Coming at ya!
In 1974, ABC broadcast a made for prime time TV movie about a hot rodder who squares off against a sadistic small town Sheriff.
It starred two human actors. Martin Sheen as the hot rodder, and Vic Morrow as the Sheriff. However, the real star of the movie was the ’34 Ford Hot Rod coupe.
I was 18 years old, a senior in high school, and had been a car nut since grade school. And that ’34 coupe was the purest distillation of the essence of hot rod that I had ever seen!
This beautiful car was a combination of sleekness and aggression. The rake, the black paint combined with the ultimate flame job. It’s name was boldly emblazoned on it’s doors. The audacity!
This was already a famous car among gearhead enthusiasts. It had been built several years before by Pete Chapouris and it combined classic Hot Rod design cues from the past. Notably a chopped top, dramatic raked stance, and an over the top flame paint job.
Martin Sheen played his part with the ultimate in controlled cool. The movie contains many exciting driving sequences and the ’34 performed all of its own driving maneuvers. There were no “stand in” stunt cars.
Several years ago Pat Ganahl wrote a post in his Rod and Custom blog entitled “Trailing the California Kid.” Pat revisited the small Southern California town of Piru, where the movie was filmed. This piqued my interest and I watched the movie again, after fifty years had passed.
The movie still held up well; Sheen, Morrow, and the rest of the cast were very credible. The car, though, was the real thing. Watching it on the screen, driving on those country back roads, was a revelation. It was a living, breathing thing. Not just a collection of mechanical parts.
Iconic is an overused word, but not in this case.
In my mind, the California Kid is the greatest hot rod ever built.
As much as I have greatly admired this car since ’74, I know that I will never own a car like this. Why not, if I love it so much?
There was a time when a car like this was a common home-built performance machine. They were affordable and readily available, performance upgrades were easily obtained and well-known, and the styling had never become obsolete. Cars like this became icons, and icons are no longer common or cheap.
Besides this, these cars are much different from modern cars. They do not provide the comfort and convenience items that modern drivers insist upon. These can be added, just as performance enhancing modifications are added. However, they can never provide the occupant safety systems that a modern driver would take for granted with current cars.
Are there any modern, obtainable cars that can channel this level of beauty, aggression, and speed?
It’s not a traditional hot rod, but it delivers in a similar manner.
It’s an enthusiast’s vocation to look for and find these car types. I mean, is it just a given that we modern enthusiasts will have to do without this level of romantic automotive interaction? Surely there have to be modern cars that can channel this experience.
We are all entitled to have our favorites, and our choices will most likely vary depending on our personalities and situations. I made my choice with a ’06 Mustang GT, but I can understand how some of you might consider that I’m stretching the idea a bit!
I already had a Mustang that I liked, my ’96; also a GT convertible. So why did I buy this one?
My current Dream Team.
I had bought a new ’07 Mustang coupe, but it was a V6. It was a good-looking car and I enjoyed driving it, but it wasn’t a GT, and I have a thing for V8s.
There was actually a very rational motive behind the purchase. My ’96, beloved as it is, is creeping up into a very high mileage, it has well over 200,000 miles! The Mod Motor is long lived, but all lifetimes come to an end.
I had considered rebuilding the original engine, if needed. Swapping in a lower mileage wrecking yard engine, and even replacing the engine with a completely re-manufactured engine. All realistic options.
Or, I could just buy a newer, lower mileage Mustang. Probably the easiest option.
In my opinion, this is the most handsome face of almost any model Mustang. I added a small spoiler lip for a bit of Mach One vibe.
My favorite retro Mustang is the ’05 through ’09 model, as it carried the best styling homage to the earlier models. The 2010 started to look a little funky in my eyes, especially around back. But these earlier cars were getting on in years, which meant that they had passed through their second and third owners. This also means that they were likely to have been mistreated, amateurishly modified, and poorly maintained. Higher mileage went along with these conditions since these cars were bought as daily drivers, not garage queens.
For some reason, as I’m getting older, I’ve developed a strong preference for brighter colors, at least in my cars; I want a nice exterior color along with a lighter interior color. As is my usual practice, I kept my eyes open looking for one to come my way.
A light colored interior featuring tan leather, and silver and black accents.
I lucked out with my ’06; it’s a bright Vista Blue with a tan convertible top. The interior is tan leather with black and silver accents. It’s a deluxe model so it has full instrumentation, side airbags, some other goodies, and the previous owner added a Pioneer stereo with a screen that incorporates a back up camera and navigation.
I find these wheels are a welcome change from the more common “Bullitt” style.
I really like the grille with the two big driving lights and I have added a front lip spoiler under the front bumper. The rear spoiler is pedestal mounted, unlike the flat deck wing on my ’07 coupe. The wheels are the 17 inch stock units, but I like them as they are not the usual Torque Thrust “Bullitt” style seen so commonly. I plan on adding a honeycomb deck lid panel to give it a bit of a ’70 Mach One vibe.
I like that it is a cheerful and friendly looking car, like I remember ’60s Mustangs when they were new. It’s quite a contrast to the modern blacked out, “murder” Mustangs that I see roaring and crackling their way around town.
Mileage was at 116,000, it ran perfectly and was very clean. The paint and seats are in good shape which gives me a good starting point to maintain and preserve it. The top fit is a little wonky; I don’t think that it was professionally replaced. But it’s intact and watertight. I might decide to replace it in the future. This car has almost 100,000 miles less than my ’96, and realistically, I’ll probably never wear this car out. It could be my forever Mustang.
I just added a new set of Hankook high performance tires.
The final version of the now venerable 4.6 Mod Motor, before it was eaten by a Coyote!
The engine is only rated at 300 hp. But the car puts those horses to good use! This is the quickest car that I’ve ever owned. The fuel economy isn’t bad while cruising at steady speeds. I drove it out for the opening of the American Graffiti Museum in Modesto, and it registered 26 mpg. for the round trip. The previous owner added a K&N open air intake, as well as MagnaFlow mufflers. To borrow a line from an earlier Mustang magazine road tester, “Firing it up sounds like Darlington on test day!” Oh, it sounds good! It’s not an intrusive sound, but a bit more pronounced compared to my ’96.
I don’t know if it has a quicker throttle tip in from the factory, compared to my V6 powered ’07, but it literally leaps off the line. To compensate I feed the throttle in slowly when leaving signal lights. I’m often the last car across the intersection. Sometimes dealing with this is a bit tiring, and I wonder if it’s due to the open air cleaner setup.
Of course, the car is an effortless high speed cruiser.
The prior owner added a couple of bits of newer technology.
I know that the next generation Mustang finally got an IRS, but that doesn’t seem like such a big deal to me. It rides a bit better than my ’96 and the firm ride, rumbly exhaust, and quick responsive handling give it a much more aggressive personality than my ’96.
What made the California Kid movie so appealing to me, is the man/machine interface, something special has to take place between both parties to become a memorable duo.
A Mustang convertible of any vintage still remains a desirable item.
I know that I’ll never be willing to spend the kind of money to buy a car similar to the ’34 coupe in the movie. Even if I was willing to spend the money on a new car. I had for a time, considered buying a new ’24 Mustang, as it was probably going to be the last generation.
Maybe I’m just kidding myself. Maybe my Mustang doesn’t have any kind of connection to the car in the movie. But hobby cars are often just entities of the imagination. We don’t buy them for rational reasons. They are supposed to knit our fantasies of the past, or future, to the prosaic circumstances of our current lives. They satisfy a certain kind of longing. So they don’t have to be specific matches to anything, except in our imaginations!
The California Kid once only existed in my mind as a movie fantasy. My ’06 Mustang currently resides in my garage. Not a bad outcome.
Great write-up, Jose!
Saw that movie when it came out. I was in 4th grade. And a few years ago I was wondering about it, found it on YouTube and watched it again. Still wonderful. Just a simple story about a cool dude with a cool car and a cool attitude about justice. Can see how your Mustang fits the bill perfectly. For me, it might be a used Cayman or Alfa 4C. Need to mull on it a bit more.
I saw The California Kid in ’74 when it was first shown. I was in my 20’s and have been a car guy my whole life. I thought it was well done, but I did find a couple of later vintage cars parked in the background. Nothing unusual about that. I have the DVD and watch it occasionally. I have even gotten to see the Kid in person a couple of times. Nice car even in person.
I certainly understand what you mean about your Mustang. Even though I have two hobby cars, one having started out as a daily driver 45 years ago, my ’09 Mustang makes me feel good every time I drive it. Mine is a V6 with a manual and the Pony Package which has an upgraded suspension. It handles great and pretty much does anything I ask it to. It currently has 207,000 miles and still runs great. The ’03 Mustang I had before was a vehicle that was really in tune with my driving style, so it was a hard act to follow. It took me a couple of years to really appreciate what a great car this is. I have always said that some cars either like you or don’t like you. I’ve decided that these last two Mustangs like me. I think yours does too.
Ive always thought mustangs were neat .
I’m amazed they can get 300 horsepower out of less than 302 cubic inches .
I’m keen to gear how much the body flexes, rag tops generally flex under my driving .
Indeed it looks *very* sharp ~ the silver seat looks odd to me but it is what it is .
Te California Kid was built at ‘Pete & Jake’s’ hot Rod shop in Temple City / San Gabriel (right at the dividing line) and I i=used to deliver parts there before the movie came out .
I like they way to state the interface between man & machine, it’s so true even now with modern vehicles ~ they’re not all soulless junk .
-Nate
It’s a good-looking car, Jose. I sometimes think I’d like to own one similar to this one (but with the roof) if we lived elsewhere. Just get in it and go whenever, wherever, no concerns about where to get it fixed or spending a lot to do so, tons of ways to “personalize” it, and nice but not too nice to make one self-conscious. Maybe someday…
I remember watching that movie when I was a kid and being terrified of that sheriffs car pushing all the speeders off the cliff. I rewatched it a few years ago and liked it more.
Nice Mustang.
Bought an 98 auto gt coupe same color during covid. Totally enjoyed it but moved it along as I often do.Got a driveway find 09 vista v6 vert last year and was very impressed with the power availability. Had the pony package and was well equipped also.. That one left also. Great cars… sold the 09 to a friend and have to constantly See it at local cruise ins.. She’s loving it
Late to the party as usual here, but I had to chime in, as obviously, I like this generation of Mustang.
First the ZZ-Top Eliminator Car… While I’ve never seen the California Kid, I’ve always liked these Fords after seeing that album cover. They make a very cool hot-rod.
I didn’t know that you had a 2007 V6 Mustang, Jose. That’s the exact year and engine I have. I bought mine in early 2008 at CARMAX with only 1127 miles on it as a used car. Not sure how that happened, but someone else got to pay the off-the-lot depreciation on that car. It was my daily driver for years, but now it’s my hobby car with over 187K on the clock. I’ve spent WAY too much money on her over the years, but as Rick says above, and I’ll echo this too, “[It] makes me feel good every time I drive it.”
My most recent ‘over the top’ expenditure on the old girl was to replace its old worn out stock (p?)leather interior with a new REAL leather interior that mimics the GT/CS’ two-tone of that era. These seats are really nice. The car’s interior was light gray as was the carpet, but I installed black carpet and the two-tone charcoal/light gray look you see in the picture below.
While the car still looks good from about 15 feet away, it looks like I’ll only be able to brag about it having ‘original paint’ for so much longer. I think a respray or even a wrap may be in my Mustang’s future, but for now, she looks good enough to put a smile on my face every time I drive her.
For now, the next big expense it to replace the door actuators under that dash as they’re stuck on defrost. It’s always something when they get this old. 😉
In 3 more years, your Mustang will be able to qualify for Historic plates in MD, so you wouldn’t need to do regular emissions tests. Considering how popular they are with owners of older vehicles, it’s well worth the cost savings for a hobby car.
Yeah, I’m looking forward to putting those plates on my car. I’m already only putting about 2400 miles per year on the old girl, so I kind of already qualify.
Interestingly, and he knocks wood as he types this, she passes the emissions test with flying colors every time. My Mustang is that well maintained.
I’m here late, but wanted to join the fan club. I’ve never seen the movie, but I love your car! I agree that these Mustangs nailed the combination of modern and retro. The colors on yours are great too.
Times have changed and I now know that the 300 horsepower in my new Charger’s V6 is what a Mustang GT would have gotten me just a few years ago. But I don’t have the sweet V8 exhaust note.
I have to apologize for the poor quality of the photos, I was in a hurry and took them in too bright sunlight. My next installment’s photos are also pretty poor. The car actually looks better in person, the paint is still very shiny and the interior is in very good condition, with only minimal wear on the driver’s seat. This was kind of a fanciful installment, but I look for different ways to present my story.
I have referred to Mustangs as “America’s Car,” something special that Everyman can afford and enjoy, that combines sportiness, with enough practicality to be able to use one as a family car and everyday driver. The recent increases in engine output are incredible, I rented a new Coyote powered GT convertible a couple of years ago, and it was impressive, but I thought that it was overkill, I don’t need that much acceleration, and I’m certainly not going to be driving at over 150 mph. on the Interstate! A few months back I test drove a Lincoln MKC and I really liked the way the car drove and handled, and the power output of the turbo four. I don’t know how long lived that engine would be, but Ford now puts them in everything! I still prefer the simplicity of a regular V8 or V6 engine but the better mileage of the turbo fours is appealing, maybe I’ll try one next.
Little late to the party as I’ve been traveling the last week. I remember the movie well, definitely opened my eyes to the world of traditional hot rods.
As far as your Mustang goes my wife and I decided that we needed a convertible again a few years ago. We went back and forth between a lot of cars but in the end it came down to one of this era Mustang or a Retro T-bird. I do think that these are the best looking modern Mustang which is why it made it all the way down to the finals. Ultimately we decided on the bird for a few reasons. #1 the Mustang is probably the most commonly seen convertible on the road in my area and I like driving vehciles that I don’t see too many others on the road. #2 my MIL has a later model Mustang Convertible that we will eventually inherit, either when she stops driving or passes and while over the years we have had a number of cars in pairs including Fox-stangs, and currently a pair of Marauders, we wanted something different. #3 for a Mustang I’d have to have the V8 and I’d want it backed up by a manual. Since this was supposed to be a cruiser the fact that all Birds came with a V8 and weren’t available with a manual trans I don’t feel as bad with an AT. That said it was close and I probably would have gone for the same color combo you have.