Sad, sad '69 Grande

In the fall of 1968 my aunt brought home a nicely equipped new 1969 Grande (351-4V, automatic, a/c, etc) in the same blue and same wire wheels as the photo, but no vinyl roof. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven just riding in it until a couple of years later when I got to drive it. I was nearly addicted to the chirp under hard acceleration on the 1-2 shift. Suffice it to say that car cemented my Mustang love. Also, my aunt had an every morning run to pick up newspapers at the rail depot then distribute them to the various nearby towns. At 90k miles in 4 years, she traded it in and that Mustang was later totaled in a garage fire.

Fast forward, a year or so after we moved to the desert 20 years ago, a neighbor brought home this car from Barrett-Jackson in Phoenix. It was spotless, with less than 65k miles. It was the wife's dream car. As far as I could tell, over the years they never drove it beyond around the block infrequently. It mostly sat where you see it now, in full sun, collecting dust. I did stop to chat with them when I'd see them outside. No, no intention of ever selling the car. We've since moved so I don't see it every time I leave the house now.

From this distance, it doesn't look too bad... but don't zoom in. You'll see the vinyl roof peeling up and the paint fading where it's been blasted by wind and sun. But I got a picture because I wanted to commemorate this beautiful automobile, and it's near-twin being the beginning of my love for Mustangs.

Sad, for sure. After having seen this same thing happen here in the relentless Texas sun a few times, my prediction is that the car will continue to sit there and deteriorate until it's in such bad shape that it will require a full restoration. That will be beyond the owners' capabilities and budget. They'll sell the car at a fire-sale price to some joker who will do a minimal patch-job on it and then offer it up on CraigsList or FB Marketplace or eBay as a "fully restored" car. Some unknowing sucker will pay top dollar for it, and then discover that they've been "had". I sincerely hope I'm wrong!