1967 Mustang Wrecks During Hot Rod Power Tour, Finishes Anyway
Most of us would be heartbroken if we wrecked our Mustang, but tragedy only made this young man more determined.
Owning a Mustang is a little different than your typical sedan or family hauling SUV. Most often, these cars are our babies, and we treat them like fine China. But no matter how careful you are, accidents happen. Cole Phillips, the owner of this beautiful 1967 Ford Mustang, found that out the hard way recently while participating in his third Hot Rod Power Tour. Phillips found himself sliding into the back of another car during a crowded gas stop, which would have signaled the end of the road for most.
But not Phillips, who’s been logging 5,000 miles a month on his beloved Mustang since he and his father finished fixing it up when he was the tender age of 15. The aftermath of the wreck destroyed the car’s core support, bent up the radiator, and pushed the driver’s side fender into the tire. Instead of waving the white flag, Phillips and his family set out to make the Mustang road worthy at the very least.
“My dad and little brother jumped in his truck and drove to the closest auto parts store to look for a radiator that would fit,” Phillips told Hot Rod. “They came back with a Toyota 4Runner radiator.” It was the closest thing they could find that would fit. But Phillips still had to cut a hole in the hood since it was too tall. Not that it mattered, since the hood was trashed at this point. The only other thing they had to do was straighten out the front a little and they were on their way.
Obviously, this kind of dedication draws plenty of attention and admiration. Before he knew it, Phillips had people signing his Mustang and planting all kinds of stickers on it. The war torn Mustang soldiered on until he was around 100 miles from home, when it started missing. But Phillips was able to limp home. He later discovered that the plugs had fouled up from the car running rich.
If nothing else, you’ve got to give the young man credit for persevering when most everyone else would give up. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he received a huge outpouring of support. And in some ways, it seems like his misfortune was actually a blessing in disguise.
“It’s weird, people love that it’s wrecked and want me to leave it that way,” Phillips joked. Obviously, he’s already got all the replacement parts he needs to fix it up. But he’s going to leave it as is for a couple of months, anyway. And strangely enough, we can’t say that we blame him!
Photos: Hot Rod
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