- Story by Sean McIntyre Photographs by Don Denton

Colwood91裸聊视频檚 Shawn Kosmuk never considered himself a Mustang fan, but instinct and circumstance had other plans. For the past seven years, Shawn has been hard at work rebuilding a vintage 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1. With the car nearly restored to its original state, he91裸聊视频檚 prepared to concede he may have a little Mustang blood in his veins after all.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e been into cars my whole life, but I91裸聊视频檝e never typically been a Mustang guy. I just like that body style, and everybody says 1969 is the year to have if you91裸聊视频檙e going to have one,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淚 see cars as art and this one looks beautiful to me.91裸聊视频�

Shawn may not have realized it at the time, but his connection to the classic car started when he was a child, watching 196891裸聊视频檚 Oscar-winning Bullitt. The movie features actor Steve McQueen driving a 1968 Mustang in what film critic Emanuel Levy called 91裸聊视频渙ne of the most exciting car chases in film history, a sequence that revolutionized Hollywood91裸聊视频檚 standards.91裸聊视频� The 11-minute ride through the streets of San Fransisco is widely thought to have cemented the film91裸聊视频檚 status as an instant classic.

Shawn may not be burning rubber and squealing turns amidst local landmarks like Fisherman91裸聊视频檚 Wharf and the Coit Tower, but he91裸聊视频檚 having a great time making do with the hills and curves of Southern Vancouver Island.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 an absolute joy to go up around these hills. It smells and feels like you91裸聊视频檙e getting into a race car, and it91裸聊视频檚 just so freeing 91裸聊视频� you just go out for a cruise and listen to the engine,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淚 have so much fun driving it that it91裸聊视频檚 hard to find time to do the work on it.91裸聊视频�

Shawn figures he91裸聊视频檚 completed about 98 per cent of his restoration but jokes that work on a classic car is never really finished. He began working on it about seven years ago, when he picked it up near his former home near Caroline, Alberta, about 60 kilometres southwest of Red Deer. The car91裸聊视频檚 previous owner acquired it from a Seattle resident, but no longer had the time and energy to commit to what promised to be a massive restoration project.

91裸聊视频淲hen I got it it was half yellow and half black. The original colour was lime green,91裸聊视频� he says.

Shawn filled garbage bag after garbage bag with peelings from 11 layers of paint as he got down to bare metal. He carved out corrosion and welded in new rear-quarter panels, straightened out what appeared to be some minor collision damage on the front end and completely rebuilt the car91裸聊视频檚 395-horsepower engine.

When he moved to the coast about two years ago, the Mustang was one of the few personal possessions Shawn brought with him from the prairies. The result is a near-fully-restored classic muscle car that91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频檚 attracting attention across the West Shore.

91裸聊视频淎nytime I stop, I91裸聊视频檓 constantly getting thumbs up and whistled at,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a typical muscle car. It91裸聊视频檚 a little bit loud, and it likes to go fast.91裸聊视频�

Since the Mustang has its original suspension and drum brakes, driving it serves up one heck of a workout. And despite the car91裸聊视频檚 sleek exterior, Shawn says, its handling characteristics require a 91裸聊视频渟pecial touch91裸聊视频� behind the wheel 91裸聊视频� something that91裸聊视频檚 given Shawn a new appreciation for how far car technology has evolved in the 50 years since this car first hit the road.

91裸聊视频淚 can91裸聊视频檛 imagine what things were like before this because they thought this was amazing for its time,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 fun to drive, but it91裸聊视频檚 also a good reminder of how far we91裸聊视频檝e come in such little time.91裸聊视频�