My Dad bought a new 1962 Galaxie 500 convertible shortly after I was born. I was only a few months old so I certainly don’t remember the trip home from the dealer. I do know he special ordered it. Black exterior with black leather interior and black carpeting and top. My first memories of the car date back to when I was about 3 years old. I remember my Dad pulling the car out of the garage on the weekend to wash or wax it. I’d get to hold the sponge for him for brief moments and sometimes even the shammy. Hardly a weekend pased that the car didn’t at least get washed. On sundays many times we would all go for the “sunday drive” out in the country with the top down. I absolutely loved the feeling of the breeze and watching cars go by. I didn’t get to see much if he had the top up, as I always had to sit in the middle of the back seat as my two older brothers always has the window seats. My Dad being the car nut he was, we always had to sit on the edge of the front seat as he took a brush to the bottom of our shoes. He was always afraid we would track some dirt into the car. Sometimes if I was really lucky he would take me for a ride just the two of us. He ordered the car with the 406 and a 4-speed and did a little drag racing with it in its early life. He had a gauge panel mounted under the dash. How I loved to watch him shift the gears and watch the various needles moving on the gauges. The sound of the exhaust was mezmerizing, especially when he down-shifted while going down hills. I prayed that someday when I was old enough I would get to drive the car. What a site I would be, driving around in my white t-shirt, hair combed back like James Dean and my arm resting on the top of the door. Top down banging the gears. Well, to my grave dissapointment my Dad had to sell his beloved car in the mid seventies. It just wasn’t practical any longer to haul my two older brothers and I around in a two door convertible. We were just getting to big to get in and out of the back seat easily. I was so heart-broken. Never would I get a chance to drive that car. The guy that purchased it drove it through the winters of Cleveland, Ohio. The last time I had ever seen the car, I was sick. My Dad’s mint ‘62 Galaxie convertible was now full of rust holes and scratches. I dreamt of that car many times through the years. I got married when I was 23 and it just never seemed to work out that I would ever have my chance to drive or own a convertible. 3 years ago I separated and divorced my wife. A year later I met a woman that is soon to be my wife. She had a 2000 Volvo convertible. The day we met it was quite chilly outside, but she insisted in driving with the top down. Wow this was great! After nearly 40 years I would finally get to ride in a convertible again. All the old memories came back to me. The feel of the breeze, the “sunday drives” out in the country. Thanks to this wonderful woman I had the convertible fever. It wasn’t long after that I started looking to buy a used convertible. I finally found a 2008 Silver Mustang convertible. The price was right so I bought it. Though it had a V-6 and was automatic, it was still a convertible. I drove the car with the top down nearly everyday if it wasn’t raining. It wasn’t too much later that her Volvo started showing age and its share of breakdowns. I knew that soon we would have to start looking for a car to replace hers. We came up with a solution, she would use the 2008 V-6 Mustang and I could find one like I really wanted. Awesome!!! I could truely get the car I really wanted. I searched various convertibles, and in August of 2011 I found it. A 2007 Redfire Mustang GT “California Special”. We drove nearly an entire day just to see it. It was just as the guy said it had been. I was in love!!!! It was just like I remembered my Dad’s Galaxie convertible. It not only had a stck shift, but even one more gear to shift. Could things get any better? The owner had ordered the car and even had the dealer install a performance package. Over 400h.p., just like my Dad’s 406. I have never loved a car as much as my Dad’s ‘62 Galaxie until now. My Mustang is now parked in the garage under its cover waiting for that spring day. I can’t wait till I can once again put the top down and feel the breeze and go for that “sunday drive” its the 1960’s all over again, but this time I get to drive .
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