There will be no article about the late Jim Dent’s cars, but Wally K. feels a great debt to him for his ‘65 Mustang. Wally and wife Rene bought the car about three years ago for their son Garrett. Their son liked the looks of these early “pony cars” and Wally liked the idea of his son driving a classic to and from Nevada Union. The one he bought had decent paint and a good interior, but the in-line 6 engine needed work. That is where fellow Roamin Angel Jim came into the picture. He sold him a rebuilt 289 CID V-8 with a Ford-O-Matic trans from a ‘66 Mustang. Then, with Wally’s help, he pulled the old engine and trans and put in the new one. After that, they rebuilt the front suspension and converted the drum brakes from the smaller, four-lug hubs used with the six-cylinder engine to the heftier, five-lug ones used with a V-8. Finally, they swapped the four-lug rear end for a five-lug one. Jim refused to accept any payment for his work. Tragically, Jim died from an accident while working on his own garage. Not long afterwards, the car had an electrical fire that necessitated a repaint and rewire, but the mechanical work done by Jim is still working well. Since his son is going to be heading for college this year, Wally and Rene bought him a newer car with modern conveniences and safety features. Wally now has the Mustang and enjoys driving it around town. Every time he does, he remembers Jim and the type of guy he was. He helped many people and took charge of hauling the Roamin Angels’ scholarship engine to different venues, selling raffle tickets to help students. Wally’s Mustang is just part of Jim’s legacy.

First produced in mid-1964, Mustang was the first “pony car:” small, sporty cars with long hoods and short decks. Their looks and inexpensive price made them an instant hit, causing other companies to quickly follow with their own “pony cars.”

Bucket seats were standard on Mustangs, adding to their sporty image. The dash is rather Spartan, but Wally has added a CD player, as well as changing to seat belts with shoulder harnesses and to a modern steering wheel.

The 200 HP V-8 engine has much more pep than the original six, but this Mustang has no extras like P/S, P/B or A/C. But Wally says it is still a fun car to drive.

Story & photos by Ron C. ©2008