Mach 1 Club

The wife and I took a ride in "Old Boots" last night around 8pm...a nice cool fall night in Cocoa Beach. We stopped at Books-a-Million and on the way out saw a ratty old Civic with chicken-wired ground effects, cracked fiberglas and fart-can exhaust parked next to the Mach 1. A 20-something kid with black guy-liner, skinny jeans and shrapnel in his face walks up to us and asks "Is that your old car?".
I was expecting the full-on "my 10-second V-tec will eat thst old junker for breakfast" or some such crap.
I was totally wrong: He could not have any more polite and respectful. He asked a lot of questions about the Mustang, looked it over real good and seemed to genuinely appreciate everything that was different about it from his car.
He said "Now this is a REAL car, when they used to make 'em right!"

I asked about his car, and he said his grandfather gave it to him about a year ago or so in parts and pieces. It is his first car, and it took him and grand dad about 6 months to get it running.
He said his granddad gave it to his father about 15 yrsrs ago, and his father put all the ricer crap on it. Then his dad toasted the engine and gave it back, and there it sat.
So, he says he and grand dad are slowly getting all the "rice" trim off as he can afford to, and when he gets the body back to stock, his granddad and him are going to paint it.
""I just think any old car looks better when it looks original" he said.

We chatted for a couple minutes, and I could sense a real feeling of pride and accomplishment in him. "It doesn't run perfect, but one day it will!" he told me.

The wife and I said our goodbyes and drove off, and I had a little smile on my face the rest of the night.

The world needs more positive-minded young people like him.

Nice story...moral of the story do not judge a car by its driver or is it book by its cover. Thanks for sharing,

I sure wish they all would act like that, as most usually it goes the other way. Like Steven said sounds like Gramps is doing a good job. Amen. JTS 71 Mach1

definitely sounds like a one in a million rice owner ... they are notorious here in virginia !!! always weaving in and out of traffic acting like theyr on fast n furious 24-7 .... it annoys me a lot cause im always afraid im gona get clipped and have to wup some ....but .... however i give it back to them when they try to mess with the Mach cause they assume its just another regular mustang base model gt ... ya their faces .... PRICELESS !!!! but there are some that are actually safe, polite, and interested in both sides of the auto community ...(import and domestic) and are interested in sharing info and what shops are good and what shops arent so good ... it makes a good balance ....


i do have a good story about a 06 subaru impreza that thought he could blow the doors of every mustang at the car meet and a buddie of mine challenged him... my buddie has a 2012 Shelby GT500 with an upgraded supercharger and alot of other mods and has over 800 HP to the wheels ... but he didnt let the subaru guy know that ....lol so they go down the way where the racing area is staged and literally embarrassed the hell outa this guy so bad .. he didnt even shift past 3rd and the subaru was over 10 cars behind when he let off the throttle to let him catch up and then floored it once he was next to him and made him look like a honda vs a Ferrari LMFAO was the funniest ricer defeat ive seen in a few years !!! Gotta love them shelbys

But you do need to give them some slack, remember back when you thought your 63 Studebaker (flathead 6 with three on the tree ) was the baddest on the street, and that's all you could afford. At least they are into cars, an someday maybe drive a 17 Mach1 because they remember being in your shoes now.
Step up and be that Gram pa, the world needs more.

IT IS REALLY HARD FOR ME NOT TO JUDGE. ESPECIALLY THE PANTS ON THE GROUND AND HOLES IN THEIR EAR LOBES BIG ENOUGH TO PUT A FIST THROUGH. THANKYOU FOR SHARING AND OPENING MY EYES TO THE FACT OF TRYING HARDER NOT TO JUDGE AT FIRST SITE. ALSO I HAVE TO ADMIT MY 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER HAS DRIVEN THE WHEELS OFF OF MY 65 THIS SUMMER AND SHE SAYS SHE GETS ALOT OF THUMBS UP EVEN FROM THE RICERS.