[dmcq]

Hello Everyone,
I am about to share a series of events whereupon my beloved SWMBO, mother of my child, keeper of the BIG checkbook, angel of angels, light of my life, actually shared her regrets and admitted a mistake of speaking to hastily. So read on intrigued reader and enjoy this small tale of my Mustang Reality.
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My wife of less than a year but SWMBO of more than 4 years got to know me during a Mustang free period. Sure, I had a 66 coupe project in the garage but the divorce in progress at the time had already written sold on that endeavor. So "to be" SWMBO was courted and nabbed whilst I was without any garage projects. She was very well informed in both aural and picture fashion of my Mustang passion and how it was a central thing to my existence. Ok, I love to play with tools and fix things is a better description but Mustangs are number one for that category /forums/images/icons/smile.gif As we fast forward to our new home together, the empty garage and my musings on what to get for my next project we are blessed with the arrival of our son. For all of the single folks out there, in 22 years I have come across no other creature or thing which wholely and happily consumes my time like a child does. However I still felt the pull of that empty garage.
Fast forward to December or 2000 when my reply to "what would you like for Christmas?" is answered with "I wanna pony!" and blessings are given to go forth and find a worthy filly for the stable. So the search is on and a long distance, sight unseen acquistion of pony 16 is begun. (Go to my web page for the pictures.)
In February of 2001 "Pony 16" is delivered from Pennsylvania, a former restoration project with all new sheetmetal and an excellent beginning of a restoration. Immediately placed in the garage until warmer weather arrives, about 20 nights of inventory and assessment is spent by yours truly to get an idea of what needs to be done or not done. Then we are in hiatus until warmer weather arrives in force (a lot of waiting with an unheated garage.) /forums/images/icons/wink.gif
In April of 2001 beautiful weather arrives and I roll it out of the garage for a quick, driving once-over. Immediately the rebuilt front end without an alignment is verifiied as it rolls down the driveway. So off to the alignment shop (specs in hand) and a little underneath picture session. As the day proceeds to become nicer I decide to pick up SWMBO from work with the top up and the rumble of the rebuilt 302 reeling in my ears. As I pull up in front of her work (Notre Dame Library, cheer, cheer for ....) I see a wonderous smile of joy on her face at the sight of the new yellow pony picking her up.
As we head home, she denotes how it looks and runs great but I definitely need to do something about the headlightless front end and unpainted bumper. Oh, and the seats are all torn (but comfy!) and should be attended to. So in her new-to-classic-cars innocence she performs her analysis of what needs to be done just to make the car presentable. I of course am weeping inside as the love of my love details points I agree with 100% and look oh-so-forward to addressing for her. /forums/images/icons/wink.gif
Zoom forward to June, 2002 as I was and wax the car in the gorgeous sunshine. Today the headlights are still off and the bumper is still unpainted but a TON of work has been performed. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif Duplicitous as I am, I realize that my loving swmbo will continue the funding until that front end "flaw" is repaired. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif A pile of parts not yet installed grace the shelves of the garage as does the stroker-to-be 351W on it's engine stand. The BIG checkbook has yet to be hit for a single item (wait for the Lentech AOD order honey) but the little checkbook has been sacrificed a hundred times over.
In all this, as I was waxing the car this weekend, she mentions casusally how she never realized how wrong she was to agree with the minor flaws in the car on her first ride. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif Knowing now what she didn't know then, she admits she would have said the car was beautiful just the way it was. /forums/images/icons/smile.gif /forums/images/icons/smile.gif /forums/images/icons/smile.gif
Now, she also confessed a regret about not joining me on some of the repairs. She is amazed that that mig welding is so simple /forums/images/icons/wink.gif And that an angle grinder can make really ugly welds look perfect with the right touch. /forums/images/icons/wink.gif And how somewhere in the world, the Ford company and the Krylon company worked together to create Semi-Gloss Black (#1613) which matches 99% of the interior of the Mustand *and* every piece of lawn furniture and wrought iron ever made! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif
Here's to you SWMBO, every bit as beautiful and special today as you were years ago.
Doug

p.s. SWMBO doesn't drive. Never had a license and has no desire to ever get one. Just wait, once Pony 16 is all done, she'll learn. /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

 

[midpack]

congrats doug, you should let her read this, maybe not the duplicitous part

 

[dmcq]

Oh, I confessed that already (and she'd already figured it out.) /forums/images/icons/wink.gif
As much as I think I'm getting away with things I know her well enough to understand she just tolerates it. Did I mention she only owns 10 pairs of shoes? /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

(And she got a copy already...) /forums/images/icons/smile.gif
D

 

[dlindem]

She sounds like a keeper Doug.

 

[Shaun @ Street or Track]

I think my SWMBO feels somewhat the same way! When we bought the car, it was hers. Now it's mine I've made it nice and stiff, removed the power steering and changed it to a 4 speed!

She doesn't drive it now...

 

[KTJMcG]

Funny,Mine after 13 years(11 of being married as of the end of this month) is starting to understand my obsession with what she called the wreck in that I put in the garage 11 years ago. When she rode in a friends restored Chevelle SS and then seeing the cars at the MacCunigie show last year(Thanks Baracu for letting me know about the show) she's eagerly awaiting the return to the road of what she dubbed the boxter. She went as far this year to spring for the Grant Wood steering wheel for my birthday(It was on back order and she got nervous that I wasn't going to recieve it in time.)and giving me a combined Christmas/Valentines/Anniversary gift of most of the cash for a repo shaker. What blew me away big time was a secret trip to the paint supply store a couple of weeks ago. I was talking about starting the body work and getting a couple of new rubber sanding blocks. She took it upon herself to go there while I was helping a friend with get his van running. I guess she told the guy what I wanted and that she wanted 2 7inch blocks. When I got home that afternoon and saw them on the kitchen table I asked her where they came from. She told me not to worry about it and that when the time came to use them that she would be in the garage with me learning and helping out. I was totally blown away by this and an still in shock. This is a person who thought a hole in the muffler made a car sound "zoomie". Im teaching her now how to fend off the ricers at stop lights. She's a quick study, She's already got 3 kills plus one insult when a riceboy wanted to know what her Sebring had under the hood, She told him "More than whats hooked up to that kazoo you got." SWMBO's,Gotta love em' when the bug hits.