What's the story behind your car?

[Ford>Chevy]

Often times our cars represent a large portion of ourselves, especially being enthusiasts. They represent hours of hard work, meticulous precision when a goal is put forth, and endless determination to envision and create the final product. So in part, what's the story behind your car? Doesn't even have to be a full build. Could be anything from basic modifications to a full out build. I find the stories and motivations behind some car builds to be extremely interesting and would love to hear some stories from you all. I'll start off with my story........

My father was never really into cars, however his brother (my uncle) was highly into cars. He was great with his hands and at the time owned a 1970 Cranberry Red Chevelle SS, and a Cranberry Red Chevy Nova (unsure of year). He built both cars from the front to the back and everything in between. They were really beautiful cars, and my dad was fortunate enough to drive them for a period of time. However my uncle was forced to sell them as a result of family restructuring and military service. He was a member of the military during Vietnam and ended up selling his cars prior to deployment. After deployment he eventually got married and started a family. He never got back into the car scene ever again. I've talked to him time and time again and he wishes he could hop into another car to rekindle the past. He's inspired me to begin to start tearing into my own Mustang and make something unique to myself. Not necessarily something fast or 100% unique, but rather something that just represents "me." Time is of the essence though as he approaches his 70's, and I'm not sure where the build will take me, but I can 100% guarantee the first person who I'll take for a ride is my Uncle Don, because he inspired me to tear into it in the first place...........thanks for helping me uncover my love for cars Uncle Don.

 

[MG0h3]

What got me into fords and specifically mustangs was my older brother’s friend’s cars. He would pick us up for school when I was an 8th grader in an 82’ Gt. He later got an 85’ ttop GT. I remember beating brand new 93’ GTs on the freeway in that car.

I had several 5.0s that were high CP Na, SC, and finally a turbo car. Always wanted a Terminator though. Traded a ZX10R and cash for my car and super happy. I do miss the rice rocket but the Cobra is great.


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[Revvv]

I will just lay out a summarized history of what I have had, and why I have my Mustang.

I have been an auto enthusiast as long as I can remember. In highschool I started out with an 87 Silverado and built a 400 small block to have a little more fun. Right after that project I stumbled on two cars I wanted to get my hands on. One was a 64 1/2 Mustang, and the other a 71 Chevelle. I bought the Chevelle SS for $400.

I have raced and driven a lot of cars that I would love to own, or at least drive again. Track days, SCCA races, drag races, etc have allowed me to drive a Panoz AIV Roadster, multiple Vipers, an insane C4 Vette, a few Z3 and Z4 BMWs, and a long list of other toys that I didn't own (Sometimes it's good to be a driver).

Since then I have had a long list of vehicles, and most I would love to still have.

The 64 1/2 Mustang belonged to a friend of mine in high school. On my wedding day he tossed me the keys and said, "congratulations".

I no longer have that Mustang. It was being restored at my dad's shop when addiction took over and he sold the car, and many other things for a quick fix of painkillers.

My current Mustang, a 2002 GT convertible was purchased out of necessity more than want. I was already looking for a Mustang, and I knew what I wanted, but I was not in a hurry. I wanted a New Edge convertible GT. I wanted an 02 due to that being the one year a Cobra was not introduced to the US.

The engine in my daily driver, and personal work vehicle let go after 300,000 miles. I still have my Dodge Ram, and I will eventually find an engine to drop into it.

With a dead truck, and a need to be mobile immediately, I pulled the trigger on the 2002 GT convertible I own. I am the third owner, and I have every document, from every maintenance record.

I expected this car to be a weekend toy, but it has had to endure as my daily for the past two years. Sadly, the Mustang has cost me more work than it should have. I look back now and wish I had invested in another truck. It's hard to work in the entertainment industry, with live music, without a truck. I honestly expected to locate another engine and have it running in a few weeks time. Cash flow halted that plan. The truck still begs for an engine.

Mineral Grey was my color choice (every vehicle I have had has been grey for a long time).
Modifications are mild. Just an MGW shifter, an SCT X4 loaded with Bama tunes (junk, but came with the car),3.73 rear gears, Pypes o/r H pipe, and a pair of Flowmaster Super 10s welded in place of the factory mufflers.

At the moment I have a transmission that needs a bit of attention. I baby that car, and do everything possible to keep the gear box in one piece.

I am planning on a mild set of lowering springs, a full cat back exhaust, a CAI (just for looks), billet parts for the interior, and a staggered wheel combo. I may add to the Kenwood stereo system at some point and give the car a little more bass. There may also be a Steeda Street Spoiler in this car's future. At the moment this is my list of dreams. I'm focused on necessity over want.

Several of you know my story. You know that I'm caring for my wife's elderly grandparents, dealing with my alcohol and drug addicted parents, and helping out my oldest niece through college. All while raising my own two teenage girls.

I am glad I bought the Mustang. At the same time my truck died, the rest of my world fell apart. That little car became my personal therapy. I would set up a canopy and work for hours throughout the night polishing, waxing, and detailing. Dropping the top was refreshing. Therapy at its finest.

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[suicidekings]

My Dad always had cool cars. His first car was a 69 mach 1. He had a 69 Mach 428 super CJ. When I was young and hanging out with the wrong crowds he decided to enlist my help in building his car into a drag car. it was an 82 GT with 30k original miles. we spent many hours working on that car. When I was 17 I wanted to buy my own. I looked for about a year and a half but never saw anything I loved. My dads friend was going through a divorce and wanted to sell his car. My dad worked with this guy and he came to my dad and asked "what should I order, what options would you get?". So this car was exactly what my dad told him to order down to the color. I bought the car when I was 18 with 14k original miles (this was in 1999). It is the car you see below in my sig and in my build thread. I have always dreamed of modifying this car and building it to be perfect enough to land a magazine cover. I never had the money to do this so the car wasn't driven much. I went to college and kind of forgot about the car. a few years ago I had it shipped here to my house in AZ and decided to build it.... and boy did I! Check my build thread if you want to see it.

To me, this car is a part of my dads legacy and I am using all the skills he taught me to build it to perfection. Thats the story.

 

[GodStang]

My dad was a mechanic to pay for college before becoming an Engineer. So growing up my first car was a 73 VW Beetle vert that we got trading for a broken lawn mower. We restored it from ground up together so that I could have a car. Over the years as a teenager anything that broke on the car he would pay for parts but I had to fix the car myself (with his help of course). That got me into cars.

My current Cobra I bought in 2005 a month after getting married. The engine was sick. Over the years my father and I worked on it. I have no interest in driving it really, I just like building it with him. As soon as I finish a build I take it right back apart to do something different. Great father son bonding time.

 

[wckdvnm]

My terminator has always been my dream car since I was young. Got a model car back in 2003 when I was 9 from my now deceased mother. Kept the car and took care of it not even scratching it. She passed away in 2007 of leukemia and I had boxed all the things from my past up. One day when I was 17-18 I opened some of the boxes and found that model; it reminded me of my younger days when I never took someone I love for granted.

Fast forward to 2015 and I’d been searching and saving money to put as a down payment on a cobra and I researched the living crap out of the terminators and I found myself the black 04 I have today. The car had what is considered higher miles by most but it was such a clean car.

The car I envision when it is done is going to be unique, modernized interior, power, and reduced weight. I have a set goal and what I want the car to do. I don’t drag race, I autocross and circuit stuff as well as canyon runs. It’s a full suspension build, chassis, carbon fiber everywhere (but painted) for body panels. Most important of all is I’m going to do everything myself.

The car to me is the way it makes me feel when I drive it. It makes me remember being a kid and thinking of how the car should be. It will be there one day; I don’t make the money now to build the car how I want but I try and build it when I can. I’ve had people tell me I’m a dumb kid who shouldn’t have the car although I’ve fixed all the mechanical bits of my car that I’ve seen people didn’t even understand. Honestly I’d love to learn to do more but I’d never be able to get a job at a performance shop even if I can prove my knowledge. But I’ll finish it one day and I will never get rid of it.

 

[DaleM]

Car 1, Chrysler Pacifica we keep having kids, family live all over the usa, kid activities, wife shops too much for a small car.

Car 2 2017 BMW 650i I wanted a touring convertible to escape from reasons for car 1 and I love the long drive. Now back is killing me car 2 is making me consider a Lincoln Continental.

 

[Ohio Snake]

In my late teens and early twenties, I owned one camaro and an IROC Z. The IROC Z was a nice car at the time and kept it until I started noticing Mustang GT’s ( aero fox bodies) were just kicking my ass on the street and strip. Out went the Chevy in 1988 and never looked back (except a thought in 2008). I owned an ‘88 GT, a ‘90 GT, then a ‘99 Cobra.
I was impressed with that Cobra and started transforming it to look and run like a the ‘00 Cobra R ( but in black with silver highlights). That car was a show winner and still wonder where it is today.
in 2008, i was considering getting rid of the Cobra for a Corvette. I was actually working a deal while I was traveling on vacation, then the economy went to the shitter. My wife wanted me to wait until after the economic slaughter which was the smart thing to do. I was mad, but she was right. What really settled me down to wait was the thought of a new car without snakes on the fender kind of bothered me. I kept that Cobra until late 2011.
When the 2011 GT500 was out and caught my attention with the aluminum block and lower weight. I ordered a 2012 with the Recaro seats. I picked up the 2012 on trade for the ‘99 Cobra. What a difference between the cars.

When buying a car, one question I always ask myself is “Will this car impress me with design and performance in 5 years.” The answer was a yes. To this very day, the GT500 gets lots of head turns, is a blast to drive and is a definite crowd favorite. It gets driven about 3000 miles per year, only on nice days and still looks and feels brand new even though it is now 7 years old and paid for.
This year, Im in a great position financially...no debt except the mortgage and a lease. I’m replacing my daily driver (BMW) with and SUV ( looking hard at the X3 M40i).
I am watching the information on the 2019/20 GT500 and may include that in my stable.


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[IronSnake]

Dad was and is a car guy. Always has been. He owned a used car lot where he sold nothing but hotrods back in the day. At one point had the fastest car in the city i'm from, and still remains in the car world/business with a good name to this day. Ironically he's a chevy guy, but not in a "screw x brand way".

He started me off young, and I wanted a Fastback. So we restored a 67 fastback together when I was 12.. it got expensive and eventually I fell for foxbodies. Dad called a friend and found me a fixer upper 92 5.0 car. I learned to build my first motor, T5, interior, rear end, all of it in that car. Sold it, and proceeded to run through projects like underwear.

I've had about 83 cars since then (15 years ago). But in June of 2016 I bought a 2016 GT PP car brand new and enjoyed it for a few years. Modded it, enjoyed it, and kept it nice. But something about foxbodies started calling for me again in a nostalgic way. We decided to buy the house so I decided to sell the S550 for future endeavors. I made a deal with the lady that I would get a Fox since it could be paid for and just a project to tinker with when the S550 left.

The minute I picked up the coupe, all the conversations, hours, days, and moments spent with dad building a foxbody with him came back to me. I felt like that 14 year old kid in the shop learning for the first time and dreaming about my build. He would dream with me too, and so when I brought the fox to the house I made it a point to build the car we dreamed about together.

I'd say we did a pretty good job. It's never leaving.

 

[CV355]

When I turned 16, my father told me it was time to buy a car and handed me two ads from the local paper- one for a late 80's 305 Camaro and the other for a '90 2.3l Mustang. I said I wanted the V8, so he brought me to check out the Mustang instead. After draining my savings to buy the rust-bucket, I spent the next two years keeping it running and regretting not getting something that could actually achieve highway speeds.

When I turned 18 I was determined to get a Mustang GT, and it took 6 months to find the right one. After a few simple mods, I got addicted and spent the next 4 years making poor financial decisions to make an 8s car out of it. A few track weekends here and there kept the addiction alive. Before it was complete, it was basically sabotaged. I was in the middle of preparing to move to another state, so I had to sell the car at a substantial loss (~$60k spent, sold for $10k). I felt sick to my stomach for months. In retrospect, I should have just kept it. I sold it because the job I moved for did not come to fruition, and then got hired at a better place ONE DAY after the car sold. Well dang.

Fast forward 5 years, and my wife was probably getting real sick of hearing me reminisce about my last Mustang. I found an ad for a pristine '14 GT500 and jumped at it. 4 hours later it was in my driveway. My promise to myself (and my wife) was to keep the mods to a minimum to achieve what I wanted out of my last car but ruined in the process: Power, Driveability, Sound, Comfort.

Prior to getting the GT500, I had been looking at '69 Mach 1s for several years. I came pretty close to buying several before discovering major issues or having them sold out from underneath me. In September '17, I found an article on a '69 428 Cobra Jet and discovered that the car was actually for sale. After a few phone calls and about 6 weeks of planning, the car was in my driveway. Cars are generally a poor investment due to value degradation, but this one is a keeper.

 

[black92]

I got into cars because my dad used to do professional mud racing and monster truck racing when I was a kid and I thought I was going to take his place. We still have the mud racer (Showtime) and he still takes it out from time to time and my uncle drives it at local races.

 

[apex svt]

I got into cars because of my father like most you. He had mustangs and his friends had everything else. I’m talking pro street big block, small block, F3, nitrous cars. you name it they have it or had it.
Back when the 03 cobras came out my dad and I would go down to the ford lot and look at a triple black cobra that they had. He almost bought one a few years later but started hearing the rumors that a Shelby might come out, so he held out until 07 and bought one instead. I always wanted a terminator and it is still my favorite car.

Reason behind my build, I wanted a “sleeper” cobra (if that’s possible). Everything in my motor bay is stock appearing down to the the blue top injectors. It’s got a pulley, polished plenum, and a k&n filter on a stock tube. Those are the only notable items.

 

[Recon]

My father has always had some nice euro cars when I was younger. So I was the stereotypical child that only really liked European cars. I’ve seen gone in sixty seconds (Nicolas Cage one) many times but I believe I was round 9 or 10 that I really paid attention to the cars. Then I was hooked to classic cars. Got my 65 Impala SS for my first car and restored it. But no one ever told me you’re never done with a classic. There’s always going to be something to fix.
Then in 2012 or 2013 I worked on my future 07 GT Mustang. It was the first modern car that I thought I wouldn’t mind having that. The transition from European to classic cars made me feel like the modern stuff wasn’t nearly as beautiful as the classics, still have that mindset. But that 07 GT really appealed to me, as it looked like a classic but it was modern. After I graduated high school I bought my 08 Roush 427R and I got bit by the mod bug about two months after purchase. And began an attraction to modifying modern cars, or a real attraction to any brand’s performance cars.


Pick your poison.

 

[Coiled03]

I'll try to give you the condensed version of why I was in to cars before I sold them all.

My father was a hot rodder. Not a "buy something already fast and make a few tweaks" hot rodder, but a LEGIT hot-rodder. He built several completely custom hot rods, including several Fords, Pontiacs, etc. We never talked much about it when I was VERY young. But, he showed me pictures, and always helped me customize things that are important to a young boy, specifically my bike.

As I grew older, and he became more successful as a consulting engineer and engineering professor, he got into more cool stuff: he worked for Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a number of years, helping with time trial for the 500, doing some consulting for the track, etc. He also had a number of cars that were pretty cool to me as a younger boy; a Ferrari 348TS, several 911 Turbos including a stunning 1987, so on and so forth. He let me help him work on them, and take care of them, and even drive them sometimes, so I developed a love for cars because they were a conduit for spending time with my dad.

Fast forward to when I was old enough for my own car, and he helped me get my first Mustang, a black '88 GT. That got wrecked by a "friend", then I got a white '91 GT. Sold that to my step brother. A few years later, I got my Cobra. Sold my Cobra a couple years ago because **** divorce.

The End

 

[Revvv]

My terminator has always been my dream car since I was young. Got a model car back in 2003 when I was 9 from my now deceased mother. Kept the car and took care of it not even scratching it. She passed away in 2007 of leukemia and I had boxed all the things from my past up. One day when I was 17-18 I opened some of the boxes and found that model; it reminded me of my younger days when I never took someone I love for granted.

Fast forward to 2015 and I’d been searching and saving money to put as a down payment on a cobra and I researched the living crap out of the terminators and I found myself the black 04 I have today. The car had what is considered higher miles by most but it was such a clean car.

The car I envision when it is done is going to be unique, modernized interior, power, and reduced weight. I have a set goal and what I want the car to do. I don’t drag race, I autocross and circuit stuff as well as canyon runs. It’s a full suspension build, chassis, carbon fiber everywhere (but painted) for body panels. Most important of all is I’m going to do everything myself.

The car to me is the way it makes me feel when I drive it. It makes me remember being a kid and thinking of how the car should be. It will be there one day; I don’t make the money now to build the car how I want but I try and build it when I can. I’ve had people tell me I’m a dumb kid who shouldn’t have the car although I’ve fixed all the mechanical bits of my car that I’ve seen people didn’t even understand. Honestly I’d love to learn to do more but I’d never be able to get a job at a performance shop even if I can prove my knowledge. But I’ll finish it one day and I will never get rid of it.View attachment 1463774

I would keep that car for my lifetime. It is a goal attained, and it is a lifesize memory. Also, it is gorgeous.

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[Laffs]

My family always owned Mustangs, I tried to rebel and bought and LT1 F-body....that last 6 months before I, my wallet, and countless ruined dates begged forgiveness and I started buying Mustangs.

 

[Rare40th]

My Dad and Uncles are/were a bunch of gear heads when they were younger. Two of my Uncle's were diverse being huge fans of ford's and one heavy into Chevy's.

When I was about 8, My Uncle's tried swaying me into liking either Ford or Chevy and I just never became particular to one or the other.
The one Uncle ended up buying a 94 Cobra, which if I could find it, I would buy it in heart beat. I always dreamed of owning that car. He ended up talking my dad into buying the 04 GT I currently own. We spent a couple of years doing SVTOA events and such together. When my Uncle passed away in 2006, my Dad had a memorial done to the rear bumper of which I ended up having tattooed with a Cobra emblem onto my shoulder.
I have tried so many times to sell the car but always end up with cold feet.

And to this day My uncle who's into Chevy's I consider to be like a father figure and started working on a 36 Ford pickup then eventually a 70 Camaro similar to what he had as a teen.

As for my dad he's still somewhat into his cars, but its become more about older cars than the Mustang I own that he passed down. He currently owns a 1927 Star Car by Durant that he's been working on here and there. Him and I spend time on it when we can but since a car wreck we got into 4-5 months ago, the work has slowed down on it. It's gonna be a gorgeous car when it's done though

 

[josephcostello]

I never really cared for mustangs. I saw a lowered 01 gt on the internet one day and thought it looked really good for a 15yo mustang. I showed it to my dad and jokingly told him how cool it'd be for a first car (I was like 14). I remember specifically what he said: "if you like them that much do research and learn everything you can about them." And that's what I did, I realized there were many other models of the mustang in that year range besides the gt, like the Salerno and Mach 1s. My favorite was the cobra. Fast forward some time, I kind of forget about the 99-04s. I then saw a silver terminator convertible parked on a side street for sale. I couldn't get over how good the front end looked. I didn't even know what an 03 cobra was at the time, but we went for a test drive and the guy did a second gear pull. The whine and the wind going through my hair hooked me. I'll never forget it. After that I was obsessed. I had a MG terminator with 18 chrome replicas as my background for a long time, and I dreamed about the car. Before I turned 16 I got my MG 01 cobra. I'm 19 now and I still love the car like the day I first saw it. I literally never get tired looking at it and it will be something I will enjoy well into my adult years. I will eventually put a terminator motor/trans in it (sooner rather than later I hope) to complete my dream. That's the story behind mine.


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[murse]

Started out at 18 with the neighborhood friends liking cars. I had a 1975 Pontiac Lemans that the engine died. Rebuilt the 350 in the garage with friends (back when High school had Vocational programs (auto/wood/electrical) this was also 1987!! hahaha

Had that awhile, then became an "adult" Married/responsibilities blah blah blah. was out of it for awhile. Had a mazdaspeed 3 back in 08 (needed 4 doors since I had small kids) but wanted something fun. I did some mods to it, but they hadn't cracked the ECU then, so you were limited with what you could do. Knew someone who had a mazdaspeed and a terminator and that's when I knew I wanted a terminator.

Bought one and had it a for a few years, realized it wasn't a good daily driver (new rear tires every year, gas went up to $4 a gallon) sold it and regretted selling it, but needed something more practical (Divorced, so only car) Kids also hated that I sold it!!

Realized I need a daily to go along with a toy car. I was finally in a place to do both, so I ended up with a Honda Accord for the daily, and when I sold my terminator, I had met the guys father-in law and he was a car guy and had the 99 cobra with a vortech on it. I reached out to the guy I sold my car to, but he had already sold it, but the father-in-law was selling his. So i bought it and will never sell it My kids are now car guys too!! Sorry so long

 

[ur bittn]

The kids were grown, I was 45 so maybe a little midlife crisis. I was looking at the Mach 1 but when I saw what you got for 5k more I was sold.