It's convertible weather!
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Each year, as the weather begins to warm up and the days start getting longer, I find myself grappling with an overwhelming urge. An urge so powerful, that it consumes my thoughts and causes me to lapse into daydreams far too frequently. No, I'm not talking about yard work, it's convertible fever.
It all began back in early 1997. During the return-trip home (to freezing Pennsylvania) from a fun-filled vacation in Florida with my father, we made a gas stop in South Carolina. While there we picked up a local newspaper. We'd been casually looking for a clean southern car to bring back to PA and sell, but had no luck thus far. After browsing the classifieds, we found a good prospect, a 1991 Ford Mustang LX 5.0 with low miles. We called the seller and found out it was located just down the street.
After a test drive and some negotiating, we were on our way back to the frozen tundra of Western PA. I'd never driven a convertible before, but as the miles flew by with the top down, I was really enjoying it. When we arrived in PA, it was somewhere south of 30 degrees and the car was parked in the garage until we could clean it and put it up for sale. Over the next couple months, I felt myself become more and more attached to this car. It wasn't the fastest thing in the world with its infamous Ford AOD automatic, but it sounded great with its Flowmaster exhaust and H-pipe.
When spring was near, it was time to sell the car. We'd had a few nice days that gave me the opportunity to take the Mustang on some great drives in rural PA, which didn't make me any less attracted to this car. After holding out as long as possible, I couldn't stand to part with it, and decided to keep it. A fun-filled, top-down year passed, and I added a nice stereo and some other small custom touches to set it apart from the crowd. I also kept it spotless inside and out.
Shortly after, I got the bug to move to Florida, which was the Mustang's natural environment! No more parking it during the cold winter months! I still have fond memories of cruising up and down the Gulf beaches, the smell of steaks on the grill, the sound of the V8 and music playing, the warm night air. Man, I was on top of the world.
I wish I could say that the Mustang is still parked in the garage, but I eventually sold it in favor of a more "practical" mode of transportation. To date, it was probably the most fun I ever had with a car. That's saying a lot if you've checked out this site at all. Oh, by the way, writing this has not helped manage the urge. There has to be another convertible in my future... it is my destiny!
My old 1991 Mustang on the Gulf beaches.
posted by Tom T. @ 8:39 AM,
