Son was housesitting for his father when he went on a brief run, where tragedy then befell his dad’s 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback.
If you’ve ever watched someone’s house for them while they were out of town, they probably told you things to the effect of, “Don’t forget to feed Mittens at 7 a.m. and 6 p.m.” or “Make sure you only water the indoor plants every other day.” Housesitting is usually pretty easy and straightforward. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for a 27-year-old man in New Zealand.
According to the New Zealand Herald, Zek Campey’s father went overseas and left Campey in charge of watching his house in the town of Ashburton. As he left the country, he also left behind a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback sitting in his garage. Campey and his girlfriend left the house one afternoon to take the dog for a walk and returned to a scene of disarray. The gate was open, the doors were unlocked, and a window had been smashed. It was clear to Campey that someone had robbed the house.
To make things worse, they also ransacked the drawers, eventually finding the keys to the garage. They soon gained access to the Mustang and drove off with it. When Campey called his father with the terrible news, the elder Campey had a relatable reaction. His son said, “He just took a few moments to clear his head. He took the phone away and I think he said a few swear words. He came back to it and he was pretty calm about it.”
The good news is that people on social media told Campey they spotted the Mustang out and about after he posted news of its theft. As of right now, it hasn’t been recovered. Let’s hope authorities track it down before it’s wrecked or chopped up for parts.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
