Hey Sam, what?s up with the ?was? stuff?? I?m STILL a cool guy! 
Yep, it?s me, comin? at ya from the Land Down Under. 
I got an email from Stewwie, and figured that I should drop into M&M and see what?s been happening, and say hi.Actually, I do lurk here from time to time, but I?ve been so busy over the last year I just haven?t really had the time to post and participate. I know, I know, bad Ian. 
Don?t feel bad though, I stopped posting EVERYWHERE, not just M&M. This is still the best Mustang board on the Net!!!
In relation to the article, I provided Jeff Bauer of MM&FF with a bunch of info in July/August when he contacted me and said he was going to do an article on Mustang Pace Car internet sites. I guess he figured that I had provided enough info to do a whole article, as from what I?ve heard from some of my buds the article is basically all about my site!! Soooo cool.
The only crappy thing is that I can?t even get the mag over here in Australia!!! A couple of mates back home have already picked up a copy or two for me, so I?ll get them when I come over for my vacation in December/January.
In the meantime, check it out? I?m a celebrity!! Ok, I'll stop gloating now.
I gave Stewwie a bit of an update in my reply to his email, so I?ll ad some of that in here for your reading pleasure as well.
Things are going really well for us down here. Corrine and I have both got good jobs, found a nice little place to live, and are getting out to explore bits of Australia on a fairly regular basis (just got back from the Whitsunday Islands last week... gorgeous!). As for the weather? it?s bloody fantastic!! The people here are great too. Very friendly and will go out of their way to make you feel at home. We?ve got some good friends here now, which is helping it feel more like home all the time.
The only downside at the moment is that I don?t have a Mustang. They are fairly expensive over here, with a basic 65-68 coupe in good driver condition pulling in $20-25K (Aussie dollars, worth about $0.75US). I could pick the same car up in Canada for less than $15,000. A 69 Mach I will run anywhere from $40,000 to $90,000+, depending on condition and engine (big blocks, of course, command the hi-end prices). With all the expenses associated with the move and getting set up, I just can?t justify spending that much on a toy at the moment.
I have considered getting a classic Falcon GT (XY-GT, preferably), but haven?t found the right one yet. My other idea is to purchase 3 or 4 Mustangs back in Canada, ship them over here and then sell three to finance the one I want to keep. It would work well in theory, but I have to find a way to float $50,000K for about 6 months to cover all the costs and such until I can get the cars landed and ready for sale. It?s a bit of an ask, but a friend and I are working on it, and should have something in the works by mid-next year. It?ll be 2 years in January since I sold my Pace Car (I miss that bloody car!), so it?s about time I got back into the Mustang scene, I think!
In the meantime I?ve been out to a few automotive events, including car show, track events and gymkhanas with the local AC Cobra club, and a few Mustang owners I know. Unfortunately, the local Mustang club is full of a bunch of tossers who think that their s**t don?t stink, and have driven away most of the regular folks who have managed to get their hands on a Mustang at some point. That said, owning a Mustang down here does make you a bit of a celebrity, that?s for sure!
Corrine and I are coming back to Canada for a visit in December and January, so we are really looking forward to that. We?ll be there for about 5 weeks, and will get to spend time with our families, and a lot of our friends back there. It?s going to be so great to see everyone again! That?s the only downside to this move? being so far away from everyone. The good thing is that if things keep going as well as they have career-wise, I should have no problems affording a trip back every year or two!
I?ll try and post here more often, though I?m gonna be flat-out between now and when we leave. I?ll still try and keep everyone updated a bit more though. Thanks for the recognition Stewart? it was great to hear from you!
Talk with ya soon mates!
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Cheers,
Ian
M&M Member #395
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Former owner of 1979 Mustang Indy 500 Pace Car #9R03F480505
Ian's Pace Car Website
Vancouver Island Mustang Association Website
Indy Pace Car Registry of Mustangs Official Website
"A friend will bail you out of jail after you do something stupid... a real friend will be sitting beside you saying 'That was SO COOL!!'".
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posted 11-11-2004 06:15 PM
