' King

I grew up around the car culture in the 60's and some of my friends did in the 50's. It was cool then and it's cool now.

I have two relics left from the era . . a '64 Olds Cutlass F-85 that I eventually drag raced and a '66 Chevy II/Nova Super Sport. They have their own charm but everytime I get in my '05 GT it makes me wonder how I ever drove those cars on a daily basis without PS, PB, PW, AC, killer stereo, cruise control etc . .

I have a buddy who's in his early 60's . . . back in the day he raced FIA Cobras as a semi professional and continued racing into the mid 90's.

He's building a '32 Ford replica for the nostalga of it all . . . with Heidt's rod stuff, a killer IRS, 5-speed Tremac and a blown 351 Cleveland . . it's 85% complete.

Hard core old school as this dude is/was . . . . to hold him over till the '32 is done . . he just brought . . . no sorry . . not a Mustang (although he speaks volumes about their refinement and really digs mine) a new 2004 Viper SRT10 roadster . . . . because he likes something different.

We both love the old stuff and appreciate the new as well . . . . .

IMO there is room for 'em all in our memories . . . those great machines of the past and our modern, present day machines that are helping to build memories for the future .

2bone123

I am in my mid 50's and had anew 66 Mustang in High School. That was a great time to live. Traffic was alot lighter and the cops were lot more lenient.Gas wasCHEAP. The 70's brought gas rationing and de-tuned engines. IMO Mustangs after 1970 lost their sport image. It wasn't until I saw the Concept Mustang at the 2003 Auto Show that the spark was rekindled and now I am a proud owner. I can say now that as nice as the 1966 was then my new one is 10 times the car.With gas prices approaching $3.00/gal. I can't help wondering if history is going to repeat and again cause the demise of V8 MUSCLE. As long as Gas is available I'm keeping My STANG.

ponyboy66

Technically I grew up in the 70's, but that was the time when every kid had a 60's muscle car. They were very crude at best back then, merely muscle on wheels. Put it to the metal and hold on to your ****. But truly fine works of art for what they represented. It was a blue colar era. Joe six pack and his buddies would meet on Friday night and race the local 1/4 mile back roads. We had cops that new where we were and when we were there and didn't bother us. Gas was cheaper than dirt and those cars defined the person. Today's muscle, ie the mustang is refined, highly engineered and brings back that same nastalga. Pure American muscle combined with pure American inginuity and high tech engineering. It can't be beat.

I'm with Ron. If there is still gas dripping out of the pump, my stang is on the road.

teddybear1255

I was born in the mid 50's and I had a '69 Mustang just out of high school....the 1st car I owned. Wish I'd never gotten rid of it. But I have my '05 now.....what more could I ask for??!!

GRAYPNY

[attachmentid=31546]I grew up in the mid 60's and here is a picture of my first brand new car. 65 Dodge Coronet 500 with 4-spd and 426 wedge engine. My 05 Mustang would have smoked it!

Thunder Road

I was a 17 year old senior in 1969. It was a great era for muscle cars.
The different brands of cars were more distinctive. The body styles were cool. In my opinion 1967 was the best year ever for the various muscle body styles. Just do an image search for any of the following. 67 Mustang (I wanted one so bad) Fairlane GT, GTO, Roadrunner/GTX, Chevelle/Nova/Camaro SS versions, Buick GS 400, Olds 442,heck even American Motors were in the act with the Rebel, AMX (incredibly beautiful) and Javelin. From small blocks to big blocks just put your money down.
289,351,390,406,427 from Fords. 283,327,350/396/427 for Chevys.Pontiac had a 321, 389,400. Dodge/Plymouth 273, 318, 340, 383, 440 and of course the awesome 426 Hemi. Buicks had 350,400. Olds had the 400, esp nice was Hurst Olds. AMC had 390 and 400s in their performance cars.
Gas was 33cents a gallon with occasional "gas wars" when it could be had for as little as 19 cents per. I had a 56 Sunrise Yellow Chevy with a 66 Vette 327/365. Permium or ethyl as was commanly called then, was a must and even then it was finicky about which brand I put in it. SUNOCO was the fuel of choice in my neck of the woods (Eastern Oklahoma).
Music was incredibly, and it still popular today. Just listen to many commericals on tv, Lots of 60s music in them. From the Rolling Stones to Tom Jones, to be "in" you had to have an eight track tape player. Wether it was Aquarious, Honky Tonk Woman, Bad Moon Rising, or Get Back, we rocked and rolled and all drove one way, comfortable with both feet flat on the floor.

It was a fantastic era. Will it ever be back? I dont see how. Even though we are having a horsepower resurgence I just am not convinced it will last. I hope it does. Progress is inevitable. Comparing my 56 Chevy and the 05 GT... well the only thing close about them was acceleration. The 56 ran a best of 13.3x. It was very raw, in its handeling, braking and ride. The GT is so refined in comparison. But for having grown up in the late 50s and 60s, I might not have been so much into cars. While Ive appericated Mustangs through the years, those models between 1974 and 2004 never inspired me to buy one. Though I wasnt looking for a new car when I saw the 05 GT, well I was snake bit. It brings all the 60s back. I spent a lot of time between Nov 26 04 when I ordered and Apr 8 05 when it was delivered making 60s cds. can you imagine 6 cds full of 60s mp3s?

What made the 60s so good to car enthusiasts was that everyone was in the game. That was cool. Though Ive always had a penchant for Fords, I loved all those old muscle machines.

When I think of muscle cars , good music and never getting any :bang: , well I wrote this poem years and years ago and adapted it for the Mustang GT.

Full moon, summer nights,
Got my Mustang, I'm alright.
Burning rubber, shifting gears,
Makes my troubles all dissapear.

Tearing up the blacktop,
dont matter where I'm going.
Whats around the curve?
Got no way of knowing.
140 mile an hour,
Running undercover.
Gotta feel the THUNDER,
Speed is like a lover.

Full moon, summer nights,
Got my Mustang, I'm alright.
She gives me fever, sweaty hands,
She really makes me feel like a man.

Take it to the red line,
Like lightning I'm going.
Man I feel so wired,
Electricity is flowing.
One solid white line,
300 ponies smother.
She sounds just like THUNDER,
My Mustang, my lover.

Peace.

John SCB

Yeah, I was there. Born in '57, grew up in the 60's muscle car culture. One of my first memories was Dad replacing the old yellow California plates on the Pontiac with brand new black plates in 1960. From there, my first real car was a '65 mustang straight 6 followed by a '66 mustang 289 H.O. with 4-speed...too bad it was a real lemon. Followed by a '68 GTO, 400 H.O. 4 spd (best car ever) etc. etc..

Went over to the BMW side...good cars in the 80's for the most part but had to get back to the past with my new GT

John SCB

Yeah, I was there. Born in '57, grew up in the 60's muscle car culture. One of my first memories was Dad replacing the old yellow California plates on the Pontiac with brand new black plates in 1960. From there, my first real car was a '65 mustang straight 6 followed by a '66 mustang 289 H.O. with 4-speed...too bad it was a real lemon. Followed by a '68 GTO, 400 H.O. 4 spd (best car ever) etc. etc..

Went over to the BMW side...good cars in the 80's for the most part but had to get back to the past with my new GT

VintagMustang302

I feel the same as Stanger. I'm 27 years old and always wanted to be part of the chrome and V8 rumble of th 50's and 60's. I fell in love with a 66 Mustang about 5 years ago but sadly I had to sell her. I always loved cars but the Mustang is what really made me the car nut I am today.

One of the reasons I wanted a 2005 Mustang was when ever I went to a car show there was always someone there telling me that they remember when the car came out and how cool it was. One of my biggest wishes of mine is to go back in time and pick up a 66 Mustang fastback from a dealership new and drive it back to this time.

At least now if I'm at a car show 20 years from now I can say Yep I was there when the 2005 Mustang came out and I bought one. I'm just glad style is coming back and the ricer age is coming to an end. It's a good time to be a car guy high gas prices or not.

Ugly Ernie

I'm 53. I didn't have much money growing up but in 1969 you could point to any car on the road & I could tell you make, model , year, & take a good guess at what it had under the hood! I graduated high school in 1970 & took the express lane to Vietnam. The first thing I did when I got back was bought a good used 69 fastback Mustang. It only had a 302 but I felt like a king! It soon got rear ended & totaled out. I never had any interest in the small ones after that but I saw my first 05 on a Friday afternoon in Febuary & the next day I was at the local Ford dealer to show one to my boys. I have twin 17 year olds. This is the "Best there has ever been!"

scottie1113

We're there now. Today's cars are so much better than the ones of old with the possible exception of styling, and that's an individual preference. Me, I like what's on the market today. Think about about. EFI, traction control or AWD, 5 or 6 speed or DSG trannies, disc barakes that actually stop you in the rain vs drums, fuel economy that no one back then would have believed--well, you see my point. And it's available in everything from a grocery getter to a flat out performance car.

I'm not an 05 owner but I was born in 1947 and grew up during the era you asked about. The only things better then were the music and the traffic. Find a 50's or 60's car and drive it. You won't believe the sloppy steering and poor handling compared to today's cars.

And they weren't that fast. My first new car was a 1970 SS350 Camaro. 4 speed, 4 bbl carb. At 70 mpg when I put my foot in it I heard hear those secondaries open and I could watch the gas gauge dropping fast. Easy to tune, but you had to do it a lot more often than with today's rides. Back then, power steering was an option. I didn't have it and parallel parking was as good an exercise as a workout in the gym. AC was also an option.

Before the Camaro I had a 1967 Olds. It had been a CHP cruiser and had a 425 cu in motor and a police calibrated speedo. It was still painted balck and white minus the CHP logos and everybody moved over when I came up on them. Yeah, sort of fun, but don't even ask me about the mpg. I did a run from northern Virginia to Columbus, Ohio in the spring of 1970 with a friend who was driving a 69 Vette with the 427 mill. We made a lot of stops for gas, and his car only drank Sunoco. I've forgotten the octane, but it was way up there.

He left the car with me for about 6 months when he went on a cruise. No, not what you think. We were in the Marines then. The car was a blast but in the rain it was so easy to spin the tires that a VW could--and did--beat me from a green light.

I think fondly about those times and those cars but believe me, from an automotive perspective, these are the good old days.

Badsnke98

Born in 1952, growing up back then was a completely different world. The fun we had then will never be the same ever! Life was simple and fun. Cars changed very year then very two and then three. I had a 65 Ford LTD (was my Grandfathers) 68 California Special and 69 Mach1 and 72 Gran Torino Sportroof. The 20th Annv GT, The 95 & 97 Mark VIII's and My 98 Cobra. And now this O5 GT is the best of all. Although that large high back, flat back seat of the Torino. Those were the days my friends.

Mutta

Well kids, I was born in 37 and graduated from high school in 1955(just had our 50 year reuion-wow are those cheerleaders big now). My first car was a 49 chevy, my brother had a flathead 50 ford. yep we lived the life of American Graffiti. Gas was cheap. Drag races all the time over the interstate bridge and out by the old cemetary. In 56 I joined the army, my brother had a newer ford convert with the Interceptor engine and kicked hiney all over town. But boy those were the good old days, A&W root beer and burgers on a tray on your window, good music.............. and now at 68 am enjoying the 2005 Mustang Gt five speed.

scottie1113

Yeah, I remember the drive ins. A few had girls on roller skates. And the diners with linoleum seats and juke boxes at the booth for a nickle. They were great days, except for the Cold War worries, but they were so much less stressless than today.

Some of you will remember the ads in the comic books or magazines where you could sell Christmas cards or all occasion cards and earn a train set or other prizes. In the second and third grade I pulled my little red wagon wagon around at night in San Diego and made enough money to buy a bicycle. Can you imagine letting a kid do that today?

I remember seeing seeing a red T-bird parked in a dirt lot just above Ocean Beach. It must have been in 55 or 56. Icouldn't believe the speedo went all the way to 120, but then I was maybe 7 or 8 at the time. Those cars always invoke good memories.

Later I had paper routes. In Northern Virginia I recall trudging through the snow in winter to deliver 120 papers seven days a week. Washington Post. Had to go collecting at night for a couple of days a week. I also shoveled snow and cut lawns in the summer. Kids can't do that today, and I'm not sure if that's good or bad, but I think mostly bad.

Unlike today, houses were affordable on a single income. My dad was in the navy and when we got back from Japan in 1954 he and my mother bought a house overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the Point Loma area of San Diego. I think they paid 22K for it. Today the house is worth much more than a mil. They sold it when we moved for about 24K. Ah, the times we live in.

future9er24

well....i remember the 90s... at least, some of it :P

my family tells me i SHOULD have been born in the 60s-70s. i love older rock, i love my 'fro, and i love old cars. and while i was never around for the originals, i love how the 05 reconnects with the the great cars of the 60s.

i know i'll never be able to live in that era, but heck, i guy can dream cant he? :P besides, thats what my car is for right?

k3druid

Cool doesn't change, the times we live in do.
Born in '42.
First New car I bought was a 67 Cougar.
This Car makes me feel better.
Glad I got to experience them Both.

ISELLFORD

Born in '49. Lived in North Philadelphia. Used to deliver newspapers with my wagon and collect soda bottles for the .02 deposit [they used to send them back to the company, sterilize them, and refill them.

Went to Catholic school, all the boys wore whit shirts, blue slacks, and blue ties while the girls all wore uniforms. If you misbehaved you got slugged and when you told your parents, instead of sueing, they gave it to you twice as bad. There was discipline and respect for elders. I always called my friends parents by either Mr or Mrs or yes M'am or yes sir.

Had a movie theater a couple blocks away and went every Sat. Cast was .25 for the movie and usually a couple cartoons. We walked the 10 blocks to school every day, parents didn;t drive us [that's what you have two legs for].

Spent time in the Cub Scouts, Boy Scout, and Explorers. Was good for us inter city boys to get away for two weeks in the summer to camp.

1st car was a hand me down 57 Chev 4 door BelAire. I was one of the only ones in our crowd with a car back then. Seemed like everyone took the trolley's or busses. Even some of my friends parents didn;t have a car. Friday night was drive in movie night. $6 a carload and we crammed plenty in the car.

Grad HS in 67 and in 69 off to Viet Nam. Grew up real fast in the service.

Many , many other memories but I'm not writing a book.