Guess it's my turn...
Hi and Happy Holidays to all!
Alright Paul you got me out from lurking in the shadows here. I read more than I post here and haven't spent alot of time here again until recently. I've also noticed what appears to be more members and increased activity here in the forums, that's awesome! Keep the interest in the GT/CS and HCS Mustangs alive and keep up the good work everyone!
I've been into the Ford Mustang for as long as I can remember and have had the pleasure of owning a few over the past 28 yrs. I was hooked after buying my first car while in high school, it was a green 1969 coupe with mag style rims, w/G60s in the back and a 302 under the hood. After me and dad rebuilt the top end of her engine she ran great with new dual exhaust. Had her for a few yrs until after getting my first job I decided I wanted a new 1983 GT. So after selling the '69 and a Honda motorcycle I had the down payment on that beautiful dark red GT w/the 5.0L H.O. engine, 5-sp manual trans and T-tops. That car was alot of fun, almost too much fun! Had her for a few yrs and eventually traded her in on a 1985 Bronco II as I needed the extra room at the time and had friends who had 4x4s so I wanted to experience that. Only lasted a couple of yrs then I picked up a 1968 Mustang fastback that had a slightly crunched RH front fender and had been sitting on someone's ranch here locally for over 10 yrs. Needless to say the ripped headliner was literally and figuratively a rat's nest. Being the dumb kid I was I decided to drive her the 28 miles home. The PO had the oil and fluids changed and a new battery put in and she ran OK. The old valve seats made it about 15 of the 28 miles home so her 302 had the top end rebuilt by me and dad soon thereafter. I then removed the crunched fender, straightened out the inner fender and replaced the fender with a salvage yard special. That car was tons of fun to drive, took her to some concerts and Dodger games as well as plenty of cruising around. Before I could get much further into restoring her I lost my job and was forced to sell her to pay bills, etc. I paid about $800 for her in 1986 and sold her for $1000 cash in 1988, YES, $1000. I guess I can say my crystal ball wasn't working at the time ;-) I still kick myself for ever letting her go but... After getting a new job I bought a 5 yr old 1984 Mustang LX with the 5.0L H.O. engine, 5-sp manual trans and factory sunroof. That car was fun to "haul ass in" too. I've since had two Thunderbirds and now my E.B. Expy. Yep, thanks to dad I'm a Ford guy!
I recall as a kid seeing a GT/CS and wondering what breed of Mustang it was. I also remember back in the mid 70s a friend's mom having a 65 or 66 Fastback that I think was a Shelby model. All I remember was it was bright yellow with the black racing stripes, Shelby style tail lights and had a mean sounding engine and a manual transmission. We'd think of any excuse to have his mom drive us somewhere just so we could cruise in it! I bought my first GT/CS this past summer and am in the process of performing a mild restore to it then pretty much handing it over to my dad so he could have a cool Mustang to cruise to get his morning coffee before he can no longer drive, he's 76 now. He has a plain jane '66 C-code coupe that is in good shape and he drives a few times a month but I thought it'd be very cool for him to cruise in a special Mustang, a California Special to be exact. So far I've rebuilt the entire front suspension and power steering system and replaced the OE ignition system with a Pertronix electronic system. My hopes are to rebuild the rear suspension, bodywork, paint and interior by Spring/Summer of 2008, hopefully in time for the GT/CS 40th anniversary. I have a couple of pics of it sitting on the trailer the day we brought her home in my gallery, check em out. My plans are on bringing it back to original condition as best as I can, including the Diamond Blue paint and black GT/CS striping. It is currently complete and in mostly original condition with the exception of the following aftermarket parts added by the PO(s): 15" aluminum wheels and tires, radio antenna, AM/FM Cassette stereo and Grant steering wheel. Wish us luck!
Thanks to Paul for this thread and for his hard work on the GT/CS and HCS registry! I'll be posting more as I get back to work on her and I'm sure I'll need some assistance from this great community.
Thanks and Happy Holidays!