Are you ever going to grow up? This has been one of wife's favorite questions to me in the last two to three years. My answer to her question was an astounding, No! At least I never want to give up what really makes me happy these days. Unfortunately, my love for cars and particularly the Ford Mustang has brought on this question from my loved one. My happiness has come at a pretty large monetary cost, which I will share with you in this story.
I'm not a young guy anymore. My Mustang story starts way back in 1973 when I bought my first car, a 1966 V6 Mustang. Later on, I added a couple of more Mustangs to my collection, a 1967 and a 1968. I don't recall the dates when I sold those two pony cars but I will tell you that it was a long, long, time ago. After owning several vehicles I somehow wandered away from Mustangs.
In 2001, I moved to Hickory NC when a few years later I saw a little V6 Mustang convertible sitting on a Chevrolet dealership lot. My wife was excited since she had always wanted a convertible. I was excited because I had always loved Mustangs and saw this as an opportunity to purchase another one. This, my friends, is when the madness and my obsession to modify my vehicles began. I had to have different wheels, I changed from a black top to a white top. To complicate the "mod bug" further, I had to have a V8 engine. Like many of you, I wanted more power! I started a trek of buying new cars and each time it was more power, more creature comforts, and more money spent on unnecessary modifications.
To give you a little bit of history I sold that 99 Mustang V6 convertible for a 2001 SVT Cobra (that is when the Cobra addiction began), then I sold my 2001 Cobra for a 2004 SVT Cobra, then the 2004 for a 2008 Shelby GT500, which was then sold to buy a 2011 5.0 GT which was traded in for a 2012 Boss 302. Through my addiction, I became a member to a couple of Mustang clubs, one being the SVT Cobra Mustang Club.
Rotating different cars in and out every year or so seemed to amuse as well as confuse both my friends and family. I changed cars so often that it was like an open door policy. I literally spent thousands of dollars every year getting them prepped for shows and events. I would even buy several different wheel combinations and exhaust setups, many of which were used for the same car. I could never be happy or satisfied with one set of wheels or exhaust. Of course, unless you are car guy, most people don’t understand why we change a perfectly good vehicle's looks or power level. The funds spent for more modifications cost as little as $20.00 but as much as $3500.00 for an upgraded supercharger. As you can see I was addicted, but this addiction has made me happy. I assume, you the reader, could understand my craziness? We love our cars, we want them to be unique, and we want them to be powerful. We don’t even want dirt or rain to get on the car. Okay, so I must admit, if not for the Ford Mustang I may have gone crazy within the last 12 years. I just can’t get into stamp collecting or woodworking.
In my 57th year on earth, I have been challenging myself with what I want to do before it is too late. I guess you can call it my "bucket list." So here goes…a trip to Europe in 2011; check. Buy a house that I had dreamed of with a pool and a pool table, check! Marry a wonderful woman, raise great kids, and have grandkids, check! Owning an English bulldog, check! Those are some of the many examples of why I am such a fortunate individual. In my years, I have accumulated many “possessions" including my cars. You will read later, that “having stuff” is not the most important part of my story. Simple to some, but not so simple to others is my next goal; which is to have a track day with my beloved Competition Orange Boss 302. I don't expect to be the best driver and I don't expect to be the fastest either; however, what I do expect is a day of laid back fun and another opportunity to make new relationships. I'll be going to the SVT Superfest to try my Boss out on the track.
I am not going to bore you with stats and knowledge about my newest love because I am not a tech guy. However, I am going to talk to you about how it feels to own a Boss Mustang. I will make a feeble attempt to somehow get you, the reader, to understand why I drive a Mustang and not a sedan. Driving my Boss 302 is what makes me happy even if I do not drive it daily.
Where to start.....the feeling of sitting behind the wheel, the anticipation of turning the key to hear that 5.0 roar, the idle of the exhaust, and the power that most people will never get to experience. This car is special and when you drive it you become special, too because you become one with the car. Your thoughts and feelings are reinforced by the stares, the thumbs ups, the positive comments at the gas station, and the teenagers at the drive-thru window at McDonalds. To me, the most important feeling of satisfaction is made when I hear the positive comments from other car guys and fellow Mustang owners. I enjoy making friends at car shows, cruise-ins and cruises. I have to ask, is it possible to rub a hole in a Mustang from cleaning and polishing constantly for hundreds of hours? I don't think so I have tried unsuccessfully for many years.
Finally, I consider all car guys as friends, no matter what they drive. Because of my love for the Ford Mustang, I now have friends that I would have never been privileged to know. Now you know it’s all about starting relationships with the kid who owns the V6 Mustang to the old guys like me driving the Shelbys and Boss’s.
Thank you friends,
Robbie Kiser
