Oddball Boss
We pictured the rare cloth-seat inserts from Tony Thompson's '70 Boss 302 in the February '03 issue, so Tony sent us a photo of the rest of the car for Readers' Album. When he purchased the Boss from Ohio's Rick Parker, Tony knew the car was an oddball, with the unusual seats and lack of options--it had no Magnum wheels, Shaker, slats, or rear spoiler. Since the purchase, Tony, from Proctorville, Ohio, has repainted it in the correct shade of white, reconditioned the seat inserts, and detailed the engine and trunk.
Mexican Cobra
For Fernando Mangino from Toluca, Estado de Mexico, the wait was worth it. Because Ford of Mexico carries only Mustang GT coupes, Fernando had to go through his local Blue Oval Certified dealer, Gimsa Automotriz, to "pull some strings" to order an '02 Cobra convertible. But when SVT skipped 2002, Fernando ended up waiting for the '03 supercharged version. "I was very happy with the news," Fernando says. "The process was so complicated and time consuming that Ford of Mexico advised me that it is the only '03 Cobra sold new in Mexico."
Does your ride have the right stuff for Readers' Album? Send photos with information about your car to: Readers' Album, Mustang Monthly, 9036 Brittany Way, Tampa, FL 33619.
Basketcase to Beauty
Bill Jones makes no bones about the condition of his '65 convertible when he bought it in 1997. "It was a complete basketcase," he says. "I loaded the chassis on a trailer and put the boxes of parts in the back of my truck. You should have seen the look on my wife's face when I backed it into the driveway!" Over the next seven months, Bill transformed the Mustang from basketcase to beauty, doing all the work himself. The only thing farmed out was the machine work on the 289 two-barrel engine. "I love it when people ask me where I had it restored," says the Delavan, Wisconsin, resident. "That's when I proudly tell them I did it all myself, right down to the paint."
Yellow Mach of Texas
Steve Stidham, of Wolfe City, Texas, is the proud owner of this mostly all-original '70 Mach 1 with the unusual Bright Yellow exterior and Ginger interior. Equipped from the factory with the Shaker-scooped 351 Cleveland four-barrel engine, the Mach shows only 73,000 miles and features air conditioning, power steering and brakes, Convenience Group, and fold-down rear seat. "The car is all original except for BFG radials, AM/FM/cassette stereo, and MSD ignition," Steve says. "The original space-saver spare is still in the trunk and has never been on the ground!"
High School Sweetheart
Lori Hill has owned this '68 convertible since high school. When she married Ryan Hill, the couple sent the red ragtop to Mike and Kevin at Superior Auto Body in Gadsden, Alabama, for a complete exterior restoration. The result is a red-on-red sweetheart with polished Torq-Thrust wheels and a J-code (four-barrel) 302. "I did the interior and engine restoration myself," Ryan says. "It's almost finished now... or is it ever finished?"