Meet a show car thoroughbred
Published Wednesday November 19th, 2008
Customized Mustang a hit at Maritime car shows
Like the wild horse that inspired the name, Guildor and Carlene Lagace's 2000 customized Ford Mustang show car is a thing of beauty standing still, but is best appreciated at speed. With the triple chrome wheels gliding down the road, music pouring from the high-end stereo, and sun gleaming off the customized bodywork and Laser Red paint, it is easy to see why this car is one of the Maritime's most desirable Mustangs, with a trunk full of car show awards and trophies to prove it. It has been a labor of love for the Grand Falls couple, and the work is not done yet.
"We plan to do the same amount of shows as last year… We enjoy going to the shows, meeting the other car owners and the people. Going to a car show is a lot of work, but it is something we enjoy."
The Laser Red Mustang - an original factory colour that is almost impossible to duplicate - galloped into the Lagace's garage as lightly used car, one year old with 12,000 kilometres on the clock. Guildor was looking for a new project car and the sharp-looking red auto with the white convertible top caught his eye. But like many car enthusiasts with the customizing bug, the car was merely a template for the rolling artwork he envisioned.
"The car has been a lot of time, effort, money, and experiments. You do something, sometimes you don't like it, so you take the piece off and put the pieces away and try to think of something else," Lagace said. "But it is always fun."
The first thing that attracts the curious to Lagace's car is the doors. Guildor purchased a PMP (Pure Mustang Performance) vertical door kit that allows the doors to "jack knife" up from the body like a Lamborghini Countach. The result was the largest single conversion Lagace ever made to the automobile, but everyone loves the look.
"The vertical doors are a big attraction at the car shows. Everyone loves to see them open and close, and want to talk about the doors," Lagace said. "The other very special thing is the red leather seats accented with white. The original car came with white seats and they have not been available since 2004. The white top is also not available since 2004."
Fancy doors and seats are just a start of the extensive modifications. The car has a custom hood, tail lights, exhaust, a special white stripe on the hood, front fenders and side skirts, a fiberglass tonneau cover with chrome roll bars, polished aluminum trim throughout the interior, electric motorized storage doors under the tonneau cover, chrome pedals, matching leather panels on the dash and door panels, chrome radiator cover and reinforced chrome strut cross bar, an extra battery for all the electronics, and two car covers, one that features an airbrushed full size beat-up jalopy. The result is the car that the Lagace's affectionately call "Grammy and Grampy's toy".
"Our Mustang was featured in the 2008 Central NB Mustang Club calendar for August, and a poster for the Mustang Mania show in Kentville (NS) featured our car as well," Lagace said.
One unique item is the license plate - 807. There is no significance to the number, but Lagace treasures the customized plate because then-Premier Richard Hatfield presented him with the plate long before NB "officially" released personalized plates.
"It has been on 10 or 15 different vehicles since I had it. It follows me, not the vehicle. That was in 1978 before the personalized plates came out. I had two plates, the other one was given to my father. When he passed away I inherited that plate as well."
With all the modifications and above -average care, the Mustang is worth far more than an ordinary eight-year-old car. Lagace had the vehicle appraised this year at more than $60,000, but the value is secondary to the enjoyment of driving the car on a sunny summer day.
"It is not a museum piece. We use this car. We toured Canada with it three years ago. That was a nice trip, from coast to coast."
The Mustang is also equipped to tow the family travel trailer, a customized unit that features an airbrushed portrait of Grammy and Grampy's toy on the front. The car trailer combination draws onlookers everywhere it goes.
Good show car
Guildor said Mustangs, the longest running domestic sports car ever built, is a popular show car because almost anyone can have one.
"This year 2009 is the 45th anniversary of the car. If you want something special, something to care for, the Mustang is a good choice. It is easy to get in and out, it is a four-passenger vehicle, and it is not the cheapest car, but it is competitive with any other car on the market."
Lagace said the Mustang can be a comfortable daily driver, and the popularity of the car means performance options are readily available. There are Mustangs in New Brunswick that have been tweaked to more than 650 horsepower, but Lagace said he is not interested in huge performance numbers.
"When you go to a car show there are all kinds of different cars, and sometimes I go to Mustang shows with Mustangs only. There are really no ugly cars at a car show. They all have a personal touch to it, and that is what makes it special. It is the detailing of the car that people appreciate."
Lagace admits his customized Mustang does not suit everyone's tastes, but clearly lots of people appreciate it. His car has racked up numerous first and second place awards and several best in shows this year - awards that are often chosen by car show attendees.
"When I go to car shows I don't mind people sitting in my car, especially the kids 13 and 14-year-olds who come to shows and just dream of having a car like this someday…. I tell them to get an education and a decent job and they can have a car like this."
The Kentville, NS Mustang show was one of this year's highlights. Show attendees chose his Mustang out of more than 150 others as the best car in the show.
"That's a great honour. We were thrilled to win it."
Car show season is now over, and the Mustang has been stabled for the harsh winter months. But that doesn't mean this show car is out to pasture. Lagace already has $500 worth of parts for next year, but he won't divulge any secrets about the new look his car will be displaying in the spring.
"I don't want to give any hints… come out and see it at a car show next year."
Disabled
More CE Network Sites & Partners:
