Owner: Sal Barakat Words & Photos: Clive Branson
As they slipped the covers off its body during its inaugural car show in 1968, heads must have turned, mouths dropped, people walked into each other and conversations probably halted in mid-sentence. This was not your typical tool of transportation. As I gaze at it, its slippery sleekness looks like it arrived from another planet, a shape that only the wind could mold. Its black cloak of paint gives the impression of illicit pleasure. And when the ignition is turned on, its rumble is more akin to something that would emerge from a garage at Le Mans. In my opinion, this 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback is one of the most captivating Mustangs I’ve seen in the five years I’ve been photographing cars, and it took Sal Barakat three years to restore it from bins of body parts.
“I always wanted a ‘60’s muscle car,” Sal explains, “and I was searching for something different online. I was particularly interested in the ’67-’68 Mustangs, since they were such an iconic symbol of the ‘60’s, especially after watching movies like Bullit with Steve McQueen, but so many were out of my price range.”
Sal started looking at various websites and noticed how a growing number of guys were restoring cars instead of buying them finished or in driving condition. He found such a car on Kijiji, or what was left of it, and called his friend Trevor Archibald, who was in the midst of building a ’72 BMW 2002, to accompany him to Sudbury – a distance of 300 miles and a drive of over five hours from Ottawa.
“As Trevor and I drove off, I forgot to mention to my wife that the car of my dreams was a ‘basket case.’ The Mustang had been sorely neglected for so long that it was just a shell of its former self. What wasn’t on the car was in bins,” recalls Sal. By the time they reached Sudbury, it was 11:30 p.m. “The owner told me that the car drove off the dealership floor in Florida, migrated to Toronto and, years later, ended up in Sudbury. We loaded what remained of the car on a trailer with all the numerous bins and returned home. The wife was none too keen on what she saw.
“As you can imagine, the car needed a complete restoration. I replaced the engine with a fuel-injected 302 out of a 1990 Mustang.”
The project was definitely a group effort. “The boys from Kars Restoration as well as Jimmy Brown, who rebuilt the engine, and my friends Pat Zucco and Bill Beatty, Ford technicians, assisted me with their knowledge of Ford EEC IV wiring and computer issues. The bodywork took the longest because I was doing it bit-by-bit through the years. I can remember the night we got it started and running. The car was still without fenders, lights or an interior, but we were so anxious we drove it down a country road while sitting on plastic milk crates cheering and yelling while Bill, holding a flashlight out the window, lit the road ahead. You know, the car might not have changed me, but it solidified friendships among those who worked on it.”
Sal mentions that the paint is the hardest part to maintain. “In Ottawa, the roads are not so great and always laden with gravel. The original paint was red and had its coat changed a few times, but it looks best in black. It’s such a strong statement.”
It definitely commands attention. “I often get the ‘thumbs up’ salute, a lot of smiles and compliments and people asking whether the car is for sale, but the greatest pleasure is owning such a classic car. My Mustang represents a personal achievement. Starting with very little, I was able to make it what it is with the help of my friends. I have great memories of us working on the car at night and gradually seeing it come together. Of course, I’m not the only fan. Taking my kids out in the car in the summer is probably the best part, because they absolutely love it. Now I’m actually eager to build more.”
I ask whether Sal’s kids will inherit his loyalty to classic cars. “As for the future of the hobby, I think cars from the past will always be alluring to people of all ages. I can think back when I was a kid and older guys owned cars from way back when. In my eyes, those guys were cool because of their cars and the stories associated with them. The cars are a link to the past and should not be forgotten. New generations of kids will have the favourites from their youth to admire and build, whether those be ‘Rice Rockets’ or tuner cars. They appreciate what they had growing up, what their dads or uncles fixed and owned. I would hope the hobby of car restoration, cruise nights and car shows continues forever!”
