What's the difference between government bonds and men? For the answer, keep reading.
"I was looking for a nice car to give my wife for Christmas, something she could drive," Dan Goldhardt began.
We were staring at the result of Dan's search, a '70 Mustang convertible. "Calypso Coral with white is a knock-out," Dan commented. Under the hood is a coveted 300-horse 351 Cleveland four-barrel backed up by an automatic.
"A '70 convertible is real hard to find. I'm not one who spouts numbers off the top of my head. But if you have access to Kevin Marti's Mustang By the Numbers book, he gives production figures for the '70 convertible, and they are very low."
Goldhardt was right. Just 379 convertibles with the 4V 351 Cleveland/automatic combination were built in 1970. You can add 32 with the three-speed manual, which is odd, plus another 171 with the four-speed manual. Rarity proved a side issue. The '70 convertible fit Dan's idea of a "nice car to give my wife for Christmas, something she could drive."
Dan's stable is full of muscle Mustangs and Fords, including a '65 R-model clone, a Contemporary 427 Cobra, a '6411/42 Hi-Po coupe, a '69 CJ Torino, and several Mach 1s, so one has to wonder why he went after the convertible.
According to Dan, the trouble with his other cars is, "They're either too nice or too fast." He wanted a classic Mustang Barbara could drive every day. The '70 convertible was perfect. It has original paint and upholstery, and the body is rust-free, as the car came from the West Coast. Mileage is right around 75,000.
Dan couldn't resist the urge to "pretty up" the convertible a little. He added Mach 1 exhausts with the cut-out valance at the back. The engine features a 428 CJ chrome air cleaner and Boss 302 valve covers, which fit the Cleveland. Dan also added the chrome Styled Steel rims, a '70 option.
"I prettied it up just enough to make a real nice Christmas present for her."
Does Dan drive the car much?
"Oh, yeah, I drive it more than she does, actually. But when she knows it's going to be a nice day, she puts the top down and off she goes."
Then Dan confessed, "Basically, that only works one time in your life-you want a car, so you buy it for your wife for Christmas. They'll only fall for that once."
The difference between government bonds and men?