As you know by now, I love cars and the story behind them. Sometimes, those stories can make you fall in love with a vehicle that may otherwise not fit your bill. Below is one example!

I am the proud owner of a 1983 Ford Mustang GT! While I am a fan of Fox Body Mustangs, 1983 would not be the year I would choose, nor would bright red with black stripes be my preferred paint scheme. It would not be a hatchback either, which mine is, but I LOVE that car! I would have to be living in it before I would be living without it! Why, you ask? Well, I have known the car since it was brand new! My Father’s friend Mike bought this car when I was eight. The salesman was Rick Muck, who happens to be the previous owner of Time Machines Motorsports! From there, it went to Mike’s sister-in-law and then to my Father in 1992! I was a sophomore in high school, and that car was fantastic! The sound of the 5.0 engine was unmistakable, and the bright red paint code striped with black was an eye-catcher!

It was that car dad, and I did our first autocross in! It was about 30 years ago, and that day is still one of the highlights when I look back. Dad had felt the car needed more power and installed headers, a nasty cam, and some aluminum Edelbrock heads onto a roller cam block. I took that car to my junior prom and felt like a king! She was sounding loud and proud!

We took that car to our very first track day at Watkins Glen. That was it; we were hooked and on our way to many more track days, which led to road racing with the SCCA and NASA! It was at a high-performance driving event, again at Watkins Glen, where we met some great new friends. The clutch broke on the Mustang, and not being the kind of people to go home due to a bit of car trouble, we had decided to pull the transmission out of the car at night in the parking lot of the Seneca Lodge. We were determined to get our laps in the next day. Working in the parking lot drew a small crowd of interested car guys to give us the necessary heckling, encouragement, and a few cold beverages to “help” us out. Jeff Janik was one of those guys. He eventually joined Dad and me in many races as our crew chief, primarily as our friend. He has since passed, and I miss him dearly.

My Father gave me that car a few years ago, bringing tears to my eyes. I gave it a much-needed repaint and engine refresh, and I am looking forward to letting it bring me back in time as my family and I get to put some miles on it this year. Every time I look at that car, a flood of memories goes zooming through my mind.

And THAT is why I love that car!

Greg Kuter
Owner at Time Machines Motorsports