Aaron Kolar is a YO Club ...
Aaron Kolar is a YO Club Member
It's a fact that enthusiasm for vintage American musclecars is fading, mainly because there aren't enough young owners participating in the hobby. The next time you attend a Mustang show, look around, and you can count on your fingers the owners under 25. We need to change that so the "Fast and Furious" crowd won't continue to seduce away potential young vintage Mustang owners. We need to involve them in our latest projects, show them how an old-school engine works, and spend time with them at events.
Somewhere along the line, someone more than likely took a chance on you when you were young, and now it's your turn to take a chance on someone young and new to Mustangs. Aaron Kolar of Kent, Washington, had a few people take a chance on him, and now he's got this '67 hardtop as a result.
When Aaron was younger, his brother owned the '67 Mustang. "I remember riding in the car with him with the windows rolled down and the stereo blaring," Aaron recalls. But his brother didn't appreciate the Mustang and traded with his father for a more "reliable" form of transportation. So, for about ten years, the '67 was stored outdoors and subjected to the Northwest downpours--until Aaron turned 15. That's when he asked his father if he could have the Mustang. His father's reply was, "Only if you do the work yourself."
So Aaron got busy, polishing the chrome by hand, restoring the interior, and replacing the tired six-cylinder drivetrain with a rebuilt 302 four-barrel, a C4 automatic, and 3.00 open rear gears. R&J Customs applied the Jaguar Alpine Green basecoat/clearcoat paint scheme, adding gloss black over the top panels (like the '68 Trans Am Mustang hardtops) to provide Aaron's Mustang with a unique, classy appeal, enhanced by a 3-inch cowl hood and front chin spoiler. For five years, Aaron worked on the Mustang, fixing what needed fixing and upgrading parts as he went along. "My Mustang wouldn't be like any other on the road," he says of his vision.
The car is built to Aaron's liking, through and through. From the barbed-wire detailing in the paint to the 17-inch Center Line Galaxy wheels, the hardtop exudes youth and excitement.
The engine is not your everyday 302, as Aaron added a 292-degree duration Comp Cams' camshaft with roller rockers and a Holley Street Avenger carburetor. You know Aaron's approaching by the sound of the Hooker Competition headers, Dr. Gas X-pipe, and Hooker Aero Chamber mufflers.
R&J Customs also helped Aaron with the Ivy Gold interior, and to finish off his Mustang rebuild, Aaron added a Sony CD player with Pioneer speakers, JBL subwoofers, and a 760-watt Sony Explode amplifier. Because this 302 has a little kick to it, Aaron keeps an eye on the Auto Meter tachometer and triple gauges. Perhaps the greatest thing about Aaron's efforts, however, is that they aren't completely self-invested. "I have converted at least five of my friends into Mustang lovers since I have owned this car," Aaron states proudly.
Since completing his daily-driver Mustang, Aaron has been recognized at car shows in the Seattle area, including a First Place at the Mustangs Northwest Round-up in Bellevue, Washington, where we first spotted this '67 piece of art. Aaron has even been invited to display his car at the Rod and Custom Show at the Seattle Convention Center.
No doubt, Aaron Kolar is an inspiration to us all--young and old--in the Mustang hobby.