Car of the Month - Jul 11
Jeanie McCain's 1966 Mustang Convertible, "Slimey"
I would like to introduce you to Henry’s younger brother. His formal name is” The Slime Green Racing Machine” – but he goes by “Slimey”. Technically, he is a Sauterne Gold ’66 Mustang convertible with a 289 engine, 2 barrel carb and an automatic transmission and an 8-track stereo system. He came to live with me in the mid 1980’s. I wanted a car with an automatic for parades since I had learned with Henry that stick shifts and parades are not a good combination. I also wanted one that wasn’t anything “special” – no one-of-a-kind, or one of 10 built – because I knew that down the road, changes would be made, and I didn’t want to have my conscience yammering at me because I had messed up a special car.
When I moved to California in 1987, he went with me, and when I came home in 1990, he stayed behind. For the next 15 or so years, he was a well-traveled fellow – moving to Denver, Las Vegas, Falls Church, Virginia, and eventually back to Sacramento. He spent a lot of time on a trailer and parked, as a bad head gasket had rendered him undriveable. He spent the next few years in the basement of my ex’s house. Yes – basement. Not garage, not carport, – basement. At least it was warm and dry and there was no danger of anything happening to him.
A year or so ago, he got pulled out of the basement and went to live with my son, Tim, so that the restoration started in 1970, could be completed. The plans for what the finished product would look like has evolved and revolved over the years and I’m still not certain what he will look like finished. I do know a couple of things – he won’t be Slime Green – which is the color you get when Sauterne Gold oxidizes and the engine is no longer stock. The body work is done, the engine work is done, the interior is done and the top is mostly done. So ---progress.