At last year's Mustang Club of America national show in Mustang, Oklahoma, I learned to never trust my first glance-or even the second. While walking the show looking for potential car features, I noticed a pink '67 hardtop. Because we've seen so many Mustangs that have been painted pink by their owners, I moved on.
Later in the day, I passed the pink Mustang again and its hood was open for judging. Filling the engine compartment from shock tower to shock tower was a well-dressed, concours-correct 390 High Performance powerplant. It was then and there that I shook hands with Houston's Horace Collums, who was eager to tell me about his Playboy Pink '67 hardtop. It's a great story because, were it not for eBay, Horace never would have found this car in quiet Snohomish, Washington.
"It was April 2007," Horace said. "My son was surfing eBay for Mustangs when he spotted this one-a Playboy Pink '67 with a 390 big-block. I had to have it."
It was exactly what Horace wanted because it was so unusual. "The trip from Houston to Washington was a very long drive for us," Horace reflects. "When we rolled up in the driveway, there it was-a pink Mustang sitting on a dolly."
When Horace bought his Playboy...
When Horace bought his Playboy Pink, 390-powered '67 hardtop, it was little more than a painted shell. Here, Horace and his wife Pam pose with their new purchase as they trailer it home in May 2007.
We're not sure Horace was emotionally ready for what greeted him next. The seller, Mike Pineck, pointed to a two-car garage and advised Horace that everything in the garage went with the car. "There were more unopened, original Ford boxes than I have ever seen in my entire life," Horace adds. "I'm talking Ford sheetmetal, dash cluster, interior parts, trim pieces, and more." Horace not only found a special order pink Mustang for $8,700, but a treasure trove of new-old-stock Ford parts to make it complete.
Pineck, who once worked for the Wild West Mustang Ranch in nearby Monroe, saved this car as it was headed to the crusher. When he found hidden pink paint, he investigated further. On the warranty plate, he spotted the "S" engine code indicating the 390 High Performance big-block. Mike promptly grabbed this car along with its Washington title. Later, West Coast Restoration was enlisted to work and paint the body. Of course, Mike understood what he had. According to the coveted Marti Report, of the 472,209 Mustangs produced for 1967, only one was Playboy Pink with wire-style wheel covers. It's also one of four with a Parchment Interior Décor Group and one of 34 with special order paint and the Exterior Décor Group. The 390 likely makes it a one-of-one in Playboy Pink.
After investing $15,000 in paint and parts, Mike was unable to finish the car and put it up for sale, which is when Horace's son spotted it on eBay. It was easy for Horace to plunk down the money and haul this car home to Texas.
The pink hue on the Collums' hardtop reminds us of a strawberry milkshake from Sonic. Eyes quickly shift to the Parchment vinyl interior clad in brushed aluminum. Down the middle is a console with storage compartment, a cool option for '67. Mid-cluster is an electromechanical analog clock. Select-Aire factory air conditioning is a nice touch and not all that common because 44 years ago people just didn't order A/C because it was an expensive option that also adversely affected gas mileage and power.
HP Racing in Magnolia, Texas, did a magnificent job rebuilding Horace's 320-horse 390 and C6 Select-Shift transmission. In back is Ford's 9-inch rear end sporting 3.00:1 cogs and huge drum brakes.
Horace and his wife Pam have experienced a lot of good fortune showing the Mustang. The Yellow Rose show in Fort Worth and two MCA national shows that first year got their pumps primed for more. Everywhere they take the car, it draws a crowd. Naturally, enthusiasts are interested in the car's history. At Mustang, the Collums took home a Silver in the prestigious concours trailered class. When we last spoke, they were headed for MCA Gold status.
The '67 Mustang is admired for its simulated sidescoops, deep sculptured lines, and wider track. Ford offered a large V-8 in the Mustang for the first time in '67. It made great advertising copy but was something few buyers wanted because it didn't offer the economy of a six or small V-8. Horace Collums' hardtop represents the best Mustang had to offer for '67 with many of the desirable options. Icing on the cake is the Playboy Pink paint.