April 2009: Mark Young's '66 K-code GT 2+2
| 31 March 2009
Sometimes, things are just meant to be………
Being an amateur Mustang restorer and collector of sorts, I have a wish list of Cars I’d like to own before I meet my maker. A ‘65 or ’66 Shelby is at the top of that list. But lets face it, they’re priced way out of my reach and with no expected windfalls in my near or distant future, it will continue to remain at the top of my list. Second was always a Hi-Po fastback, figuring it would be the next best thing.
I’ll roll back the clock a few years to the end of July, 2005, when I was emotionally recovering from just turning 40. I received a call from a long time family friend and car collector John Warunek, whom resides in Kalamazoo, MI. He’s been mostly a Chevy and Corvette collector but has a soft spot for certain Ford’s (Woody’s especially) if they’re interesting and have lots of documentation. Knowing that I’m fairly versed in vintage Mustangs, he mentioned that he was offered first refusal on a 1966 K-Code GT 2+2. The car was in a private collection of a local Ford dealer whom he had done some restoration work for. The credentials of being a factory Hi-Po Fastback or never being restored or having it’s original drive-train or being a 4-spd. or having it’s original blue interior or having been painted only once in it’s original code ‘K’ Nightmist Blue, etc., etc. wasn’t what caught his attention. It was the binder of original factory paperwork. This really excited him, even though it was a F-O-R-D. He had me hooked at Hi-Po but I continued to listen in disbelief as he revealed from memory all the documentation included with the car. It had the selling dealers receipt of purchase, dealer warranty card (protect-o-plate) issued to the original owner, original Window Sticker, owners manual, both factory build sheets, dealers envelope, temporary registration, and several other precious scraps unique to the car. In addition, there were two journals that documented every gas fill-up, oil change, tune-up, and dealer service that included date, mileage, # gals., and total amount tendered, all since new. I just sat there in awe as he talked more about the condition and details. The car had no rust and was a nice, well preserved, original car with 127k miles, and could be driven home. He said he could buy the car for somewhere in the low 20’s and did I think it was a good buy. I jokingly said not really but that I’d be interested in it for that……..he laughed and we both agreed that it was a great deal just for being a K-code Fastback, let alone all the other priceless documents it came with. John called the guy the next day and consummated the deal. He drove it 90 miles home that weekend from Hemlock, MI and called me upon arrival letting me know that the car was even better than described and ran and drove great. Not bad for a vintage car that was last registered in 1991. At that point I threw out a bone and said I’d like to have the car and would he consider selling it. Nahhh, he said. This is way too cool. I’m going to hang on to this one. He did give me first right of refusal if he ever did decide to sell it. I thought a lot about the car over the next few months as he sent me some pictures to ease my separation anxiety for the car, that was so close yet so far away.
Christmas and New Years had passed and I was finally realizing that being 40 wasn’t so bad after all. Especially since my kids love reminding me that I’d crossed over into that chapter in life called ‘Middle age’. Life was good to say the least. I was coaching soccer, and my side line collector car business, ‘Union County Mustangs’, was quite successful for a part time hobby. It was around the first week of April, 2006 and I got another call, out of the blue, from my friend John. I recall the conversation like it was yesterday. “Hey Mark, do you still want that old Hi-Po fastback?? There’s a couple guys standing here with cash in hand and I gave you first right of refusal…..” I was speechless as I hadn’t spoken with him since last summer and certainly didn’t expect to hear that. He said that he had located a ’47 Ford Sportsman Woody convertible and had to liquidate a few cars as it was one of only a hand-full ever built and pricey. These guys came to look at some of his other cars and fell in love with the Mustang and had to have it. They were offering $10k over what he paid for it. I reluctantly said that I couldn’t afford to match that and would have to pass. He said “hold on, I’ve known you and your dad since the early 70’s. That’s what they’re offering, it’s not what I’ll take. Pay me $4 grand over what I paid and I’ll leave the rest on the table. Call it the family discount. But I need the money in two weeks.” I thought for a moment as this was still a lot of money, but a great deal on a phenomenal car. I had just sold two cars for a good profit and had a deposit on another, so I basically had the cash in hand myself. We struck a deal in a matter of minutes and I put a check in the mail the following Monday.
Now I have to figure out how to get it here since it would be a little far to fly in and drive it home. As luck would have it, my father had just purchased a ’34 Ford Roadster in a neighboring town from Kalamazoo, where John lived. He previewed the car for my Dad and interestingly enough said his find was a great deal and would take it if he didn’t. Dad bought the Street Rod and the seller agreed to deliver it to Charlotte. Spring Autofair was coming up and he wanted to come and try to buy something different. Upon hearing the news that I bought the Hi-Po from John, my dad got on the horn with his ’34 guy to see if he had room to bring down a second car from the area. The stars are continuing to align here as he didn’t have room but his best friend was tagging along and would be driving down separate with an empty trailer. All I had to do was pay his gas……my delivery was arranged with less than a week to spare. They made arrangements with John to pick up the Mustang on Wednesday night (John didn’t get my check until Thursday……). They arrived at their hotel near the Speedway Friday evening with both cars, safe and sound. It was dark and I couldn’t see a whole lot but I didn’t care. It was a dark blue (my favorite color) Fastback, a 4-spd. and best of all, a K-code. I mentally crossed #2 off my list as I backed it off the trailer and caravanned home with my Dad and his new ’34.
I stayed up half the night going over the car and cleaning it the best I could. After all, Autofair was the next day (actually only a few hours away as it was 3 a.m.) and I wanted my new purchase to look it’s best when I debuted it for the first time to the CRMC folks. After about 3-1/2 hrs. of restless sleep, I made my way back to the Speedway. I got there a little after 8am and was the last one to arrive and appropriately had to park all the way at the end…..bloodshot eyes and all. It took me a little while to get unpacked as lots of people were investigating and inquiring on my new arrival. I folded the back seat down and laid out all my paperwork on display for all to see. It filled up the majority of the back area. The old log books were a big hit, especially to those of driving age back in 1966. The first entry is dated May 1st, 1966. The mileage recorded was 371.5 and he purchased 13.6 gals for $5.15. What a deal………
In closing, I’ll reminisce about one last little statistic on my car. After that whirlwind weekend, I parked it back in the garage and covered it up. A couple weeks later, April 26th to be exact, I decided to pull out the binder of factory paperwork, read thru it, and actually study it a little. I was comparing the build sheet options with the associated prices on the window sticker and noticed the build date of 26D. Yes, it was April 26th, 1966. It was 40 years to the day that my car rolled off the Dearborn assembly line. Call it what you want but if that’s not fate, then I don’t know what is. I quietly got up, went out to the garage and uncovered the birthday boy. I cracked open a beer and proposed a silent toast, one 40 yr. old to another………Happy Trails.
Some times, things are just meant to be……..
Thanks for the memories CRMC and I hope there’s many more.