Nelia Duarte's 1967 Convertible

The classic question of "How do you get your wife to develop an interest in your classic Mustang and go to shows with you" was answered at the Paracy/Duarte residence in June of 2001 when it was decided that there was too much space in the garage and another Mustang was needed to keep the '67 Fastback GTA company.

The search ensued for the perfect car and it was found in Las Vegas, NV; a 67 Mustang Convertible in very nice shape.  The Drapers used to live in Washington state, and owned a car that was originally sold in Vancouver, WA.  When they retired to Las Vegas, they took their cars with them naturally.  When they decided that two Mustangs was just too much for them, it was announced through the Mustang grapevine that their little convertible was for sale.

Nelia's first experience with the Mustang was at age 18 when her brother had his license revoked for a year (too many tickets).  The '69 Mustang Fastback, Red, 351 Windsor, side pipes and loud stereo in the driveway was without a driver so, in steps Nelia to keep the car in use (and drive her brother around).  When the "too many tickets" curse started affecting her at the end of that year, she was happy to return the car directly and purchase a more sensible '84 Mercury Capri, not too fast and it was blue; the theory being that blue cars do not register in the psyche of police officers.  It worked.

A few years later, Nelia found herself flying down to Vegas to visit the Drapers and see their pretty car with check in hand for the new purchase.  The Drapers were perfect hosts for the weekend and at the end of two lovely days, she was on the road with a map and the car pointed towards Seattle.  It was also during this trip that she learned that yes, you can change clothes on the side of the highway in the middle of the desert. 

The car was perfect; it was a convertible, it was red, it had a 289, deluxe interior, and the engine compartment was spotless... what else do you need, right?  And yes, there were some enhancements for the car in mind.  During the long drive to Seattle it received it's name "Rygel" and it's first replacement part - power steering pump - in the middle of Idaho somewhere - the pump was garnered from a Studebaker that was sporting a Mustang 302 engine of all things.

In the next two years, it received a 4 bbl carb and dual exhaust so that it could keep up with the Fastback.  A new interior, new alternator, solenoid, new hoses, CD changer, and speaker kick panels were also added - the little things that make a big difference.  Upcoming projects for the car include new paint and a new convertible top, posi and then it will be perfect, until the next item is added to the wish list.

What next?  A nice '67 12 second Coupe (red) to complete the '67 collection and have some fun at the drag strip of course.

Check out previous "Cars of the Month"