It’s not often you meet a long-term original owner of anything. According to reports, the average duration of homeownership for first-time buyers is 5 years. The average length of time someone holds on to their first car is 4.2 years. So, when I got to talk to Ray about his 50+ year-long car story, I was all-ears.
Ray, who’s in his 80s now, is still active and enjoying retirement with his wife Tam in Florida. His once dark hair is white and receding, but he maintains his sense of humor. Originally from Michigan, Ray spent his career working in Product Development for Ford after earning his master’s degree from the University of Michigan. The first thing he did after starting at Ford was order a new 1969 Mustang convertible. It arrived in British Racing Green paint with a 302 motor and manual 3-speed transmission.
Ford introduced a new style for Mustang in 1969. It now had four headlights instead of two and the running horse was moved to the driver side of the grille. Personally, l like the tougher look of the 1969 model. So did others – according to Mustang Specs a total of 300,000 were sold.
I asked Ray if his wife Tam was there when he bought the car. “Oh yes, we both agreed we wanted this car!” But then she couldn’t park her car in the garage because of the Mustang. “She’s a good sport,” said Ray, before admitting he frequently helped her scrape ice off her car during winter. I knew right then they must be soul mates.
Today, Ray’s Mustang sports a red exterior with a black vinyl top and black interior. It still has the original motor with only 48,000 miles on it. In the 1990’s, Ray noticed the Michigan cancer (rust) was starting to show signs of corrosion.
An auto restoration expert replaced fender liners, rocker panels and other metal, but used “no Bondo.” The interior and motor were removed and the whole car was repainted in red.
When Ray retired, he, Tam, and the Mustang moved to Florida. Ray also owns a 1997 Mazda Miata and both cars take up the garage space. Tam’s car sits in the Florida heat instead of the Michigan cold, but they enjoy driving the Miata with the top down. No ice to worry about now!
When questioned about how he kept the mileage so low, Ray responded, “You don’t get much mileage on it when it’s parked in the garage.” Sage advice!
Here’s how Ray compares the Miata to the Mustang in terms of features and performance. “Well, the Mustang has roll up windows and the original radio. It doesn’t have power brakes or steering. And no air conditioning. That’s why we only drive it on nice days and with the top down.” Because the Mustang wasn’t being driven regularly, in 2012 Ray had the gas tank replaced and fuel lines cleaned out.
Based on my car story interview with Ray, it seems as though the Mustang quickly went from a daily driver to a secondary car protected from the elements. Everyone in the family learned to drive a stick shift with it, and they took it out for special events, like when Ford had the 25th anniversary parade of the Mustang. He still enjoys taking it out for a drive and gets a lot of thumbs up from people.
We discussed the long-term ownership bond with his car. Ray couldn’t articulate any specific reason, but after getting to know him, my guess is he’s a very loyal and dedicated type of individual. His marriage to Tam must be in the range of 60 years in length. He worked at Ford for all his career. And I bet he stayed in his first home for more than 5 years! So, once he decided to hang on to that Mustang, it became a life-long commitment. That says a lot about a person, and I admire him for that.
My final question for Ray was this: If your car could talk, what do you think it would say about its five decades with you? “Probably complain about being kept in the garage so much.”
Ray’s Mustang is a beautiful, well-preserved classic. It’s stories like his that drove me to create DigMyCar.com. Its not just the car, it’s the story that people love to hear about.