Careful restoration took about nine months, with most of the grunt work shared by Herb and his good friend and mechanical mentor, Steve Ball. Although the overwhelming majority of its bits are original, the fastback had sat for the intervening decades in a three-sided shed with its nose exposed to the elements, so it required an N.O.S. hood before being handed over to Delmont Fleet Services in Lancaster, Ohio, for refinishing.
When all was said and done, Herb's low-mileage masterpiece was invited to participate in Ford's 100th Anniversary Celebration in Dearborn last summer, a fitting recognition for a well-preserved piece of automotive art. And with its free-revving 289 Hi-Po crowned by a pair of Carter AFBs, this is the sort of art that can really move you.