My First Car: 1965 Ford Mustang, Grant Gramling, 15, St. Petersburg

'65 Ford Mustang

When I was 10, I asked my dad if we could get an old Mustang, fix it up, then when I was old enough it would be my car to drive. My dad got really excited because he always wanted a Mustang. My dad's friend told him he knew of a 1965 Mustang for sale in Tampa. I really liked the car when I saw it so we bought it. Originally it was Wimbledon White, but it needed a paint job so I chose Rangoon Red. Over the years, my dad showed me how to restore the car. I've taken the whole car apart and fixed it up. It has a 289 V-8 engine and a Cruise-O-Matic transmission. We just rebuilt the engine and installed it last summer. I had a lot of fun with my dad working on the car and winning awards at car shows. Now I am 15 and ready to drive it to St. Pete High next year, after I get an air conditioner.