RR of the Day: Billy the Kid's '67 Mustang
Nearly all of us can remember when we first got bit by the auto bug while working on the family truckster with our pops. While my father and I spent some time together replacing the head gasket on a Pontiac 6000, Flickr member Billy the Kid spent what must have been three glorious months in 1996 with his father restoring this 1967 Ford Mustang back to life. It features the inline-six and drum brakes, which BTK claims kept him out of trouble in high school, and when purchased had only 77,000 miles on the odomoter. The project was completed in time for BTK's 16th birthday (what a present!), but not before replacing a few major body panels, frame members, suspension pieces and floor pans so the 'Stang could be granted a bill of rust-free health. BTK claims this was the car for him, the one that turned his blood into gasoline, the one that made certain he would forever change his own oil, and the one showed him how much a cool car could improve one's standing with the ladies. It's been ten years since the car was completed and it was long ago sold to another 16 year old whose father had just passed away at the time, which certainly makes it a poignant vehicle purchase. If only we were all so lucky to wrench a car like this back to life with our fathers.
You can check out more photos of BTK's Mustang after the jump, but you should really visit his Flickr set where there's a gallery of the entire buildup.
If you'd like to see your own ride featured here, simply upload photos of your ride into our Flickr group. We select one image to highlight each week day, and on the weekend let you vote for the RR of the Week. Detailed instructions can be found after the jump.
How to submit to RR of the Day:
Create a Flickr account if you don't already have one. Search for and join the group called 'Autoblog RR of the Day'. Upload up to three photos of your ride to your own account at a size no larger than 450 pixels wide if possible and include as much information about it and yourself as possible. Even if your ride is sweet, it will not be chosen if there's not a lot of info accompanying it. Click on each photo and just above the picture it will say "Send to group". Click that and select the Autoblog group. You're done, that's it!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Seabass 3:16PM (10/12/2006)
This man will win the RR of the year award.
As a side note, as I glanced over the article, I felt weird seeing BTK over and over again. I didn't think this was the Kansas murderer's car...
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cowboy bob 3:34PM (10/12/2006)
THIS is what it should be all about. Not some snotbag with bluejeans around his knees, baseball cap on sideways, hip-hop bass thundering from a Honda Civic with an ashtray for a muffler. Bless this boy!
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Spaceweasel 3:53PM (10/12/2006)
Wonderful car, touching story...but does it still oount as his ride if he doesn't own the car any more?
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Fletcher 4:30PM (10/12/2006)
We're currently restoring a `68 convertible, so I can really appreciate the work that went into this. That said, I don't think it qualifies as a reader ride if he no longer has it.
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Erik 4:40PM (10/12/2006)
So he no longer owns it. I guess the questions is, what does he drive now? I hope he hasn't sold out and bought some appliance (ie Camry) or some brand new status symbol (ie BMW).
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Billy The Kid 5:03PM (10/12/2006)
It's true, this was my first car and I've owned more than a few since, but this is the one that still sticks out in my mind and seemed most interesting to anyone else.
With a car like this to start out with, how could I ever own a Camry? I guess I opted for the status symbol route and I currently own an Audi S4 with roughly 4 times the horsepower as the '67 6cyl Mustang listed here. I think of it as an evolution of the muscle car rather than a symbol of status though.
http://www.boompa.com/billythekid/esfouria/398/
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lidrol 7:55AM (10/14/2006)
I love the work done
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Mike 6:41PM (10/12/2006)
Beautiful car!
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Richard Warren 10:53PM (10/12/2006)
Beautiful, that year is my favorite Mustang.
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Doug 8:39PM (10/12/2006)
To keep the father theme going, my father won a 67 Mustang similar to Billy's. It was won at Atlantic Richfield gas station in a nationwide contest. We had it for almost 9 years. My dad would have sold it to me, but being non mechanically inclined, I decided against it. (It needed A LOT of work.) No regrets, however. I have several of his cameras, which worked out far better for me.
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Rob 9:26PM (10/12/2006)
This is a nice car but now RR is a complete f**king joke. If you dont own it, it is not your ride, you being the reader, its not a readers ride. Who cares if you owned it years ago. This is a result of all the whine asses complaining about cars being to plain for RR. Now you dont have own the car to submit it? I know a guy down the street with a 360 Modena, Ill send a photo in and tell you about how I got to sit in it. I suggest that when the voting for RR of the week starts, no one votes for this ride.
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Andy 11:45PM (10/12/2006)
Prefer the fastbacks and the drop-tops. 1969 was the best year.
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Fred 12:39AM (10/13/2006)
What a fantastic restoration. I love the '67 Mustang too. Great job.
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menice 9:34AM (10/13/2006)
nice job man, that car is amazing. can't imagine ever parting with it, but I guess a time finally comes.
I hope to do something like this with my son in a few years.
I also think the whole Readers Ride thing has fallen in the crapper if it's actually a readers ride.
can i then send in a picture of my first car? 1976 Pontiac LeMans.. the 'Buford T. Justice' mobile.
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Flying Scotsman 10:41AM (10/13/2006)
Beautiful ride and nice story. Although i agree with other comments in that surely to qualify as a readers ride, it must be currently owned and 'ridden' by the reader.
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Justin 9:59AM (10/14/2006)
While I agree with #2...
One should keep in mind that those snotbags are the next generation of auto enthusiasts, and they have to start somewhere.
Beautiful Mustang, so glad it got restored.
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