We've been waiting for this moment for 30 years - the coming out of one of 12 1965 World's Fair Mustang convertibles from Walt Disney's Magic Skyway. Call this a special 45th Anniversary celebration.
Back in 1978, Al and Gary Schweitzer's 1965 Wimbledon White Mustang convertible (5F08T383386) appeared in the Mustang Club of America's Mustang Times Magazine, which was the first time we ever had heard about this unique automobile. The Schweitzers had just purchased their Mustang from the original owner who bought it off the Ford Employee Resale Lot in 1965. It had 35,000 original miles on the odometer and was one of 12 convertibles built specifically for Walt Disney's Magic Skyway exhibit at the 1965 portion of the New York World's Fair. It is a fascinating story we've been eager to tell in Mustang Monthly Magazine for 30 years.
The Schweitzer's convertible is a special order unit with show car treatment - leaded seams, Thunderbird courtesy lights, bench seat (although the body style code is 76A), and more. Its consecutive unit number of 383386 puts it in December of 1964. However, its build date code is "15B" for 15 February 1965. Most of the car's components have November and December 1964 date codes, which makes the scheduled date code challenging to understand. It appears the car was built ahead of schedule based on these date codes.
During my first trip to Detroit in 1983 when I was a freelance contributing editor for Mustang Monthly, Al and Gary Schweitzer invited me to view this car while it was in storage at the old Packard plant, which was a rental storage place at the time. The car was disassembled pending a full scale restoration that wouldn't happen for another 26 years. Going to see this car - and visit Ford Motor Company for the first time - was like going to Mecca, a pilgimage I will never forget because this is where my career as an automotive journalist and historian began a lifetime ago.
The Schweitzers, who lived in Grosse Pointe Woods just outside Detroit at the time, had most of the Mustang's interior parts in their basement including a red vinyl bench seat, Thunderbird courtesy lights, and more. They also had a fuel tank with "383376" written on it with a permanent marker. The "383376" had special meaning because it was factory installed not in 5F08T383386, but in 5F08T383376, one of the other 11 units built for the Magic Skyway exhibit.
Ford contractor, Carren & Company, prepared these cars for the Fair, installing special undercarriage bracketry for the conveyor, public address system, and more. Fuel tanks were removed, which explains "383376", the Mustang that fuel tank was removed from. At one time, we believed engines and transmissions were also removed. Gary has since confirmed engines and transmissions remained in the cars.
The last time I had a conversation with the Schweitzers was in 1987 - then, I wouldn't hear from them again for 20 years. And for 20 years, after a lot of searching, I considered them long gone, figuring 5F08T383386 would surface again in the hands of a different owner. In 2007, I received an email from Al Schweitzer, long retired from Chrysler, confirming the car's survival and their intent to do a full scale restoration. Some time later, I heard from Gary, who said he was going to conduct the restoration. I asked how we could help.
Because the car was a considerable distance away in Michigan, hands on assistance was going to be impossible. However, we could be helpful from an editorial standpoint. This is when Scott Halseth at National Parts Depot got on board to do everything he could do to help. Scott clearly understood the value of restoring a Mustang with special history. That's when National Parts Depot loaded Gary's 200 six, C4 Cruise-O-Matic, and 2.83:1 axle on a westbound truck to Los Angeles for the driveline's resurrection.
We have the good fortune of being associated with this restoration project from an editorial standpoint, able give you an intimate look at this car and restore its engine and driveline in the pages of Mustang Monthly Magazine.
Look for plenty of great reading enjoyment on this historical restoration later on this year in your Mustang Monthly Magazine. If you'd like to know more about this car, stay tuned for blogs and updates in Pony Tales. As always, we invite your feedback at Jim.Smart@sorc.com or at www.mustangmonthly.com.