Re: Member Introductions
Hello from the stable…
Let’s see, these usually start with “My name is _____, I’ve been visiting/lurking on this site forever and I have a Mustang ‘problem.’” Here goes.
I have GREATLY enjoyed reading the huge variety of contributions, tales of success (AND woe) in the garage, on the street or at the track and all of your great personal insights about these awesome cars. I loved cars as soon as I could push a Matchbox car across the kitchen floor. My Mustang problem began when my dad had to literally pull me away from on of the stanchions holding a rope around a ’65 Shelby G.T.350 at a World of Wheels show in Phoenix in the mid ‘80s. I also still fondly remember my uncle squealing the tires on his new ’88 GT hatchback every time he and my aunt left our house in Scottsdale.
Fast forward a few years and in his infinite wisdom, my dad thought a classic Mustang restoration would make a great father/son bonding opportunity when I became a teenager. He was certainly right as we spent the better part of four years restoring a ’65 K-code GT fastback (the closest alternative to that Wimbledon White ’65 G.T.350 and when we first got it home, the farthest thing from it as well since it was only a rolling shell…). Those are, to this day, some of my fondest memories that I have. I drove that fastback every day during my senior year of high school and first two years of college before we ‘retired’ the car. My dad is now claiming ownership, but I keep reminding him that the car was purchased and restored for ME…. We’re now in the process of slowly turning it into an MCA Concours competitor.
After enjoying a used but solid (and stock) bright red 1993 GT hatchback for 4.5 years and nearly 70K miles, I sold it in 2001. However, just before I sold the ’93, I was able to buy my first brand new Mustang in the form of a 2001 BULLITT. I first dipped my toe in the open track/HPDE pond a few years later by participating in track events at Barber Motorsports Park for the Mustang Club of America’s 30th Anniversary and the Mustang 45th Anniversary shows in 2006 and 2009, respectively. After getting point-bys each session from some rather upset gentlemen driving supercharged Saleen and Steeda Mustang GTs, Mustang Cobras, Shelby GTs and GT500s with twice the horsepower of my ’01 BULLITT’s stock engine, I was hooked!!!
Over the last 10 years, I’ve been privileged to have maintained and driven nearly all varieties of the 2003 & newer performance Mustangs on some of the best roads and tracks in the country including the Pacific Coast Highway, the Blue Ridge Parkway, Road America, Moroso Motorsports Park (now Palm Beach International Raceway) and many points in between, racking up hundreds (thousands?) of miles behind their steering wheels. Every time I’d get close to signing on the dotted line for my own version at the local dealer, I’d learn about the next special edition…. By the time the 5.0L returned on the 2011s, I knew the Boss had to make a comeback and my suspicions were soon confirmed. This time, I didn’t care about the next special edition!
I was fortunate to be able to order and buy one of the Yellow Blaze 2012s before the color was discontinued. Work prevented me from putting as many miles on the new Boss as I would’ve liked during my first year of ownership, but Track Attack was AWESOME and the event at MPH was PHENOMENAL -- I plan on returning this year. I’ve had the great privilege of meeting a few of you at various events over the last year as well - Chris (PTRocks) at Track Attack last May, Gary (cloud9), John (JSCHEIER), Dean (Dean#4AI) and Bill (Bill Pemberton) at the Mustang Gathering at MPH last September and I’m sure more than a few others that I’m unintentionally forgetting…
My dad was so impressed with the 2012s after riding in one of the school Bosses at Miller during my Track Attack class that he decided he had to have one. Since he always preferred the ’70 Boss 302 graphics, he ordered a ’13 last spring and took delivery of his School Bus Yellow Laguna Seca this past October. He will be attending Track Attack in early April and I plan to join him for a refresher.
My car is currently spending the winter next to his ’13 Laguna, both tucked into his shop down south. We’re looking forward to the upcoming Track Guys event at Barber Motorsports Park next month and I’m also hoping we make the Music City Mustang Club’s event at Atlanta Motorsports Park in May before I bring my car back up to Michigan. I’m trying to get him to Nebraska for MPH III this September. I have a feeling he’ll soon be hooked on this Boss stuff as well. Maybe we’ll look for a lightly used Boss 302S at that point…