There is some sage old advice that warns against trying to hurry great art, reasoning that it takes whatever time it takes. That notion certainly applies to building custom cars. While they may be functional, they are rarely depended upon for daily transportation, so the plan to build a dream vehicle often gets sidetracked by other more demanding priorities. Donald Keyes from Deltona, Florida, certainly understands the concept, watching the re-creation of his 1966 Mustang hardtop slowly take shape over a period of almost two-and-a-half decades. His automotive odyssey began when the car first became a member of the family back in 1991.
Donald and his wife, Alicia, were riding bikes through the neighborhood and spotted a plain-Jane Mustang equipped with a six-cylinder engine and three-speed manual. It was in poor shape with lots of sheet metal issues and a ragged interior, but there was potential hiding in the rubble. When the original $1,500 asking price was bargained down to $1,250, the car came home. Since Donald had limited body and mechanical experience—he describes himself as “more of a helper”—his wife’s cousin (Jon Olsen in Sarasota, Florida) was tasked with the first phase of bringing the car back to life. Olsen owned his own shop and had built many cars in the past, and he was the right man for the job. The task was comprehensive, however, since the Mustang needed new floors, a driverside quarter-panel, a new lower firewall, and a cowl. Olsen agreed to work on the car on a part-time basis as Donald could afford it, but with a 3-year-old in the family disposable income was scarce, and work moved at a snail’s pace.
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Denne historien er fra Noovember 2019-utgaven av Mustang Monthly.
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LAST OF THE MOHICANS
Steve Seuss’ 1971 Mustang Mach 1 429 Cobra Jet
FLYING HIGH
With P-51 Mustang heritage and G.T. 350 performance, this restomod is the perfect blend of 1960s nostalgia and new-millennium modern
Trailer Find!
Barn-find Mustang fastback purchase interrupted by thieves results in a handshake deal
WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF
Mustang DReam Giveaway features rare 1969 MAch1
CANADIAN K-CODE
Less than 1 percent of Mustangs had the coveted K-code engine and combined with its Canadian order, the Farynuks’ Mustang is one rare horse
End Of The Road
This 1971 Mustang SportsRoof equipped with the Cobra Jet 429 shows that the big-block era went out with a bang.
24 Years In The Making
An automotive odyssey that spans more than two decades
The Savelle Ford “135” Cobra Jet
We had two Ferraris here at Savelle. I took one out one day, and they were just slow compared to that Cobra Jet.”
Shelby Surprise! Grabber Orange G.T. 500
Vern Holden didn’t panic when his G.T. 500 wasn’t delivered as expected.
Flat Vs. Roller
When It’s Time To Select A Camshaft, Which Type Is Better For You?