Well, I did it. I dropped my '66 GT hardtop off at Classic Creations of Central Florida and instructed Merv Rego to restore it into a new '66 Mustang.
The Mustang was originally purchased by my grandparents in February 1966. I can remember getting off the school bus and seeing the Signalflare Red GT sitting in their driveway across Highway 49. I figured it was a visitor but had to stroll over for a closer look. That's when the owner of the local Ford dealership walked out with my grandfather, shook his hand, and drove off in the traded-in '60 Falcon 4-door.
No one ever talked about the Falcon. But as soon as word got around that "Mr. Guy" had bought a new Mustang, everyone in the neighborhood was talking. That's when I learned that there was something special about Mustangs, something that attracted attention and made you cool, even if you were in the backseat with your grandparents.
My grandparents owned the Mustang for less than a year before trading it in for a '67 Fairlane, thanks to my grandmother's back problems that made it difficult for her to climb in and out of the Mustang. The local optometrist bought it for his son drove it to college. Later, I would see an older gentleman driving the Mustang around town. In 1982, shortly after I had moved to Florida to take over the editor's job at Mustang Monthly, an old high school buddy called to tell me that my grandparents' old '66 GT was for sale. I bought it.
So I've now owned the Mustang for over 27 years. My son and daughter can't remember a time when the Mustang wasn't in the garage. It was in rough shape when I got it, but a little clean-up, a Fred Jones remanufactured 289, and a new paint job got the car looking pretty good. Over the years, the paint has bubbled, the engine compartment has ended up with stains from overheats and cracked paint from touch-ups, and there are plenty of little nicks and scratches from years of sitting in the garage or being subjected to my kids' early driving habits. I always says it's a "20-footer" - it looks great from 20 feet away but any closer and you see all the imperfections.
So I finally decided it was time to have the car restored. It's never been apart, and so many things need attention, from the speedometer cable to the rearend that probably still has the original gear oil in it. Thankfully, bodyman Danny at Classic Creations says the sheetmetal is in good shape, no doubt due to 16 years in the moderate climate of South Carolina before moving into my Florida garage for the past 27 years.
I've decided to take the car back to the day when I first saw it in my grandparents' driveway. That means getting rid of the stroker 302, the add-on A/C and power brakes, and even the aftermarket AM-FM radio. Thankfully, I kept most of the original parts, including the AM radio that I used to listen to while my grandmother shopped. It's certainly a reversal from the restomod trend but I figure I drive a car with A/C, power brakes, and AM/FM everyday to work, so when I get into my '66 Mustang I want it to take me back to 1966.
I'll be updating the car's progress here in the Mustang Monthly blogs, so check back from time to time.