When I heard about Chris Jones' bad smash on a Los Angeles freeway a couple of wet winters ago in the Vintage Mustang Forum (VMF), I felt compelled to help him in any way I could because it was so easy to relate to his misfortune. So could the VMF. No one wanted to see a family heirloom hauled off to the crusher. Everyone is pitching in where they can.
To bring you up to date, Chris owns his mother's '67 Mustang hardtop, which was purchased new 43 years ago. He lost control of his Mustang in rainstorm striking the center divider, just for starters, before the car spun around, bashing in the rear end as well. According to most body professionals along with the insurance company, Chris' Mustang was a total loss and could not be fixed. Super Dave Stribling of DVS Restorations in the Indiana heartland has Chris' Mustang and is hard at work at this time trying to bring a badly battered hardtop back from destitution. Progress is slow, but certain, as we try to amass parts.
Speaking only for myself - inspiration to help Chris came from a bad accident in a rainstorm back home in Bowie, Maryland 34 years ago in the wake of our nation's bicentennial. My first Mustang, a Dark Moss Green '67 Mustang hardtop - 7T01C199064 - was a $400 purchase from a buddy of mine in 1974. I had worked hard on the car and had it repainted in Dodge Sherwood Green Metallic - which was a Dodge Van color at the time.
The car looked really sharp and it felt so good to be cruising around in a good looking classic Mustang sporting chrome '69 styled steel wheels with steel belted radials, low-buck fog lamps purchased from either Penn-Jersey Auto Store, a Walker dual exhaust system, and a 289 all dressed up with finned Cal Custom valve covers, Hi-Po air cleaner, Edelbrock F4B dual-plane high-rise manifold, 600cfm Holley, and Mickey Thompson long-tube headers.
I was on my way to work in a heavy rainstorm. Visibility was poor on Race Track Road that morning just below Hilltop Plaza where we all hung out on Friday and Saturday nights in the heart of Bowie. Hilltop Plaza was the place to be seen if you were driving something cool.
I wouldn't know about a stalled 1972 Dodge Dart sitting in the middle of the road until I was right on top of it because the rain was so heavy. Instead of steering around it, I hit the brakes hard and slammed right into it. My neighbor, who was following me in his '63 Plymouth, plowed into me from behind, finishing the car off. It was so badly damaged I couldn't get the doors open. Although the fuel tank ruptured all over Race Track Road, there was no fire. I wound up climbing out the window and was soaked to the bone by the time my mother arrived in her Nightmist Blue '67 Mustang hardtop to rescue me. Her hardtop remains with me to this day.
I was victim to my own ignorance at the age of 20. Still wet behind the ears, I had not yet learned an important lesson about driving safety - to always wear seat belts - and steer and avoid impact wherever possible. Lessons learned from that accident molded me into a safer driver. Although losing that first Mustang was like losing a best friend, it was a valuable teacher. Seat belts are what saved my life that morning. I've worn them ever since. Learning to think quickly and steer around trouble has prevented countless accidents since.
Jim Smart