newbie... son ordered a 1320, he talked me into ordering a widebody

My first near new vehicle was a 81 D150 I bought in 82- had it less than a year and put a 396 in it- the slant 6 had to go...daily drove till 93... a slew of Fords since, still have too many, 69 Mustang in pieces since 1984, a 65 Limited my friend/neighbor left me, a 02 Merc Marquis LSE with badly peeling paint- backup-winter beater, 06/07/09 Mustangs, 19/22 F150 3.5s...but ever since the new Challenger came out, I've said it's the best looking car on the planet...when the widebody came along, it even went up a notch.

Son ordered a 1320 8 weeks ago, almost had me convinced to order a widebody then- they had just quit taking shaker options, but the wides were still available with a stick...hem-hawed about it a while, but this week figured now or never, and ordered a base B5 widebody stick, they est. 4-6 months- now gotta figure out how to pay for it/how to make room for it...been 'car poor' / 'car nut' all my life, and it's really upsetting hearing the Challenger is going away... the only new car out there that I would even consider buying- just on looks alone- feel like its 1970 again- I was just a little kid then but saw what 71 brought, everything got ugly/lost power/quality tanked... with Challenger gone it's the end of the best muscle car era-that started with the 05 Mustang to me... wasn't a new car made that called out to me till seeing the 05 Mustang- great cars overall, still affordable, etc...

The new Challenger is not 'affordable' to me, but way cheaper than the Ford trucks to say the least- relative everything else on the market, its actually not that far-fetched-relative everything else...a gorgeous hemi powered gem for about twice the cheapest car available...but still a chunk of change...but 'last call' means now or never- in todays idiotic electric lunacy, knew it was coming, just didn't think gas would be hyped into obsolescence so fast- at least for America...sad days- the fad of unsustainable electric will wane for hybrids eventually, but by then the stage will have been set...Mustang might survive(hopefully not in name only) but its not what it was...everything spiralling up in cost so fast its nauseating, 'cool car' choices are all but gone- yes there's a lot of great cars out there today, but to my eyes only the challenger looks 'right'...

Since changes to Mustang in 2010, they were not for me- actually day after Speed Channel's midnight reveal of the new 2010 Mustang, I called dealer to order one- but a 2009! That car has become a white elephant, still undriven with 5.5 miles on the clock- had 3.4 when flatbedded home- was gonna be my 'next new car'-just bought early. Now 15 yrs. later, don't even want to drive it, hoping it might wind up in a museum someday...never missed the car as its identical to my base 06 GT stick that I drive all summer...weird how fast time flew by and ironic how things ended up.

Anyways, if all works out, this will probably be my last new car, think everything else will outlast me if taken care of, but this ones gonna get driven a lot. We took the 06/07 Mustangs out West in 2014, on a 5,800 mile road trip. Seven of us (picked up Mom in Colorado)- no schedule, just a fun road trip from Ohio to just shy of California, with a lot of great stops along the way. Son told me last week, "I wanna do the Route 66 trip again" with his 1320 and one of the Mustangs, but truth be told, they're all 'old' cars now, and getting broke down on vacation would really suck... so went and ordered the Challenger. Hopefully, this Fall, we won't be at war or locked down again, and gas will still be affordable. If so, a very good chance I just might get opportunity to do the 'road trip of a lifetime' one more time- and my youngest son will have his temps too... two of other three sons got to drive in 14, one on his temps, one was a year too young and youngest was just a little kid...the one who couldn't drive last time is in the army now, but if the stars align, maybe he can get leave ang go again, and do some driving. The oldest two certainly will never forget driving the Mustangs thru some of the most beautiful Colorado and Arizona roads. Hopefully, the younger two will get that opportunity too...it's nice to dream- the reality of making room and another car payment though, ugghh...

Sorry for writing a book here, once a car nut, always a car nut.

 

Good luck on your road trip! You have a comfortable and fairly quiet muscle car for your road trip, oh yeah did I mention spacious too..

 

getting exciting- shipped fast-eta updated 3x last 3 days(16th,8th, then 4th, now TBD), and email said it would arrive this week, looks like they got it today, prep and whatnot, might get a glimpse of it this weekend- but probably tuesday with the holiday, feel like a kid before christmas... its been a weird last couple months at home, wifes health is biggest priority right now, thankfully shes doing good so far and lifes been semi normal...one more round of chemo before scans to see how well its working, then possibly surgery, then 3 more rounds...all depends on scans saying its working... about 5 more weeks sitting on pins and needles everytime things get too quiet...keeping busy, getting out as much as she safely can, walkin the dog, lifes good- but I get the added distraction of going to work, piddling with garage/cars/kids projects, and tracking/reading about this goofy car almost every night- just dont sleep much... anyways, if ya see a b5 widebody with a bald gal driving, leave room- she aint drove stick in a while, but shes gotta drive this one a bit should be easier than mustang as lots more rotating mass, and higher numerical gearing...will see- hoping sons idea of the route66 caravan trip next year works out, and she'll need to drive too - guess she could just help drive his 1320 automatic though... long ways off, but little goals ya know