Well, I’ve reached the golden age of retirement and know first hand how screwed up our country’s economic system is. Those who seem to think that the problems in the USA consist of wokeness and illegal immigration, please see me and I’ll educate your butt.
I desperately need a new (to me) car, as my daily driver is a rolling pile of shite. The high school I drive past daily has not one car that’s as big a turd as mine is. The freakin high school! While I would greatly like to own a classic muscle car again, the realities of life have made themselves very apparent.
Not Like it Used to Be
I no longer have a garage, and a classic muscle car leaves a lot to be desired as a daily driver. An awful lot. And that’s before the issue of price comes up. I can’t afford $75k or more for what I would really like to own. So what to do? I’ve been looking at these cars, pretty much in this order: C4 Corvette, 1993+ Trans Am, Pontiac GTO ’04 – ’06, Pontiac G8, Dodge Challenger 2008+, and 2006(ish)+ Mustang.
Does a 28 year old car make sense for a daily driver? That’s the age of the last C4 Corvette. The last Trans Am is only six years newer. I finally decided that it might be a good idea to go with something ten years or less old. 2014 then? Well, things then got interesting.
Just One!
My wife and I owned only one brand new car, a white 1989 Mustang 5.0 five speed, white. Years ago she talked about how fun it would be to own a ’64 Mustang, this being the year she was born. Some time after this she came to think that a 2014 Mustang would be pretty okay, this being its (and her) 50 year mark. So I began to think, “what if…”.
What if…
I educated myself about GM LT and LS engines, Chrysler 5.7, 6.1 and 6.4 hemi engines, and Ford’s 4.6 and 5.0 engines. I’ve always liked the concept of the little Mustang with a hot small block, be it a K-code 289, Boss 302 (’69 -’70) or the later 1980’s 225hp 5.0. A manual transmission for me, please!
Given this, the twenty-teens Mustangs really got my juices flowing. My efforts to find a suitable ’14 went unrewarded. The credit union I’ve been with forever would only loan on a car ten years or less old. I then stumbled across a new local craigslist ad for a 2010 GT, five-speed. Torch red with white stripes. Red leather interior. 19″ wheels, 245 tires, 3.73 rear end, big brakes, and premium sound system. Plus, 9,000 miles! That’s right, 9,000 miles. No mistake, no fraud; 9,000 miles. Love at first sight.
Love, the Second Time
I remember how I used to look at my GTO. I couldn’t imagine a single feature I would change. I’ve found myself looking at the Mustang the same way, admiring the curve above the rear fenders, the classic quarter windows, and the hood bulge. I’m challenged to find anything I’d change, were I able to.
So…..
So I think I have the car I’m meant to have. Attractive, inside and out, responsive and fun to drive, fast, but not so much that I’m likely to get myself in trouble, and a great little engine in the3V 4.6.
Earlier this week I walked through a parking lot, out to the farthest corner where the Mustang was parked. It looked nice. I had a flashback to some forty years ago or so when I experienced a similar thing with my GTO, which was parked way out in the lot and shone under the parking lot lights. I guess some things never change.
