An American Dream – My Ford Mustang

Hi Folks, Bunmonsta here again.

Ever think you were born in the wrong place in the wrong time? It’s a bit of a weird thought isn’t it, if you think about it? I love my life, I’m happily married to Sue, I have two great kids, who I’m immensely proud of, and I have a nice home, car and bike. I have a secure job and a great future, so why do I have this thought that I should be somewhere else?

I’ve always loved things American. It started with music in my early teens, when I listened to bands like the Doobie Brothers. I can particularly remember hearing one song for the first time, China Grove, on my headphones late one night. The powerful opening chords were great and different from the music on the radio at the time. I wanted more, so I went out and bought the album.

Only having a weekend job at the time it took me a while to save up for the earlier albums, but I gradually got them one by one. I was also exposed to different bands by the record shop owner who also liked American music.

I’d always loved rock‘n’roll and loved seeing the old cars and motorcycles in the films of the day. I continued my interest in things American in the clothes I bought. Levi’s and denim shirts, American tee shirts and sweatshirts etc.

Over the Years I’ve Visited
and Travelled Extensively Through North America

I’ve visited different American cities, towns, places of outstanding beauty and landmark locations. I’ve always felt at home there. I’d always enjoyed driving there too, having covered thousands and thousands of miles on American roads.

American cars were attractive to me and from a young age I always wanted a Harley Davidson motorcycle, even though I hadn’t ridden one at the time. It was after watching countless biker movies, including Easy Rider and then Electra Glide in Blue, which tied in with my earlier years reading Zip Nolan comic books, that my desire for a Harley Davidson began.

I was always put off by people saying things like, "It’ll cost a fortune if it goes wrong," or "where are you going to get the parts for that, it’ll take ages." I always lusted after a classic American car too, having grown up on movies like American Graffiti, Bullitt, Vanishing Point.

My First Harley Davidson Motorcycle

Well, I did the Harley thing first, and just before the Big 4–0 (it was 38 actually) I tried out a Harley Davidson Softail Nostalgia. At the time I had a BMW K1 sports tourer and couldn’t have got on a more different sort of bike if I had tried.

I had to turn back after 10–minutes as one of the mirrors was undoing itself with the vibration. I was going to hand the bike back when the salesman explained how to ride it.

I went out again and did as instructed, and suddenly there I was ‘gliding.’ It was a great feeling and one that is hard to explain. I got home with a stupid grin on my face and Sue knew that a change of motorcycle was on the horizon.

I managed to sell the K1, and a Harley Davidson Softail Custom was soon in its place. The bike had been customised to make it look older, being lower and more retro.

I loved that Harley and the lifestyle that came with it, and soon became an Assistant Director and Secretary of my local Harley Davidson Chapter. My current Harley Davidson is a 2001 Heritage Softail Classic, which is the bike you see in my article about my ride to Fuengirola, Spain.

The Harley Davidson Gave me Much of my American Fix

However, I had begun to meet more and more people like me, who liked American products, and many owning American trucks as well as cars and bikes.

I asked around to try and confirm or dispel some of my worries about American car ownership by talking to people who sell American cars. You might say I eased myself gently into American car ownership when I bought a Chrysler PT Cruiser as a family car. I know what you’re thinking. That’s not a real American car, but it is, even though it was right hand drive.

In the summer of 2009 I represented Ride Drive at their exhibition stand at the Classic Corvette UK Owners Club rally, held at Huntingdon Racecourse in Cambridgeshire. A Ride Drive colleague, Russell Lewis, has also volunteered to work that weekend. This was great as Russell also has a Harley Davidson motorcycle and we rode up each day on our Harley’s. Well, it was an American car event after all.

The Show Brought Some Great Cars and Some Great People

We both enjoyed the weekend immensely and met some great people. The trouble was, it got my juices going again, seeing all the Corvettes and other American cars.

At the show I met Tony Cohen from American Car Imports, who as it happens, also rides a Harley Davidson. He was displaying one of the new Camaro’s. His business is based at Wood Green in North London and I found him to be a great source of information.

I also spoke to the owners of American cars that weekend, asking questions about insurance and parts suppliers. American car ownership didn’t seem as difficult as I thought it would be, and possibly no more than owning a TVR or other sports car with an owners club for back up.

I Received a Payout from a Motorcycle Crash

As a consequence of a road collision I had on a motorcycle in 2007, it was around the same time as the Corvette meeting that I got a call from a solicitor acting on my behalf, saying the case been settled and a payout was due to me. An ideal time to change my car, I thought.

I did the usual things, looking at normal cars at my local Audi dealership, then a couple of car supermarkets and more dealerships. Nothing really grabbed my eye

However, I mentioned to Sue that I’d loved the American cars and that I’d seen the car of my dreams at the Corvette weekend – the new ‘Bullitt’ Mustang. It was actually her suggestion that we go and see Tony Cohen, who I had met at the show, as he was nearby and to see what he had to offer.

As we pulled up outside Tony's unit the first thing I saw an orange Dodge Challenger SRT with the Hemi engine parked outside. We had a look at a couple of trucks, SUV’s and then I sat in a new 2010 Mustang. There would be a Harley Davidson truck coming in soon, and that was of interest. Tony did put my mind at rest concerning my initial worries about American car ownership as well.

The Hunt Was Now on in Earnest, but for What?

Arriving home the Queen of the internet started searching the World Wide Web for more information and cars. We were both surprised by the numbers available and the range of prices being asked.

When I measured up the available space for the truck I realised this wasn’t really going to be feasible. Checking around on the Internet for a while I found a car that interested me, being auctioned on Ebay. It was a V6 Ford Mustang in a dark grey with silver stripes and advertised with a Buy Now price at the lower end of my budgeted price range. It didn’t sell as it hadn’t met the reserve price, but I contacted the owner, who was most helpful, and improved my knowledge of the marque.

More research followed and more cars offered by dealers looked at. On the Internet I’d seen a Saleen Mustang conversion for sale at Newport Imports, based in Aylesford in Kent, and decided to take a look the following weekend.

Always Phone Before You go to Look at a Car – to See if it is Still There!

I should’ve called first, in hindsight, as the car had been sold that morning before we got there and we’d just missed it going out. I’d like to have at least seen it for a comparison with a normal Mustang.

They did have a couple of other Ford Mustangs; a V6 decked out the same as one in the film Deathwish and a couple of V8’s, including a Roush, which is another specialist aftermarket supplier. The Roush Mustang was outside my price range and I had decided the V6 definitely wasn’t me.

Disappointed we decided to hit the road and head for home, but as we were out and about, I suggested looking at one more place I had seen on the web. American Carriage in Barnes, London.

As I pulled up outside I could see there was selection of American cars, SUV’s and Vans. However, at the back I spotted a dark coloured Mustang and walked round to take a look.

I’d Definitely Fallen for the Ford Mustang

Next to the Mustang there was a sexy new Camaro, but actually I was transfixed by the ‘Stang.’ It was marked up at just above my maximum price, but I thought it was worth an enquiry anyway.

Sue and I got talking to Dominic, who runs the company with his father, Stephen, who used to race American cars back in his younger days. Dominic proved to be very knowledgeable and put me straight on quite a few points concerning buying an American car.

Quickly summed up, buy the best of the range you can afford. Make sure it has as many toys as possible, and if it’s a Mustang, it’s gotta be black, black or black. If not black, then as near to black as you can, followed by silver, red then white.

I’d Got the Car, so What About the Insurance?

Well, the deal was done, and all my hard searching had come to an end. Now I had to think about how I was going to get insurance cover on the thing.

I had been put in touch with a specialist at MCE Insurance who got me a fantastic price that was under £500. After some of the quotes I’d had this was certainly a relief. The highest price I was quoted was £7,700 on the Comparethemarket.com website, and even Adrian Flux were around the £1300 mark.

Things were all coming together, and with my daughter, Rosie, I picked the car up on the following Saturday. Right now I was taking delivery of the most expensive thing I’d bought since my house.

British Traffic Calming Measures Aren’t Made for American Cars

We pulled away from American Carriage and drove towards town. As I approached Hammersmith Bridge I came to the 7ft width restriction. Even though I’d slowed right down the wheels on both sides bumped up the low kerb. I couldn’t go back, as there were a line of vehicles behind me, so I cautiously drove forward with my heart in mouth.

I thought there would be some scrape marks on the side, but I seemed to get through OK. I actually felt sick until I could get out and check the car was alright. Luckily, there was no damage, but this was another lesson about American car ownership I had learnt.

From then on, Ford Mustang ownership has been a great experience. I did have to take the car back to American Carriage due to the drainage channels becoming blocked by leaves, which resulted in the floor becoming flooded. However, this was fixed, together with a couple of other small jobs on the car. I have to say, American Carriage have been as good as their word since day one for looking after their customers.

Another American Dream had Been Realised

So, I’m the happy owner of another American dream and I’m really getting used to having the steering wheel on the left. It’s almost as a matter of instinct. I now have a true performance machine with a killer stereo on which I listen to all my favourite American music and it’s just great.

What I like about the spec of this Mustang is that it is understated. Not the "look at me" type car with hood scoops or racing stripes. Even so, it gets a lot of admiring glances and thumbs up from people I pass on the streets.

Miles per gallon is an issue, as you might expect from something like this, but on a recent trip back from Cardiff on the M4, I managed to average around 27mpg. Mind you, the engine is just about ticking over at 2000rpm at motorway speeds. It does use a lot more if you drive it hard, but I have the performance there if I need to use it.

First major service? 100,000 miles, and just an oil change with minor other stuff annually, and tyres of course. However, I don’t plan to do too many miles. Having said that, I’m finding it hard not to take it out for no good reason. I’ve also joined the Mustang Owners Club, as recommended, that provide lots of information about Ford Mustang ownership.

Looking Forward to Going to the United States in 2010
and This Time Driving Something American!

For our 2010 family summer holiday we're off to the States where I'm hoping to drive something American this time, and not a Toyota people carrier, like I was given by the hire company on my last visit.

So, do I still wish I was born in the States so I could have lived the dream throughout my life? Well, the answer is, I’m not so sure.

Life can always seems greener on the other side, but when you get there you often realise it was actually better where you were. Perhaps that’s why I love it so much, as being able to live out some of my dream gives me the best of both worlds. I think I appreciate them because they are special when you eventually get them.

Nothing prepared me for my visit to the Route 66 Diner in Williams – on Route 66 of course. It was so perfect, with the smells, the food, the music and the people. It was like a dream I’d had, yet we’d already been in the states for a couple of weeks when we got there.

If I’d grown up in the United States none of it would have been out of the ordinary would it? I’d have probably grown up riding American bikes and driving American cars, and lusting after a European car or bike instead.

My Ford Mustang Specification

2007 Ford Mustang GT Premium, 4,600cc V8 engine producing 300bhp and 320ft⁄lb torque. 5–speed automatic gearbox. The Ford Mustang Premium comes with the top of the range Shaker 500 sound system, incorporating CD multichanger, satellite navigation, radio etc. Electric seats, mirrors, full air conditioning, traction control, disc brakes all round and uprated suspension. Fuel consumption is quoted at 17 – 25–miles per US liquid gallon (1 x UK gallon = 1.20094 US liquid gallons). The car has been awarded 5–stars for safety test results.

Thanks for visiting and I’ll see you again soon.

First Published February 2010

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Thursday, 27-Jan-2011

My American Dream – The Ford Mustang