Daughter Finds Dad’s Original 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1, Restores Years Later

Lorraine Stomperud’s and the family are no strangers to cars as her father, John, has been into sport cars his entire life. When Lorraine was four, her father had walked by a brand new white Mach 1 at Vancouver’s Musgrove Ford and he knew he had to have one. Only one problem – he wanted candy apple red.

In 1969, his candy apple red was delivered in Mid-February of 1969 with a 351-cubic-inch Windsor engine equipped with a four-barrel carburetor, a black interior with red highlights, and an automatic transmission.

They had a proud ownership for three years until dad traded for a yellow Ford Cortina. He thought the car was gone forever as he had heard that a doctor had purchased the Mustang. The total cost was $5,102.67.

Lorraine sifted through old photographs of the Mustang and knew of only one car that she wanted to drive when she turned 16 – A Ford Mustang. While in her 20s, her and her dad had talked about the possibility of buying another Mach 1 together.

They took baby steps towards that goal and decided to join the Greater Vancouver Mustang Association. On their way to the meet, they spotted a 1970 Mach 1 headed in that general direction which happened to be owned by Gerald Gamache, who would later have Lorraine’s heart and share their lives together and their love of the Ford Mustang.

At a car show in 1993, Lorraine had heard that there was a red Mach 1 sitting in his neighborhood rotting away in a neighbor’s backyard. Lorraine found it and read off the serial number and found out that it was her father’s old Mustang.

“It was rat-infested, sitting in the weeds and in really bad shape,” she recalls.

The owner, a 21-year-old man who had blown the motor and was not willing to sell. Lorraine called him every six months or so to see if he would be willing to sell. Lorraine decided to purchase a 1969 Sport Roof Fastback and ask the owner to swap it for her father’s old Mach 1.

Her dad was completely thrilled to have the car back in the family and paid to have the engine completely rebuilt so they could drive it. Lorraine didn’t stop there, she did a full rotisserie restoration and made the Mustang look better than when it was brand new. The car has won numerous awards at many shows and is the pride and joy of both Lorraine and John.

Source: [Vancouver Sun]