Mikal and Kitty Brevig's 68 Coupe |
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| This month’s Car of the Month is the Brevig’s Meadowlark Yellow 1968 Coupe. The car has been in the Brevig ‘family’ since being sold to Arne’s college roommate in 1968. Wayne sold the car to my father (Arne) and he gave the car to me for my graduation gift from the California Maritime Academy in 1994. After my dad bought the car it spent years as his daily driver first in Los Angeles, for a stint in Florida, and then back to LA. Dad loved the car, and when I turned 16 years old I was allowed to ‘try’ to drive it. Dad took me for a slow ride around the neighborhoods of the Whittier hills. As I approached the stop-light controlled intersection (which was red), my focus was on how cool I was and not really where it should have been. As I got closer dad said ‘the light is red’. Still closer… ‘the light is RED son.’ When dad finally broke into my day dream of being such a stud with ‘THE LIGHT IS RED!!!’, I slammed on the brakes and left black skid marks into the middle of the intersection. I panicked. I quickly put the transmission into reverse and before dad could say anything more I was smoking the tires in reverse. I stopped the car at the limit line and we made our way back to his house on the hill. From time to time dad will remind me of that exciting trip as you might imagine. His recall of the event might be a bit more colorful and altered from fear. A few years later though, I was allowed to take the car out on my own. Kitty and I walked out of my Mother-In-Law’s house on graduation day in 1994 to find the car with one of those GIANT red bows on the roof. I cried. In the early 2000’s my friend Danny Perry and I went through the car and removed all of the rust from the trunk, doors and fenders, welded in new pieces and restored the paint and interior as far as my budget would allow. Danny had been a body man and painter at the shop Robin Paulsell now owns. The owner of that shop moved his business and Danny moved to a new shop in Albany where he painted our car. The quality of Danny’s work is still very much appreciated. Kitty and I have loved our alignment with the Golden Hills Mustang Club since that first year of ownership – 25 years ago now. We think of you as family. Our friends and memories of events and trips all over with the club have been the best part of owning our car. She is 51 years old this month (February 5th I think) and I would like to thank the McCabe’s for letting us wish our car “Happy Birthday” with the Car of the Month honors. By Mikal Brevig |