Mustang memories

"Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing." (granfury) 09/16/2014 at 01:44 • Filed to: None

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I've never really been a domestic car guy, but I have to say that some of my favorite automotive memories involve '80s Mustangs, of all things. Both tales involve a friend's family's lease vehicles. My buddy and his dad worked at Ford Aerospace, and as a result could get Ford vehicles on lease for quite a discount. Their fleet over the years included Rangers and Bronco IIs and a number of forgettable appliances, but the Mustangs, needless to say, were the best.

1) Dark blue LX 5.0 coupe - although fast, the speed wasn't the fun thing. During the '80s the California Highway Patrol used 5.0 LX coupes as pursuit vehicles, and everyone on the road in CA knew it. This car, painted in a hue that looked almost black, was the ticket to easy travel down the highway. Get in the fast lane and everyone would slow down and move out of the way. Pick your speed and go, completely unimpeded, for mile after mile.

2) Convertible - I don't remember the color or the engine/transmission combo. It was slow, but that too didn't matter. It was normally driven by my friend's sister, who was still in high school. I think it was light blue and white, but that's irrelevant. In the late '80s there were still a few orange groves left in Orange County, mostly in the northern areas of Irvine. There were four of us in the car, my friend and his girl up front, and me and mine in the back. I don't remember where we were going, but the destination wasn't important. We were taking the long way, along Irvine Blvd, past the rows of eucalyptus trees at the base of the foothills, through the orange groves. It was a warm summer evening, the air still for the most part. The overwhelming fragrance in the air was of the orange blossoms, which combined with the sultriness of the night made for memories that still bring a smile to my face a quarter of a century later.