My Competition Orange '04 Mustang is one of my favorite cars out of all the cars that we've owned. The only other two that even come close to how much I love this car were my first car, a 1985 BMW 318i (it was old by the time I got it in 1998) and our last Mustang, a 1972 Mach One clone. That one ran, but it was a project car that my husband finally gave up on and sold about a year ago. Ryan bought Mustang Sally in September about a month before he deployed to Iraq. I joke that she was my birthday present because he bought her a few weeks after my birthday. The truth was although I liked the F-150 that we had back then, I hated driving it. Since Ryan was going to be gone for a year, he was a real sweetheart and traded the truck in on the Mustang for me. It was everything we were looking for and we happened across it at just the right time. I've always loved orange and really missed driving stick. Sally is everything I ever wanted. The only thing Ryan hates about her is she's a V6, but with gas prices what they are lately, I count that as a bonus! If I were back home in PA, I'd probably be driving her around right now enjoying the countryside. Too bad I'm stuck in TX, don't know my way around very well and am uncomfortable with the amount of traffic down here, or I would really get to enjoy Sally so much more. Here's what the first weekendwas like and how Sally got her name.
My Mother In Law came down to visit in Spetember before my husband deployed to Iraq. Ryan gets bored with cars after a year or so and was already complaining about our truck. I loved riding in the truck, but hated driving it because I feel more comfortable (and less like I'm going to hit things) in a smaller car. We were showing my Mother In Law around town and when we drove by Automax Ford in Killeen, we saw Sally. We didn't stop in right then and there because there were a lot of things to do. Later that same day, Ryan couldn't stand it anymore and went down again to ask about the car. My Mother In Law and I started supper while he was gone, not expecting him to come home with it right away.
Right about the time we were finishing supper, Ryan pulled in the driveway in Sally. I was shocked because he said he'd probably be coming home with the truck. We talked and he explained it was only a test drive but they said he could come home to show the car to me. We ate a quick meal and he took me with him back to Automax. I fell in love with the car right away, I think I smiled the whole way there. We started some paperwork, but it was a Friday evening and it got a little late. The salesman said we should take the car home for the weekend and really test it out. We left our truck behind and were on our way with Sally. The following Monday, we went back and bought her
Yes, I'm unoriginal! Our '72 Mustang was also named Sally. I named the new car "New Sally" and when I talk about the old one, she's "Old Sally." I of course got the name from the Wilson Pickett song, which I've always loved. One day I would love to have an old fastback project, but with the constant moves we do, it's really not to our best advantage to have a car that doesn't run. Maybe when Ryan gets out of the Army, it will happen. I can dream! I'm sure that I never want to get rid of the current Sally. I should have plenty of time to come up with another name if we ever get another Mustang project.
