Author Archive
February 5th, 2010 | 
Author:
Mustang Magazine and
Here's a list of the parts (so far, more to be added!) that will be displayed AND given away at All-Ford Nats @ Carlisle from June 5th-7th, 2010. You will be able to find our booth space in front of the food court at spaces D103-D106. Hope to see you there! Now for the current list…
1.
A
2.
Rep
MSRP: $254.00 pai
3. Califo
Concours co
MSRP: $139.95
4. TMI P
Full 1987-93 Fox Mustang Inte
5.TMI P
65-66 Pony Spo
6. TMI P
84-86 Mustang GT Inte
7. Kelsey Ti
Goodyea
ONE SET to Give-away!
8. Ididit Inc.
1 Steel Tilt Mustang Column di
MSRP: $499.00
9. Mr. G's
(2) $40 Gift Certificate's – good for any of our thousands of fasteners. Can also be used toward rechroming(vacuum metallizing) of your dash, our screw kits, underhood bolt, nut, or u-nut.
10. Design Factory Art
1970 Boss 302 – The ultimage Mustang of the muscle car era, in Calypso Coral. Print is 12" x 24", is signed & numbered as 1 of 2500 prints.
(photo to come soon)
MSRP: $40.00
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OK, I’ve spent quite a bit of time busting Collateral Damage for its many faults. No malicious intent there, it’s just that we’ve all experienced frustration of cars that don’t work right, and Collateral is such an easy target.
So is there anything I like about the old relic? Well-meaning moms across the country say that if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
But that would wipe out the politics, comedy, and the news industry.
But back to the topic. As I’m enduring the car’s bad habits, which have been well cataloged here and in my issue #4 editorial, I also appreciate:
The Steering Wheel. Mustang’s Deluxe wheel, with its three metal spokes, genuine imitation wood-like plastic, is a beaut. I’ve always noticed steering wheels, the driver’s perpetual interface with his car, and the Mustang Deluxe wheel is an all-time great.
Racing Stripes. Collateral’s weak six might have a shot at knocking off a diesel Volvo or a kid on a motorized skateboard, but not much else. Even so, I’ve always liked the Mustang stripes, be they the offset stripe that runs down the driver’s side of the car, or the twin Shelby stripes that are so oft imitated. This is genuine period-cool, that was picked up by just about everyone else on earth.
Ignition Switch. This peculiar admiration surely goes back to youthful nostalgia. That’s OK. To me, chrome knobs with the chrome bezel is how knobs are supposed to look. I like the ACC, OFF, RUN, START and the Ford bars-and-chevron designed into the key. It’s little stuff like this that makes owning a vintage Ford fun.
The Shape. Funny, but even in its droopy condition, the little coupe’s shape still catches my eye in a parking lot. Wish I could say the same for… uh, never mind.
Cruise-O-Matic’s 2nd Gear Take Off. A unique talent designed into the vintage Ford Cruise-O-Matic is its ability to engage 2nd gear from a standing stop. Shifting other transmissions into 2nd stops them from shifting beyond 2nd, but you still start out in 1st. Not so with the Cruise-O-Matic. Why do this? Because starting out in 2nd reduces torque to the rear wheels. I used to think this was not only less fun, but unnecessary — the goal of life was to get MORE torque to the rear wheels. But eventually the day came when I, stopped on an ice patch could not move. The slightest touch of the throttle would spin the tires, at least until I shifted into 2nd and deftly applied the tiniest bit of throttle. Then the reduced torque got the car rolling instead of spinning. I’m 51 years old, and have only used that feature once 25 years ago, but I can’t look at the shifter quadrant and see the little blue dot for 2nd gear without remembering how it did come in handy back then.
The Starter Sound. I won’t try to describe it, but the starter — an original, has its own signature sound which, growing up, signaled the beginning of every happy trip — vacation, mom’s spontaneous outings to Dairy Queen, hauling our little motorcycles to the far side of the airport for a Saturday ride, and a bit of recreational cruising once I got my license. Hearing it again has become a Pavlovian response that I associate with good times.
So Collateral isn’t all bad. But it might have been hard to convince me otherwise had I not grown up with Fords.
The UPS man brought me a big box with a shiny new radiator for my daily
driver, fresh from the environmentally sensitive, OSHA-compliant,
worker-friendly factories of China. So if I can get a couple of daylight
hours in the driveway to install it, my regular use of Collateral Damage
will be drawing to a close, at least until the next mechanical failure.
Life with Collateral has been a good news/bad news thing. The good news is
that I’m not walking. The bad news is the car’s neglected condition and
laundry list of bad habits. But even with all that, it’s been good to get
reacquainted with the vintage Fords I grew up with, but it’s also revealed
how spoiled I’ve become by modern cars’ comfort and convenience.
Take entry and exit. Being just under 6-foot two and not quite the trim hunk
I was 25 or so years ago, sliding into the Mustang’s low bucket seat
requires a specific choreography. The easiest method is to open the door,
step backwards towards the interior, plant butt on seat, leaving both legs
extending out over the rocker panel, then rotate legs in as-near a
horizontal as possible. Next, grab steering wheel and swivel entire body to
a forward-facing position. In its retracted state, my right leg passes
fairly comfortably beneath the deluxe steering wheel’s wood-grained rim.
Hassle? Yes. And that’s the easy way of getting in.
Is it just me, or might there be a market for a seat relocater kit?
Tom
Spotty showers are rolling across central Florida. While our ’66 coupe “Collateral Damage” could do with a shower, they didn’t improve the car’s looks. Rather they brought out a couple more of the car’s quirks.
Since 1982, when I bought a triple black Cougar XR-7, every car I’ve owned had intermittent windshield wipers. Not Collateral. Its windshield wiper switch has two positions — on and off. Click the chrome knob to the right and the small wiper arms begin a leisurely motion, accompanied by what sounds like a snoring sound. The driver’s side wipes pretty clear, provided you’re in no hurry. If the rain becomes anything resembling heavy, you’d better be heading for the side of the road. Single speed wipers were standard for ’66, two-speeds were an option. Intermittents were still several years away.
A modest flow from up high on the A-pillar landed on my pants, letting me know that all was not well with the windshield seal. Planning on an extended trip on a rainy day? Might want to consider waders.
When winter is closing in on the rest of the United States, Lakeland, Florida, hometown for Mustang Magazine, begins emerging from its air conditioned summer shelters and rediscovering the outdoors. One of the biggest events on the winter calendar is the Lake Mirror Classic, an automotive festival that welcomes all types of cars from the big 1920s Rolls Royce to Corvettes, sports cars, and even vintage motorcycles.
It’s a fun and free show that has grown to include much of Lakeland’s revitalized downtown. Sponsored by Ford Heacock, and drawing primo cars from all over Florida, it centers around the Lake Mirror promenade, a scenic walkway around the lake, developed with beautiful architecture in the 1930s. Adjacent hills and gardens invite leisurely strolls. Pause and sip homemade root beer or a bag of hot nuts. Listen to the string ensemble doing everything from classical chamber music to a string version of Deep Purple’s Highway Star. Sounds weird on strings.
So many amazing things to see in this beautiful setting: Ford’s 50 millionth car – a ‘59 Ford owned by Jim Schmidt from National Parts Depot; a stunning Lincoln shown by his son Rick, also from NPD, numerous race cars, classics, and antiques.
Mustangs were out in force, occupying a full corner of lake, and running the gamut from a sweet ‘641/2 convertible with the 260 V8, to Mach 1s and Bosses, on up to Fox-bodies and modern editions.
The Lake Mirror Classic is kind of like a Concours D’Elegance, but without the Thurston Howell III snootiness. Admission is free, and you’re sure to see your favorite cars, as well as some that may be new to you.
I personally recommend this show. It’s a gem.
Tom Shaw, editor
Mustang Magazine
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Auto Etc. Neon’s New Mustang Heritage Mirror
Auto Etc. Neon; www.autoetcneon.com; (956) 425-7487
Posted in Miscellaneous | 
Tags: 6 Deuce induction, accessories, Billet Bling, CD, Engine Assembly, fan spacers, fenders, mirror, mustang, oil fill caps, Scott Drake, YearOne | 
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Virginia Classic Mustang, Inc. announces the availability of the Part & Body Illustrations Manuals on CD for each specific year from 1965-1973.
Posted in Boss 302, Car Shows, Miscellaneous |
Tags: Boss 302, John Force, Shelby GT350 |
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Then sit back and drink in the memories from when not just everyone had color TV, rabbit ears were everywhere, and the word “remote” was not a channel changer, but somewhere in Siberia.
