by Michael Golubiewski
Production Editor

Michele Iveson of Kingston owns this week’s Ride of the Week, a 2002 Ford Mustang. Iveson, 22, says it’s the second Mustang she has owned. The Mustang is Ford’s third oldest nameplate in production and is currently in its fifth generation. (The ’stang trails only the F-series pickup trucks and the Ford Falcon, which, while not available in the United States, is still in production in Australia).

The Mustang was unveiled to the public at the New York World’s Fair on April 17, 1964. It has been in production ever since and is credited with creating the “pony car” class of American automobile, defined as a sports car-like coupe with long hoods and short rear decks.

Iveson says her Mustang was originally yellow and black before she began investing more than $14,000 in the vehicle. The most noticeable change to the car was the exterior paint job, which is now Custom Candy Pink with Diamondize embellishments throughout to make it stand out even more. Iveson has also added an after-market suspension system, oversize rotors, 20-inch chrome wheels and after-market headlights and taillights. Iveson says that she is not stopping there, though: She is in the process of upgrading the motor to a Cobra and plans to upgrade and refurbish the car’s interior.

Iveson’s Mustang belongs to the fourth generation of the car, which lasted from 1994-2004. The 2002 model year was the year the Mustang became the best-selling convertible in America.

The base engine Iveson will upgrade was a 3.8-liter OHV 6-cylinder that features a 96.5 mm bore, 96.4 mm stroke and a 9.4 compression ratio. It’s capable of 228 lbs/ft of torque. The rear-wheel drive Mustang features modified MacPherson Strut front suspension and four-bar link rear suspension along with power rack and pinion steering. The Mustang is capable of doing 0-60 miles per hour in 6.0 seconds.

Be sure to check out Michele Iveson’s pink Mustang cruising through the streets of the Wyoming Valley.