Johnson's Pony Corral

[David Burkart]

There are pony car buffs who dabble in Mustangs who we can still consider Stangers. Then there's Jeffrey Johnson.

The man breathes Stang. If one were to poke a pin in Johnson's flesh, he could potentially bleed Mustang. His first was a '73 coupe he scored from his brother. "My mom taught me how to drive it," said Johnson. "I was hooked."

The car was eventually sold, but Johnson had tasted Stang and ten years later, he was hungry. He bought the '73 back from its buyer. Its condition was "poor," but Johnson couldn't pass up the sentimental value. He saved it.

Another ten years passed and Johnson's '73 was stripped and his pockets empty. 20 years had passed since he first drove the Stang so he needed paint. But, again, he was broke. Life in the Mustang world started to look hopeless until Johnson saw an ad for a contest from his cable company. The prize? A 1968 Mustang convertible. "I told everybody that I was going to win the car,? said Johnson. "So I filled out entries every day after work."

His determination paid off. Johnson was chosen as a finalist. This would be the easiest muscle car acquisition next to vehicle theft: he needed to pick a key out of a hat. If his started the Stang, he took it home. "My key worked," recalls Johnson. "Whoopi! It was mine!"

A lot of enthusiasts would sell their house for a classic drop-top. Johnson sold his '68 to paint the torn down coupe that still sat in his driveway. With a friend's help, he's been able to show the car in Concours and pull away Silver.

In 2004, the prototype for the s197 was unveiled. "I fell in love with the car and decided to get a 2005 GT," said Johnson. Not wanting to repeat the arduous hours he spent with the '73, he decided to have the factory do it and ordered to spec. Even this wasn't distinctive enough for Johnson. "I wanted something unique to go with the car, so I sent an oversized "Congratulations" card to the factory and everybody that helped build the car signed."

Johnson's wife also shows a Gold-winning '94 convertible in the Daily Driver division. With his dream girl and dream cars, the sky's the limit. From the beginning, he's stuck with Mustangs, and with three in his driveway, we're proud he's keeping it all in the family!

For additional photos of Johnson's pony corral, please visit the StangPlanet Featured Rides Gallery.