Ryan Danielson grew up in a car-loving family. His father, Ron Danielson, owned a body shop for many years, and also ran a car dealership, so motor oil is in his blood, so to speak. Ryan explained that in 2015, he gave up drinking, adding, “I am a recovering alcoholic, and this (2007 Shelby GT 500 Mustang) was my one-year sobriety gift to myself.”
Ryan said that for a long time, he’d been searching online for a Mustang. In early 2016, he says, “I found a red one that was in Texas, and I was pretty sure that was the one I wanted to get.” So he planned a flight to Texas to buy the car and drive it home. But in the weeks leading up to this, Ryan continued looking online, and found another car that caught his eye, in the Chicago area. It had only 2,900 miles on it, and was priced at $38,900. As he continued checking on the car over the next few weeks, the price quickly fell to $36,900 and then $34,900. Ryan was curious, adding, “So I called the guy and asked him some questions. I wasn’t on the phone for two minutes, and I had him down to $29,750, and I told him I’d come down the next week to buy it.” Ryan brought along a friend to help check out the car before they made a decision, but when they first saw the excellent condition of the vehicle, they agreed that no detailed inspection was needed. Ryan said that for years, he had stated his intention to someday own a Shelby Mustang convertible, and he was delighted to find such a beautiful car at a great price. Ron chimed in, “It was meant to be.”
Ryan said that in 2018, he bought another Mustang, a 1985 Fox body, which he now uses as his “cruise around” Mustang, to save mileage on the 2007. Ron owns a 1969 Clone Boss Mustang and Ryan’s mother Sandy owns a 2007 GT California Special. So it truly is a family love affair with these cars. There are also a few other family members that collect and enjoys classic cars. So while they are not members of any formal car club, they essentially have their own car club. They also enjoy participating in car cruises, which Ryan says he does “as often as possible,” when his work schedule allows it.
Regarding their hobby of collecting and restoring classic Mustangs, Ron stated that, “It’s an expensive hobby, but it can be very interesting. You meet a lot of nice people. Most car people are all good people, because they’re all fussy.” Ron and Ryan explained that in working on their cars, there is a lot of body work and cosmetics that go into making a car look “just right.” Ryan said he’s very picky about his car’s shine, and can’t stand even a fingerprint on the car’s finish. He grinned as he told of a time when he was at a car show, and saw a young boy walking past the Mustang, idly rubbing his shoulder along the car the whole time. Ryan recalls that he stood up and announced to his friend, “I’m going to jail!”
Ryan stated that although his dad ran a body shop and car dealership for many years, Ryan himself hadn’t learned much about engines until he started working on his Mustangs. He recalled that when he found that his second Mustang had a bad oil leak, “I didn’t know anything about engines…So I backed it into my garage and started ripping her apart, piece by piece… It’s been a learning process, but it’s been good.” Ron agreed that working on cars is something a person must learn by doing, and added, “Really the hardest thing on a car is just sitting. A lot of people don’t realize that. The brakes freeze up, the gaskets dry up… There’s a lot to take care of.”
Ryan and Ron stated that in owning and maintaining classic cars such as theirs, the work is never done. Ryan said, “There’s ALWAYS something more, depending on budget. Things can get really, really expensive.” He added that, “Dad likes things more original, and I basically went from being addicted to alcohol, to being addicted to horsepower.” Ron explained that he has a garage with an insulated floor, because, “The main thing on a classic car, you gotta have it in a place where it’s dry, otherwise they’ll rust.” During the winter months, all four of the Danielson’s Mustangs are kept in the garage. Ryan added, “We have a lot of fun with them. A lot of times, we’ll come up and have coffee in the morning, and sit out here, and shine the cars up and visit.” It’s clear that the love of Mustangs has been a cherished family hobby for the Danielsons.
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