The Car

1969 was a monumental year in the history of our country. It was the year of the moon landing, Woodstock, and "The Game of the Century" when UT beat Arkansas 15-14 to win the National Championship. It was also the year that this car entered into our family. What you see below is family lore, to be passed down from generation to generation.

My parents had only been married for a couple of years and were living in Southern California. I was still ten years away. Their only car was a ten year old Volkswagen Bug. As the story goes, my Dad took my Mom to the "Beauty Shop" to get her hair done. As any self respecting man would do, he chose not to wait for her at the "Beauty Shop" but instead chose to kill time looking at cars in a nearby car lot.

My Dad had been a fan of the Mustang since it had first come out 5 years prior. He and his father (my Grandfather) actually tried to buy one. After finding the Ford Dealership unwilling to negotiate, they instead chose to buy a Chevy (the horror). When my parents were dating, he would borrow a Mustang from the company he was working for at the time (a red coupe). So, the Mustang was already in the "periphery" of his life.

On that fateful evening, he came across a Mustang sitting in the back of the Narducci Ford car lot. According to the used car salesman, the previous owner was a "little old lady from Pasadena." (Why do I have the suspicion that a "little old lady from Pasadena" was the previous owner of every single used car sold in Southern California in the late 1960's?). After some tough negotiating, my parents paid approximately $1200 for a car that would be a part of our family for the next 40 years.

According to the data plate, the car began life at the Ford assembly plant in San Jose, CA. The data is as follows:
VIN: 6R07T15XXXX (I've x'ed out the last digits. I'm not sure it's necessary, but it seems like the smart thing to do)
So, what does the VIN tell us?
6 = 1966 Model Year
R = San Jose, CA Assembly Plant
07 = Hardtop
T = 200 cubic inch, inline 6 engine

Some additional information on the plate:
Body - 65A = Hardtop, Standard Interior
Color - M = Wimbledon White
Trim - 25 = Red with Red Trim
Date - 26A = January 26 planned build date
DSO - 71 = Los Angeles
Axle - 3 = 3.20:1
Transmission - 1 = 3 speed manual

So what does all this mean? It means that our Mustang has the most common body style available in 1966. It's painted what is believed to be the most common color for 1966. Did I mention that more Mustangs were produced in the 1966 model year than any other in the first generation? This isn't exactly a rare car. The major selling feature of the mid-1960's Mustang was the long list of options. It seems the "little old lady from Pasadena" completely ignored this wonderful option list when selecting this car. With the exception of the California Smog Pump (which wasn't really an option for a car sold in the LA area), absolutely no optional equipment was selected. For any true Mustang Collector, this is probably the least desirable 1st generation Mustang possible.

But, one cannot tell the story of the Mustang, the story of one of the most successful car launches in the history of the auto industry, without at least hinting at this car. One of the reasons always given for the Mustang's success was its low, low starting price ($2,416.18 in 1966). Well, this car represents that starting price. Today, one finds car shows dominated with V-8 Mustangs. And rightfully so, as they are amazing cars. But it was this car, and the hundreds of thousands built just like it that made the Mustang a financial success for Ford Motor Company.

In addition to what this car represents in automotive history, it means even more to my family. It has been with the family for 40 years (longer than me) and in that time it has generated many emotions. Not always good emotions (My mom will tell you that the car hates her and that she hates it back), but emotions all the same. So, in something of a sign of respect, my Dad and I have chosen to not "resto-mod" this car, but instead return it to its original, stock glory. Don't get me wrong, we have nothing against resto-mods or hot rods, etc. It just didn't seem like the thing to do for this particular car.

Really, how hard could it be?

About a year and a half ago, I came to the realization that I wanted to learn more about cars. I've always been interested in cars, but only had a passing knowledge of their inner workings. I can change a tire, check the oil, and if a gun was put to my head I could even give a basic explanation of how an internal combustion engine works.

Recognizing a need to learn more, a plan was hatched. In 1969, my dad bought a 1966 Ford Mustang Coupe. For the last 15 or so years, it has been sitting in his garage underneath a pile of boxes. The plan seemed so simple. My dad's somewhat knowledgeable on fixing cars. We could work together on his Mustang. In the process I would learn about cars and in the end I would end up with a cool car that I could take my wife out on the town in. Really, how hard could it be?

Fast forward to today. My dad and I have been working continuously on the Mustang over the last year. We've spent countless weekends working on the car, learning everything we can, and realizing that yes, it can be that difficult. In the process, we've joined the Mustang Club of Houston and the Mustang Club of America, met some really amazing people, and have developed a new love for the Ford Mustang. And we've gotten the car to run (barely).

This blog is an effort to better document the project. We'll share with you some of the lessons we've learned the hard way as well as our future successes. While we've spent over a year working on it, it's obvious to us that we have many more years to go.