Owner: Marley Depew
Location: Keaau, HI
Vehicle: '69 Ford Mustang Hardtop
Color: Light Metallic Blue
Engine: 302ci V-8
Length Of Ownership: Just over 1 year
Primary Use: Driven to school
Marley purchased his Mustang in April 2006, and it's one of the rougher projects we've heard of. "When I bought the car, the roof was rusted through, the tail was crushed in, and the transmission mount hung down so you couldn't go over bumps," the 17-year-old says. "The outside, driver-side door handle didn't work and kept breaking--I must have fixed it four times. My dad and I worked on the car all summer, building up the roof and getting out the pits in the paint. We had it painted two days before the school car show, and I loved showing it off that day. I won a tool set for Second Place."
Marley's family is currently in the middle of a move from California to Hawaii, and his '69 is safely tucked in the belly of a container ship. Once things settle in their new home, Marley and his dad plan to drive the Mustang into their new garage and really tear into it with a more thorough repair and restoration, including a lot of interior work and electrical repairs.
"When I bought it, the body, interior, and electrical were all shot," Marley says, "but it ran great. I had the biggest smile on my face the first time I heard it start up and rev. It's barely under the noise limit, and I call the car 'Thunder.' Everyone I show it to is jealous. I'm looking forward to the 5-mile drive to school and the gas bill that comes with it. I plan on getting a job in an auto shop when I'm older."
It certainly sounds as though Marley has some fun headed his way, driving a sharp-looking Mustang on a Hawaiian island to high school every day. Good luck with your Mustang, Marley, and we hope the $400 gift certificate to Mustangs Plus will help you further the repair and restoration efforts on your '69.
For being this month's YO Club winner, Marley will receive a $400 gift certificate from Mustangs Plus. Mustangs Plus has been supplying and developing parts for Mustangs for more than 25 years. While restoration has always been a part of the company's focus, over the years Mustangs Plus has evolved into a one-stop restoration and performance shop, offering parts for restored and restomod street Mustangs as well as road-racing machines. In fact, Mustangs Plus bills itself as "restomod headquarters," with a well-stocked line of fiberglass body panels (including Eleanor conversions), sound systems, power windows, steering wheels, tilt columns, EFI and five-speed conversion kits, rack-and-pinion steering, and aftermarket wheels.
For your copy of the company's latest catalog, contact Mustangs Plus, 2353 N. Wilson Way, Stockton, CA 95205; (209) 944-9977 or visit www.mustangsplus.com.