Classic Mustang Community Pulls Together to Help One of Its Own

Story by Day Scovel (dazecars)
FordMuscle Technical Contributor

I have known for quite some time that Mustang owners, and classic car owners in general, are good people. As a whole, they are very giving of their time and knowledge. Through this giving nature, those who have been in this hobby for many years help those new to the hobby, allowing it to grow and flourish. But their generosity is not strictly information related. I was recently reminded of just how generous classic car owners can be when the members of FYI Ford, one of the many Mustang forums on the Internet, worked together to help out one of the forum’s regular members, Billy Walton. I have known Billy for many years and he is a really good guy. He spends his working hours serving the people of his home town in Georgia as a police officer with the K-9 unit and his off hours with friends, family and, of course, his 66 Mustang.

Our story does not begin with Billy but rather his dad, Mack Walton. Mack was a propane salesman and, as part of his job, drove a truck making propane deliveries. One of the houses on his route was the home of an older couple that had an old 66 Mustang sitting in the yard. When Mack inquired about the car, he found out that it had been sitting there for about 20 years but, in spite of its disrepair, the owners did not want to part with it. Not to be dissuaded, from time to time while making his delivery, Mack would ask the couple if they had changed their minds but the answer was always the same resounding “noâ€Â.

Several years passed and even after the old man died, the old woman would still not part with the car. On one of Mack’s deliveries to the house, Mack was visiting with the old woman about the car and had already gotten his routine “no†but she continued to tell him that the reason the car was so important to her was that her departed husband had purchased it new for her birthday in 1966. There were so many memories tied up in that car that even after it was no longer running, they simply could not bear to part with it. Then she told Mack something unexpected, especially after years of hearing that the car was not for sale. She said, “ If I ever do decide to sell the car, you will get the first offer.â€Â

In 1997 after 10 years of making deliveries and periodically asking about the Mustang, one day, as Mack was filling the propane tank, the older woman came out to Mack and told him he could buy the car “if and only if†he promised to never sell it. He agreed to her terms and they struck a price of $500.00. As Mack was hauling it home, he was offered $1000.00 for the car but, true to his word, Mack declined the offer saying the car would not be for sale.

Several years passed and Mack spent many hours working on the car. Billy also helped and together they got the motor and transmission out and got them rebuilt and reinstalled. One day as they were working on the car, Billy mentioned to his father that the car really needed new floor pans. The answer Billy got from his father was, “One day when you own it you can put them in… I just want to get it running.†With that being the case, Billy figured it would be many years before the car would ever have new floor pans.

Suddenly in March of 2002, at the age of 71, Mack passed away. At the funeral, Billy’s mom told Billy that the Mustang was now his . When Billy brought his Mustang home, it was running but still needed a lot of work including those “new floor boards.†Not having much experience with Fords and realizing there was a lot of work still to be done, Billy did an Internet search on classic Mustang restoration and found www.mustangsteve.com, which led him to FYI Ford, MustangSteve’s forum. As Billy’s Mustang project progressed, he asked lots of questions and became a regular on the forum and part of the family there. Once the car was “finishedâ€Â, Billy drove it often and every time he did, he felt a connection to his father.

With the economy being in such trouble recently, like so many others, Billy was forced to file bankruptcy. Despite his best efforts, the Mustang was at risk being considered a luxury. Consequently, he was informed that the car would be sold at auction. When Billy found out that he was going to lose the last connection to his father, he told his “family†on the forum what was happening. When Billy made the post he was just letting the members there know what was going on with him and was simply looking for a kind word and some encouragement. What he ended up with was a chance to keep his car.

A post was made by another forum member with the idea that the forum regulars should all put some money together and buy the car as a group so that Billy could keep it. Reading this, Steve Wilkes AKA MustangSteve, immediately pledged $1000 to the cause and asked that anyone who was willing/able contribute what they could, no matter how big or small. Billy contacted his attorney and the auctioneer and found out that the car could be saved for $5,000.00. Despite the economic difficulties most people are facing, over 50 individuals stepped up and made donations anywhere from $25.00 to $250.00 and together raised the $5000.00 needed so Billy could keep his car. In fact, the response was so overwhelming that more than enough money was raised and refund checks had to be issued to all the contributors with their percentage of the extra money.

There is no doubt in my mind, as I am sure there is not doubt in Billy’s mind, there is something wonderful about this hobby and the connections we make to people because of it. I know from personal experience that this act of kindness shown to Billy Walton is not an isolated incident. Classic car owners in general really are good people. They will help you in any way they can.