Member Feature Car
Featured below is this month’s Feature Car. Our members take exceptional pride in their vehicles, and the story that follows reflects the time, care, and dedication they devote to preserving them. Don’t miss the pictures—they’re definitely worth a look!
My Mustang Journey: Short But Sweet
Hi everyone, John Ricevuto here, I'm excited to share a bit about my 1967 Mustang Fastback, a pepper gray, two-door beauty with a 289 engine and a four-speed manual transmission. The interior is mostly stock black leather, and even the radio looks original, though it's been upgraded with Bluetooth.
This car was a lifelong dream. Back in 1968, a buddy had a '67 midnight blue fastback, and ever since, owning one was on my bucket list. My kids knew it too, always giving me model cars and books. Then, about eight or nine years ago, my son pulled off the ultimate surprise. At my grandson's birthday, he led us to the garage, and there it was—a fully restored Mustang he'd found and imported from Canada! It was originally an American-built car, likely from Wixom or Wayne, Michigan, and Mike Pepper did an incredible frame-off restoration. The odometer reads about 60,000 miles, but the true mileage is a mystery. I've added a few personal touches, like upgrading to power brakes.
We've had some amazing adventures with the car. Our first big trip was to Lakeland, Florida, where we got a picture of my Mustang parked in front of a P-51 aircraft. It's been to MCA shows in Birmingham, Savannah, Orlando, Richmond, and Ohio. I've also done the Woodward Dream Cruise a couple of times. My advice for Woodward? Get there early, around 9 AM, so you can actually drive it before the bumper-to-bumper traffic hits. It's an unreal experience with over 30,000 cars and a million spectators!
I'm proud to say the car has brought home some awards. I have one silver and five gold MCA awards, giving me 11 points towards the Red Medallion—I need 20 total. Plus, I've got over 15 trophies from various car shows, and for the last two or three years, I've placed first in class at the Ford World Headquarters show.
This year, I'm planning on attending the Atlanta MCA show, Woodward Dream Cruise again, and Carlisle. I'm also hoping to get back to some weekend shows as my health improves. I recently had a heart attack, but I'm feeling good. It was a bit of a setback, but I'm determined to get my stamina back and keep enjoying my Mustang.
