NECESSITY // ALI MACGRAW & MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH THE MUSTANG

After what I admit was an unnecessary amount of hype, I'd like to introduce everyone to the new ColdTrackDays project car, Ali MacGraw. Named after Steve McQueen's second wife, Ali MacGraw is, as I am sure you can tell, a 1998 Ford Mustang GT. She is Pacific Green Metallic in color, has a 4.6L V8 with a five-speed manual transmission, tan leather interior and enough horsepower to bother the neighbors and scare the girlfriend... [read more]

For those of you that know me, a Mustang is nothing new. My first car was a fire engine red 1995 Ford Mustang with a 3.8L V6 and a five-speed transmission. After a few short months however, I felt the need to upgrade and soon found myself with two Mustangs parked in the driveway, both of which were red. The new addition, a 1994 Mustang GT, was powered by a 5.0L V8 and was euqipped with a five-speed transmission, gray leather interior and a set of 17x8 Cobra wheels.

The love affair did not last long however, as late in October of 2003, while leaving a pre-Halloween party, I managed to stuff the front end of my Mustang into the side of a parked car, at 60 mph... Dressed as our favorite Gonzo journalist (I did mention the Halloween party, right?), I exited the car, collected my citation and watched as my beloved Mustang was towed away.

The car was determined to be a total loss and after buying it back from the insurance company for $1500, I parked her in a covered garage space where she was to sit for three long years. From there I began what was to be an endless search for a car that could make me smile as much as the Mustang did. I bought and traded my way through nearly a dozen cars. A 1968 International Scout 800, a turbocharged EG Civic, a Nissan 240SX with an imported RB20DET motor, a 1967 MG-B roadster, a 528e BMW, a handful of Jeep Cherokee's and Grand Cherokee's, and finally, having all but given up, I settled on a 1998 Volvo V70 AWD station wagon (see the SwedeWagon).

But now, after nearly six years of high insurance rates and sedate station wagons, I find myself at the wheel of yet another Mustang. The feeling is the same. The growl of the 4.6L V8. The cheap plastic interior bits. The huge doors and mediocre seats. The impracticality of it all. I love it. And while much has changed in my life since that night in October, I have to say, a familiar smile adorns my face when I merge onto Interstate-5, the sound of her V8 echoing off the walls of the underpass, up-shifting from second to third, fighting to keep all 4400lbs in control. It's like no other experience. It is raw power. It is old fashioned American engineering. It is impractical and self indulgent. Some might even say it is unnecessary. Yet few things in life that can affix a smile to your face as quickly. So with that, I am proud to introduce everyone to Ali MacGraw. She will be our companion, our project and potentially our ride to the Indy 500...

Stay tuned!

Photo/Editorial: Justin Coffey