I Hate To Say Goodbye, But I Love To Watch You Drive Away

A wise man once told me, "You can only drive one at a time," when I was telling him about a basket-case car I wanted to add to my small car collection. When I say, 'small' I mean I had one car, and wanted another. I think I saw myself as a mini Jay Leno or Jerry Seinfeld--with a hangar of vehicles to choose from to fit my whim.

I also loved the idea of a car show. Having attended a few with my father-in-law before his passing, it has since been a fond memory of him ever since. I also like the hanging around listening to the old guys talking about their projects. Somehow in those years I became that old guy, and my projects more and more prevented me from really enjoying any one car, let alone this Jay Leno image I had hope for.

So the reality became obvious. Reduce the size of the collection, and enjoy the collection more. Easier said than done, I'm afraid. But of the cars that I was lucky enough to have over the years, this Mustang really started my "hobby." Now it's time for someone else to love it and change it and have fun with it.

I can remember the first feeling of finally owning a dream car when I signed the title to this Mustang 15 years ago. I stepped outside and opened the drivers door to a new-to-me 1965 Mustang, the car I dreamed about owning since I was a kid watching the older kids race down Greenwood Av. in South Holland, Il. The door creaked open, the window fell straight down into the door. "She's gonna need a little work," I reassured myself, hitting the ignition.

"Vroom!" It was ready to go. I got on the highway and opened her up; 50, 60, and 70. 80. Then I buried the needle at over 100 when suddenly a huge pile of leaves blew out from under the dash! A bird's nest was dislodged and now spinning around the car like I was inside a Build-a-Bear machine. When I let up on the gas I heard a strange pop, and a billow of white smoke erupted from the tailpipe.

Since then, this car has become a labor of love that only a car guy can appreciate. Or a parent. All my extra hours, money and favors were spent on making it a little nicer, faster, or just prettier.

When you first finish a new project, your friends and car show acquaintances have a lot of questions. I'll talk cars with anybody, so I made it to a lot of car shows, hosted a few of my own, and went on a lot of cruises. I also learned a lot. Not enough, but a lot. My best lesson was finding quality guys who could make my vision a reality. Through this car Imet some of the friends I will have for a lifetime. You sure can't put a price on that.

Here's a link to my ebay auction if you'd like to check out this beauty. I hope someone will love her just as much as I do.