Joe Grippo's 1970 Mustang

[Joe Grippo]

I have really enjoyed reading about everyone's stuff in the project car section, so I thought I'd finally jump into the fray. I will start at the beginning and roll up to about 1996 then jump around some.....

In 1978 my Dad sold his 70 Mach 1, I was devastated, and so I vowed at 9 years old I would have my own Mustang some day. That day came in 1985. After years of saving birthday money, cutting lawns, shoveling snow and doing any odd job I could find, I was ready to go shopping. Amazingly, I had put together a nice car fund for a 16 year old but my Dad wanted us to put the car together ourselves. I remember him saying "You will appreciate it more if you do it yourself." He was right. I have owned my Mustang for 25 years. Time flies.

Here is what we drove home for 400 bucks in the Fall of '85...





Yes, I had a clone before they were cool. I looked at a few real Mach 1's but the price was always bit too much. But one day on tip from a friend we looked at this well used '70 Sportsroof with a good running 2v 302. I knew this was my car.

After we drove it home body worked commenced in our little garage over the winter of 85-86. A few patch panels on the 1/4'ers, a junkyard passenger door, banged out a few dents, some mechanical fixes and we were on our way.





I would not have this car if was not for my fathers help and guidance in those early years. One of the best things he did for me was teaching and not just doing. This car and my brothers Maverick later on helped create a life long bond beyond father and sons to one of friendship that continues till today. In fact, tomorrow we will all be playing around at Maple Grove Raceway, doing some bracket racing!

Anyway, this is what I started driving in the Summer of 1986...




I was broke and the insurance was killing me but I had my Mustang.

First time at the track, spring of '87, the tired 302 could only muster low 17's but I was Drag Racing!!

[Joe Grippo]

The Mustang was my daily driver through high school and college...Over those years I rebuilt and swapped in my first engine (351W) and had it running mid 13's. But I was bit hard by the racing bug. So when I started making some real money in the mid 90's I went through the car again. This time I called in some professionals. Over a few years I did the roll bar, frame connectors, a few rears and a transmission. Our amateur body work was no match for the years of abuse from the Philadelphia streets and the car needed some attention.






Yikes.

That's a quick thumbnail of my history of my Mustang and me...I will periodically through in some photos and text of the many upgrades I've done over the years...Thanks for checkin' it out.

Early July 2010....

[Schtauffer]

Nice car, glad you're the kind that gets 'em and hangs on to 'em. Hope to bump into you at the 'Grove sometime.

[82z]

Love the car. Great story,Looking forward to updates.

[ksj1]

Dayum!! Nice job and Im sure you are glad you still have it.

[stage1scott]

Hey Joe, great story-love the pics, then to now. That thing looks great doing wheelstands nowadays, but how do you drive it and get those great photos? I have seen your other photography, and now your mustang-very nice!

[milner351]

Joe -

We absolutely positively have to meet some day! Our stories are very similar - even the time line - but there is one glaring difference.... Your Dad is a role model in the car hobby, and I envy you for that. I Love my Dad very much and he's a role model for sure - but doesn't know a darned thing about cars - so it was me and Mr E the auto tech teacher at high school on my car, also a '70, but it was a mach1 351c-4v 4spd, that had been recently painted the "new" mustang color medium canyon red, the original color was gold, and it had the unfortunate cinnamon interior color. One of these days I'll have to dig up the old color prints of that car - after wrecking, stripping, and selling it, then putting it's power train in a '70 boss302 shell and resurrecting the car from a shell to a driver, then having to sell that (with #s matching boss302 engine ready to assemble) as part of my divorce in 2000, I've buried the pictures in boxes after moving a few times...

I'm babbling - Love your car, Love your story, Love your pictures!

[Bamfster]

Joe, it sounds like we led parallel lives during those years ... That is by far my favorite year/body of all of the Mustangs. Nice work!

[Blazerteam]

Great story ;).My dad wasnt interested in helping,and couldnt..your dad,he sure did good.

[yogreasygramma]

My story doesn't exactly echo yours, but we are the exact same age and love the exact same Mustang (though a 69 is equally nice, in my opinion), and at the same time (1985) I was considering getting my first car and my mom bought me a nice album about Mustangs and I so lusted after a Boss 302 (of course, not enough money for that) but ended up getting a more "practical" car, a 78 Datsun B210, which I immediately went about restoring. Imagine taking your senior prom date in a B210...LOL. But that was it. I was not able to get or keep a dream car because of my constant moving (Army brat) and so my dream to get a nice 69-70 Sportsroof Stang remains that - a dream. I might even be priced out of the market by now, but I do love those cars. Thanks for sharing and keep us updated!