Freshly Detailed Fox Barn Find Sold To Help An Elderly Couple Return Home

The crew at WD Detailing loves to share its passion for cars by documenting the clean-up of long-suffering rides and telling the stories behind them. When Founder and Owner RJ Wagner’s friend Matt Haught agreed to purchase a Fox Mustang from an elderly couple in need, the detailing project took on a far more personal mission.

Robin and Cynthia Schurdell, who put their long-stored 1983 Mustang up for sale to help fund critical home repairs after living for years without a working furnace. Wagner first encountered the car while picking it up from their property, where it had been sitting for roughly two decades inside a packed garage. Haught’s purchase of the Mustang would help the couple raise money so they could return home, and once Wagner learned more about their situation, the scope of the project expanded.

“…Our good friend Matt, who contacted us and said, ‘Hey, I’m going to be buying this car to help this family out.’ And so, we told them that we would like to help fund their new furnace,” Wagner explained. “So, we are going to pull the car out. Matt’s going to buy it from them. We’re going to show them and then let them know that we are going to be doubling the amount of money that Matt is buying the car, so that they can finally come home and live in their own house.”

The Mustang itself was a typical survivor. Originally a V6 car, it had been converted to a period-correct, carbureted 5.0-liter V8, rated at 175 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque. Time and storage conditions had taken their toll on the droptop. The interior was heavily moldy, the engine bay showed signs of rodent activity, the keys were missing, and oxidation dulled the red paint. Despite that, the car remained largely intact and worth saving.

The WD Detailing team handled the cleanup, starting with clearing debris and sanitizing the interior before moving on to the engine bay and exterior. The work focused on making the 1983 Mustang presentable again. A careful polish brought life back to the original paint and set the stage for the car’s next chapter.

“…Although this is not my favorite Mustang that’s ever been made, I am really excited to polish this vehicle because the paint is actually in decent shape,” Wagner confessed as the detailing progressed. “I know it doesn’t look great right now, but compared to some of the other vehicles that we work on, the condition is actually nice.”

After the detailing was complete, Wagner delivered the Mustang to the rehabilitation center where the Schurdells were staying and surprised them with a look at the refreshed Fox. 

However, Wagner didn’t just clean up the car; he donated an additional $3,000 on top of what Haught paid for the Mustang and enlisted a friend in the HVAC business who offered free labor to help get the home’s furnace repaired. What began as an intense detailing job not only helped save a fallen Fox but also allowed a couple to safely return to their home.