I just like ASC/McLarens," is how Henry Huisman describes his affection for the two-seater Mustangs and Capris that were built from 1984-1990. He likes them so much that he purchased ASC's entire parts inventory, including much of the tooling, when the company disbanded the McLaren Mustang program after the '90 model year. Today, two metal buildings behind Huisman's home in north Tampa house his collection of McLaren cars and parts, which he sells to McLaren owners through his company, Paradise Automotive.
"I wanted to use ASC/McLaren in the company name," Huisman explains, "but McLaren didn't approve. Hopefully, Florida doesn't have a trademark on the word Paradise."
In the '70s, while living near Detroit, Huisman actually worked at American Sunroof Corporation (ASC), where he installed electric sunroofs in new Fords, including Lincolns, Thunderbirds, and Mustangs. It was through his old contacts at ASC that Huisman found himself loading tractor-trailers with McLaren parts for the trip south to his present home in central Florida. "I couldn't use them all myself," he says, "so I started selling them."
Huisman still has plenty of parts. With only 2,658 McLarens built-842 Capris and 1,806 Mustangs-demand isn't overwhelming. However, if you own an ASC/McLaren and need a part, Huisman likely has it stashed on his shelves. Roaming the tightly packed aisles of shelving, we spotted stripe kits in various colors, emblems, moldings, rubber seals, stacks of wheels (both the earlier mesh versions and the later directionals), bucket seats, leather upholstery, tonneau covers, consoles (unique to McLarens due to the two-seater configuration), hoods, and ground effects. He even has huge rolls of upholstery material, enough to keep McLaren owners rolling in fresh seat covers for decades.
Complete cars are stored in building two. Most are keepers, like the first production McLaren Mustang, with only 1,000 miles on the odometer, and the Coral Red Metallic, or what Henry calls "pink," '90 that was built for an ASC executive. There's also Henry's "Restoration Row" with cars that are restorable and "Death Row," which are basically parts cars. Two McLaren Mustangs, a gold '89 and a white '90, are used for Henry's everyday transportation.
Henry's link to McLaren is not restricted to the past. He is currently working with Peter Muscat, who originally created the ASC/McLaren Capris and Mustangs, to develop a retractable hardtop for the current Mustang. The first prototype has been completed and is currently undergoing product and production feasibility tests.
In the meantime, if you need parts, new or used, for a McLaren Mustang or Capri, just call Henry.