We're always amazed to see just how far around the world Ford enthusiasts exist. We've received subscriptions from all over Europe, South America, and from US military stationed in the Middle East. However the most notable subscription came in last month from Jerusalem, Israel.
Here, in the West, where the news regarding places like Israel is focussed almost entirely on the the politics of the region, it is hard to believe that a hobby so "American" could be a point of commonality. Therefore we felt it a duty to share Roy Maimaran's 1968 Mustang.
Roy has lived in Jerusalem all his life, and gained a passion for the American Mustang at an early age. In 2004 he found a 1968 Mustang in Israel from a previous owner who had imported it from the US. It was in rough shape, with no drivetrain or interior and desert-weathered paint. Most enthusiasts in the lower-48 would turn their backs on such a find, but Roy knew there weren't going to be many chances to find an otherwise straight pony-car near the Mediterranean. He picked it up and rest is history.
If it weren't for Roy's accent you wouldn't be able to distinguish Roy from an American FordMuscle-er. When I first spoke with him my interests were of his pursuit of the hobby in the birth place of western religion. However he determined the priorities to be his anticipated 5.0L head swap and roller cam conversion! Without a doubt the universal language of Ford horsepower prevailed.
Roy, who calls his Mustang "Alice in Wonderland", and goes by "MusclePoney" on the forums, has managed to locate and install all the typical hardware that we'd bolt-on to a 68 Mustang here in the states. He has a 5.0L carbed motor, a new TCI AOD transmission, headers and x-pipe.
Roy was kind enough to snap some pics of his Mustang near the Old City. The pictures are truly remarkable, considering that the backdrops are structures like the famed Citadel built by Herod in the 16th Century.
Roy has even prepared a nice "Americanized" video clip showing his 'stang doing things I suspect the typical Israeli youth doesn't see too often! Check it out, welcome Roy to the FM community, and we look forward to more updated on Alice.
