HistoryMy Mustang has been in our family since 1981, when I was almost 6 years old. It was sold to my dad by the neighbor gentleman who lived across the street from us in Los Angeles.
Yukio had used the car to commute to UCLA, but suddenly had to return with his family to Tokyo. It wasn't long after that my family also moved and we went to Midland, Texas. My mom and sister when ahead of us to start work and school, and my dad and I followed in November, when I had turned 6. (In Texas, you have to be 6 years old to start 1st Grade) This Mustang was the car we drove on my first big road trip! I remember we were towing a U-haul trailer with mom's piano in it and the rest of our stuff, and the cross-winds going through Arizona and New Mexico would whip the single-axle trailer around, which in turn would whip the car around. Kind of like the tail wagging the dog! I remember my dad was on pins and needles during that whole trip and was pretty tired by the time we arrived in Midland!
I bought the Mustang from my dad when I was 14. By this time we had moved back to Los Angeles, but had left the car in Midland at our property. It wasn't running because a "new" engine (a 1979 302
cid, original engine was the 289
cid) had been installed but not put together. It had also been in a wreck, so it needed some body work and a new paint job as well. My dream was to go back to Texas and rescue the car- dad and I could work on the car together while we were in town checking on the property, and drive back home in time for high school. I was going to be the coolest kid at school with my hot wheels and rumbling V-8! The girls would be begging for a ride! ...Yeah right. I spent nearly every summer and winter between 9
th Grade and my second year of college in Midland, Texas working to make my dream come true.
In 1996, my dad and I finally got the Mustang running, road-worthy, and permitted, and we drove it home to CA.. When I left home to start my junior year of college, I finally realized my dream of being able to drive it school. It wasn't hot wheels and there weren't any fawning girls, but there was a auto shop on campus and I planned on fixing the car up the rest of the way before graduation. ...Except, that's when I learned my first lesson regarding time vs. money and never the twain shall meet; as a college student, I had neither!
I continued driving my beast for the next 3 years. Because of the wreck and panel replacement, the car was in 3 different colors and I finally "rattle-canned" it all Primer Gray. It looked the best I've ever seen it! It wasn't the most mechanically sound vehicle either, and I carried lots of tools in the trunk, along with spare fluids, parts, and changes of clothes. For my graduation gift, someone had even given me a membership for AAA. That was one of the gifts I've used the most! Eventually, I had engine troubles and ultimately pulled the engine myself and put the whole works in storage.
Now that I was out of college and had a well-paying job, I had a new dream; to finally restore the Mustang, and to bring it up to date with all modern safety devices and a H.O. 5.0L
EFI roller-block engine out of a 1989 Mustang donor. In 2000, I moved to Vancouver, Washington and towed the Mustang up there with me. I turned my apartment's garage into a "shop" and began doing some work. Unfortunately, I was also trying to restore my 1985 Yamaha Virago motorcycle at the same time, and this "little" project seemed to take up most of my time. Anyway, I finally sold the motorcycle and got a little accomplished on the Mustang. I had the body work done (she looks a beauty now after all of these years!), had her
primered for paint, re-built and modified the 5.0 short-block (it's now a 331
cid stroker-
yee-haw!), replaced the windshield, and began working on the windows and trim. In January of 2007, I moved here to Houston, Texas and once again dragged the Mustang project and all of it's pieces with me. And once again, all of it went into storage where she sits even now, gathering dust.
What's next
So now it's practically autumn of 2009, I'm married, the present car I drive has over 120k miles on it, and I'm seeing the handwriting on the wall: One day I'll need another car (an Infiniti G37 sedan would work nicely!); one day we'll want to have children and my time and money will be scarce again; and one day I'll need to decide what to do with the Mustang. It seems I have two choices: Sell it as is with all of it's parts in boxes, or put all of the parts back in it, restore it, taste victory, and drive it once again enjoying my dream come true. ...I guess you've figured out what I've decided to do; I've now spent over half of my life working on this car, so why give up now?!
My wife has asked me why I am spending time writing this blog talking about working on my Mustang, instead of just getting out into the garage and doing it. Like always ;-) my wife has a good point. In fact, I've asked myself the same question a couple of times. Well, there's actually 3 reasons: 1) By verbalizing and sharing my commitment, it makes my commitment more sure and holds me more accountable to the choice I've made it front of you all; 2) I need all of the encouragement I can get; and 3) this blog gives me a way to chronicle the project, and gives me sort of "mile-stones" to measure my progress by.
One last comment: My dad and I have spent many hours working on this car together and trouble-shooting each problem and hurdle we came across. I learned many things from him
during this experience (and continue to do so), and one of the lessons I keep in mind, is that the two greatest tools I have are not in my toolbox, but on top of my shoulders and at the end of my arms. Another lesson was "Work smarter, not harder". Let's see if I can keep those in mind! Anyway, as I make progress on the Mustang, I know he'll be cheering me on and giving me pointers, and as I finish the project, I know it will not just be a success for me, but it will be a success for both of us. We'll share a feeling of relief and sense of accomplishment of finally completing the work we started together 18 years ago.
*My goal is to have the car running and completed by Labor Day 2010.*
