History of the Car

The car has a neat history, my uncle bought it new in 1979 and traveled the world with it while in the military. I still have the original window sticker and two large binders of receipts and documentation on the car. Before another military move, my uncle stored the car in my grandfather's hanger in Texas, where is sat parked for almost 15 years.

I grew up a Military brat and traveled the world with my family, as my father was in the Army. Every two years we would move cross-country, and we'd almost always make our way to Texas to see my grandfather for a few weeks. During those summer weeks, my brother Rob and I would take turns flying in my grandfather's plane and driving his '73 Mustang around the hanger. During this time, I noticed the Pace Car parked in the corner of the hanger, but never really paid much attention to it as it was being used as a storage shelf. After high school, I reached out to my grandfather and asked if I could buy the '73 from him. Long story short, he had already sold it, which led me to the other car. At this point my father got involved and quickly shot an email to his brother asking what his plans were for the car. Turns out his long-term plans were to build it with his son, my cousin, who is also in the military. Those plans never worked out so I offered to buy it from him and bring it back to life. This could not have been better timing as my uncle was already planning a trip to Norfolk, Virginia to see his son. After some discussion we came to the agreement that I'd pay him $300 in gas money and he'd trailer the car up from Texas and drop it off on his way to see my cousin. That's how I acquired a 1979 Indy 500 Pace Car Mustang for only $300.

I took the project on because I wanted to keep the vehicle in the family and, it's a Pace Car and you simply don't see too may of them anymore," Brian tells us. "My wife (fianc at the time) tore right into the car and loved every second of it. She was out there in the garage with me constantly sanding small rust spots and cleaning parts—she loved it! I knew right then I had a keeper. I rebuilt the motor and the car drove my wife and I away from our wedding 12 years ago. It was fun to drive until we needed a down payment for our first house. Where'd that money come from? The car, of course. I pulled all the performance items off the car and used the money to buy our first house, and it had been sitting without a drivetrain for the last 12 years.