Dreams seem to have their own mass, derived from the devotion of the dreamer. Cherish one long enough and hard enough and its gravity will draw you in. Sometimes it’s a lot of work and a long time before that trajectory becomes apparent.
Take the Lawman Mustang on these pages. You saw it last month and learned its story. How Ford used it as a morale booster for troops serving in Southeast Asia, improved road safety among returning vets, and sold a few new cars in the bargain. The way it wound up restored is a testament to how dreams can work out in unlikely ways.
Marcus Anghel, owner of Anghel Restorations in Scottsdale, Arizona, has long been a fan of the Lawman.“I followed this car for years.
I never thought I’d have the opportunity to restore it.”
Nor is Marcus the natural choice for such a restoration. He’s a Mustang guru, yes: A Mustang Club of America National Gold Card Judge and National Head Judge for the Shelby American Automobile Club. He’s renowned for his knowledge of 1969-’71 Boss Mustangs. Thanks to that, he has his choice of projects to take on. Typically, he restores these Mustangs back to stock—which is how his clients generally like them. People, as Marcus says, who “want them Day One, the way they were in the showroom.
”Admittedly, 21st-century circumstances being what they are, he’s had to embrace certain departures from showroom-stock for cars meant to be driven extensively. These are always hidden things, though, like a five-speed where a four-speed once resided, or a vintage radio rehabilitated with a Bluetooth receiver concealed inside.
A heavily worn drag car was a pony of a different color, as it were.