In the April '12 edition of my column, "Tuned Up," I threw out the challenge to Modified Mustangs & Fords readers to submit their very best shots of their rides as part of a photo contest. After much deliberation, I am happy to announce that Ron Scholz of Solana Beach, California, is the winner. Using a Canon Rebel EOS with a Canon EFS 18-55mm lens to nab the shots, Ron also did a great job of detailing the car's history and you can read all about it below, as well as see some additional photos of his immaculate ride. Congratulations Ron on your photo contest victory.
"Our Mustang, which was purchase new by my father from Tucson's Holmes Tuttle Ford, was a Sauterne Gold 1966 GT fastback with pony interior. Well equipped from the factory with power steering, air conditioning and Rally Pac, it was perfect for a weekend roadtrip and as an SCCA rally car. During the week, it filled the role of the family daily commuter car.
In 1978 after 100,000 miles, many SCCA rallies, and 12 years of Arizona sun, it was time for new paint and a new engine. Our Mustang went from a very sunbaked, faded Sauterne Gold to a glossy '70 Boss Competition Yellow with black stripes. In addition, a larger 302ci engine was installed with a number of performance parts typical for 1978.
In the early 90's, both my mother and father passed away due to cancer and a stroke. I became the sole custodian of the Mustang. It continued to sit in storage until 2005. It was then, after years of pressure from my High School buddies who all remembered the yellow and black Mustang, that I was convinced to get the Mustang back on the road. This time the entire drive train and interior was replaced. The 34-year-old Competition Yellow paint remains and is still on the car today.
The engine has gone even bigger; now a Dart 351 Windsor-style block stroked to 427 cubic inches with a street performance cam from Comp Cams and a street-friendly compression ratio. The original Top-Loader 4-speed has been replaced with a 5-speed overdrive unit, and the rearend was upgraded to a Currie Ford 9-inch equipped with 3.25 gears. The original 289, Top-Loader and rearend have been saved for future projects.
Since our Mustang was meant to be a road car, I make it a point to drive the Mustang to every event we attend. Today, it is not uncommon for the Mustang to log over a 1,000 milesduring weekend trips across state lines. With the Mustang back on the road, our family is once again meeting new friends, seeing new towns, and making new memories with the family Mustang."--Ron Scholz