Ford Mustang community, our guest today is one of the most versatile racers in motorsports—Stephen Cox. He’s competed on dirt and asphalt, ovals and road courses, open wheel, stock cars, and even off-road desert racing—and he’s won in all of them. With 34 career victories, 124 Top 5 finishes, Stephen’s resume is as deep as it is diverse.

He’s also CEO of Sopwith Motorsports Television Productions, a familiar face on Fox and NBCSN, and the proud owner of Blue Thunder, a Fox-body Mustang with its own racing pedigree.

Let's talk to Stephen. Welcome to the podcast.

Ford Mustang, The Early Years Podcast

If you own a Mustang, how long have you owned your ride?

43 years

If you own a Mustang or classic car, have you named your car? If so, what is his/her name?

Blue Thunder

If you've made improvements to your classic car or restored it, what work have you done?

• Performance suspension
• Racing engine
• 5 speed, 9" rear end

What plans do you have for improvements/restoration/modification of your classic car?

New interior this winter

Links:

• Blue Thunder on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565384990613
• Blue Thunder on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/theblue_thunder_/
• McGunegill Engines - https://www.mcgunegillengines.com/
• Stifflers Engineering - https://buystifflers.com/
• Cold Case Radiators - https://www.coldcaseradiators.com

Connect with the show:

@mustangpodcast

https://www.instagram.com/mustangpodcast/

An Expert’s Guide to Maintaining Your Classic Mustang

www.TheMustangPodcast.com/repair

Sponsored by: National Parts Depot

www.npdlink.com

With 4 warehouses nationwide, you’ll get your parts fast!

Email Doug: doug@turnkeypodcast.com

"Keep it safe, keep it rollin,’ and keep it on the road. Until next time!"

Doug Sandler

Long before we get to disc brake upgrades, Shelby drops and changing gearing ratios, we've got to bake our combustible recipe. Every engine needs five things to roar to life: fuel, air, spark, compression, and timing. Miss just one, and you’re probably listening to this episode on the side of the road. Today, we break down the mechanics behind the machines—and the lessons they teach us about precision, balance, and getting it all to fire in sync. Welcome to Ford Mustang: The Early Years and Ford Trucks, the Early Years Podcasts, where today we will get you tuned up and on the road. Let's bring in our resident expert, Jonathan, welcome back to the podcast -- it's been way too long.

That’s the whole recipe for a running engine:

• Fuel – Correct amount of gasoline delivered into the cylinder.
• Air – Oxygen mixed in the right ratio with fuel for combustion.
• Spark – Ignition source (spark plug, or compression ignition in a diesel) to light the mixture.
• Compression – Pistons squeezing the air/fuel mixture to the right pressure for efficient burn.
• Timing – All of the above happen at exactly the right moment in the engine cycle.

If any one of those is missing or out of sync, the engine won’t run properly.

Connect with the show:

@mustangpodcast

https://www.instagram.com/mustangpodcast/

An Expert’s Guide to Maintaining Your Classic Mustang

www.TheMustangPodcast.com/repair

Sponsored by: National Parts Depot

www.npdlink.com

With 4 warehouses nationwide, you’ll get your parts fast!

"Keep it safe, keep it rollin’, and keep it on the road. Until next time!"

-Doug Sandler

Previously recorded poolside at my home in Ojai, California, this time he's calling in from down under -- in Australia -- meet George, owner, inventor, founder of Bangin Headlights.. Installed in both Jewel, my '65, but also Joe Jewel's little brother's, my '67 F-250.Not only is George a Classic Mustang enthusiast and owner, he’s an entrepreneur with a dream – to brighten up everyone’s road ahead. 3 years later, we are checking in.

Connect with George:

Instagram: @banginheadlights https://www.instagram.com/banginheadlights/

Link to get YOUR Bangin’ Headlights: www.TheMustangPodcast.com/headlights

Ford Mustang The Early Years Podcast (social media)

Connect with the show:

@mustangpodcast

https://www.instagram.com/mustangpodcast/

An Expert’s Guide to Maintaining Your Classic Mustang

www.TheMustangPodcast.com/repair

Sponsored by: National Parts Depot

www.npdlink.com

With 4 warehouses nationwide, you’ll get your parts fast!

"Keep it safe, keep it rollin’, and keep it on the road. Until next time!"

Doug Sandler

According to today's guest, Joycelyn Armstrong, her dad was a Ford dealer from 1970-1987. Quote, "He bought all of his children cars that were built the year we were born. I was born in 1965, and I still have my ‘65 convertible. He bought the car when I was 15, and it is my first car and still with me." Joycelyn, welcome to the Ford Mustang: The Early Years podcast.

Ford Mustang, The Early Years Podcast -- Guest Interview Application

============

If you own a Mustang, how long have you owned your ride?

45 years

If you own a Mustang or classic car, have you named your car? If so, what is his/her name?

Not yet - haha

If you've made improvements to your classic car or restored it, what work have you done?

She was restored by my brother when my dad bought it in 1980. It was powder blue and rough. She got the works. I promptly killed the motor, so she got a new motor - that’s a whole other story. The best upgrade we’re power brakes in the early 2000s. I weigh a whopping 95 lbs, so getting her to stop was a feat. I spun her 180 degrees to stop in a rainstorm and stared directly at the guy behind me. It was time.

What plans do you have for improvements/restoration/modification of your classic car?

Good question. I often ponder if she should get a facelift lift but since I haven’t, I don’t want her to look prettier than me. We look our age, and I am trying to decide if that is a bad thing. Your listeners can weigh in.

Video interview: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nKFJcPofmf2rII9SbOjQYurlHMblcHUX?usp=drive_link

Connect with the show:

@mustangpodcast

https://www.instagram.com/mustangpodcast/

An Expert’s Guide to Maintaining Your Classic Mustang

www.TheMustangPodcast.com/repair

Sponsored by: National Parts Depot

www.npdlink.com

With 4 warehouses nationwide, you’ll get your parts fast!

"Keep it safe, keep it rollin,’ and keep it on the road. Until next time!"

Doug Sandler

doug@turnkeypodcast.com

With a stable of Mustangs from all generations, David Shaffer is the envy of any loyal Mustang enthusiast. Excited to welcome back David to the podcast. David, welcome back.

Ford Mustang, The Early Years Podcast -- Guest Interview Application

============

If you own a Mustang, how long have you owned your ride?: Many

If you've made improvements to your classic car or restored it, what work have you done?: Added more cars

What plans do you have for improvements/restoration/modification of your classic car?: Keeping them - that's enough!

Connect with the show:

@mustangpodcast

https://www.instagram.com/mustangpodcast/

An Expert’s Guide to Maintaining Your Classic Mustang

www.TheMustangPodcast.com/repair

Sponsored by: National Parts Depot

www.npdlink.com

With 4 warehouses nationwide, you’ll get your parts fast!

"Keep it safe, keep it rollin’ and keep it on the road. Until next time!"

Doug Sandler

doug@turnkeypodcast.com

Welcome back, Ford Mustang community! On today’s episode of Ford Mustang, The Early Years, we are just two Baltimore boys taking a ride down memory lane with a car that’s been part of one family since it rolled off the lot—and a guest who’s giving it new life with some serious upgrades and a whole lotta love.

Meet Aaron Skipper, proud caretaker of Margaret, his classic Mustang named after the grandmother who picked the original color! From a tree incident in the ’90s to Shelby drops and dual exhausts, Aaron’s story is full of horsepower, heart, and heritage.

Let’s dive in and hear how this First Gen beauty is still turning heads and roaring strong!

Ford Mustang, The Early Years Podcast -- Guest Interview Application

============

How long have you owned your first-gen Mustang?

Been in the family since new, but took ownership of it 4 years ago

Have you named your car?

Margaret, named after my Grandmother, who chose the color of the car

If you've made improvements to your classic car or restored it, what work have you done?

Converted to a 4-barrel, headers, dual exhaust, etc. Did a Shelby drop off 1 inch? It was painted late 90s due to a tree falling on her. Interior upgrades

What plans do you have for improvements/restoration/modification of your classic car?

Needs to go back down to metal, have some bubbling issues addressed, and be repainted.

Connect with the show:

@mustangpodcast

https://www.instagram.com/mustangpodcast/

An Expert’s Guide to Maintaining Your Classic Mustang

www.TheMustangPodcast.com/repair

Sponsored by: National Parts Depot

www.npdlink.com

With 4 warehouses nationwide, you’ll get your parts fast!

"Keep it safe, keep it rollin’ and keep it on the road. Until next time!"

Doug Sandler

doug@turnkeypodcast.com

Jarkko Vuori

Welcome to Ford Mustang: The Early Years Podcast! Today we take you back to 1964, uncovering the fascinating story of Mustang #167, a pre-production show car shipped to Finland just days before the official U.S. launch. From secret wooden crates to surprise car shows and a legendary front emblem sculpted by a Finnish artist, this episode dives deep into the untold legacy of one of Mustang’s earliest stars. Jarkki, welcome to the podcast.

Questions

1. What made Mustang #167 so unique in the early Mustang story?
2. How did Ford ship pre-production Mustangs like #167 to international locations?
3. Why was Mustang #167 unveiled in Finland before the official U.S. launch?
4. Who was the Finnish sculptor behind the iconic Mustang horse emblem?
5. How was Mustang #167 "hidden" as a 1966 model for decades?
6. What challenges did the restoration of Mustang #167 face?
7. How did the global Mustang story connect with Ford enthusiasts in Finland?

Talking Points

• Mustang production officially started on March 9, 1964, with a few pre-production models like #167.
• Pre-production Mustangs were marked with an internal "05C" code, used to identify them amidst Ford’s chaotic launch.
• #167 was shipped secretly in a wooden crate to Finland and unveiled in Jyväskylä, just days before the U.S. launch at the New York World’s Fair.
• Local Finnish newspapers reported on #167, calling it the "Western-class" sports car.
• Mustang #167’s front emblem was created by Väinö Kangas, a Finnish sculptor working for Ford.
• After decades of obscurity, #167 was found and is now undergoing a detailed restoration.
• The story of #167 highlights the global reach of the Mustang legacy, even before its U.S. debut.

Connect with the show:

@mustangpodcast

https://www.instagram.com/mustangpodcast/

An Expert’s Guide to Maintaining Your Classic Mustang

www.TheMustangPodcast.com/repair

Sponsored by: National Parts Depot

www.npdlink.com

With 4 warehouses nationwide, you’ll get your parts fast!

"Keep it safe, keep it rollin’ and keep it on the road. Until next time!"

Doug Sandler

doug@turnkeypodcast.com

Connect with the show:

@mustangpodcast

https://www.instagram.com/mustangpodcast/

An Expert’s Guide to Maintaining Your Classic Mustang

www.TheMustangPodcast.com/repair

Sponsored by: National Parts Depot

www.npdlink.com

With 4 warehouses nationwide, you’ll get your parts fast!

"Keep it safe, keep it rollin’ and keep it on the road. Until next time!"

Doug Sandler

doug@turnkeypodcast.com