TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT, Pa. -- For more than five years a piece of American history sat alone in a garage, filthy and all but forgotten. In 2010, while on rest and recuperation from a deployment to Iraq, Sgt. 1st Class Cesar Delgado, former training instructor at the depot's U.S. Army High Tech Regional Training Site, noticed the sleeping beauty and immediately set his sights on bringing back its luster.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of perhaps the most iconic American muscle car ever built -- the Ford Mustang. Delgado could think of no better way to honor the milestone than to unveil his 1967 Mustang Deluxe model, the same one he found in that garage and has spent nearly four years restoring.
"When I first saw the car it was more or less abandoned in an open garage collecting dust and rust," said Delgado. At the time, the car belonged to his wife's cousin who had no intention of getting rid of it. "It took quite a bit of convincing to get him to sell it to me, but a couple of years of negotiating were enough to change his mind."
After settling on price, Delgado fired up the V8 engine for the first time, filled the tires and was on his way. Unfortunately, the restoration would have to wait until his deployment was over. Following his return from Iraq and appointment orders to head to Tobyhanna, the process was ready to begin.
Despite the car's state of disrepair, Delgado drove it around the area to get a feel for how extensive the renovation would be. He took it to a few local auto shows in hopes of not only catching an eye or two, but to get advice on how and where to begin.
"The biggest issue facing me in the beginning was lack of experience," said Delgado. "I had never restored a car before and had no clue what I was getting myself into. Nevertheless, I faced the challenge head on and convinced myself I wouldn't give up."
The first step was disassembly -- bolt by bolt, rusty body panel by rusty body panel. With the help of his teenage children, the Delgado family fixer-uppers trod on when time and money allowed. They replaced many broken and decrepit parts while restoring those that had dulled through the years. When it was time for the professionals to step in Delgado sent the car to STN Restorations in Kresgeville for bodywork and paint, then to Central Auto Tops in Stroudsburg to replace the vinyl top.
"This particular Mustang is loaded with luxury trim and premium options. It's a gentleman's Mustang," said Delgado. Because of this, it was very expensive to restore.
"To date, I've put about $12,000 into the renovation -- and counting."
Reassignment to Sacramento in August 2014 welcomed Delgado and his lime green head-turner to Northern California. With the move, the restoration has too shifted gears.
"I want to replace the floor plans and the entire electrical wing," said Delgado. "I might throw in a brand new engine if the budget allows. The to-do list is never really done, but the plan is to have the car finished for the summer and in time for the 50th anniversary celebrations."
From a plant in Metuchen, New Jersey,-- to sunny Sacramento (with just a few stops in between), the journey of Delgado's 1967 Mustang has taught him priceless lessons all along the way.
"I've learned perseverance, patience and that it's okay to fail and start over," he said. "A car has shown me unconditional love through the support of my family and friends, and I plan to return the favor for many years to come."
Tobyhanna Army Depot is a recognized leader in providing world-class logistics support for command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems across the Department of Defense. Tobyhanna's Corporate Philosophy, dedicated work force and electronics expertise ensure the depot is the Joint C4ISR provider of choice for all branches of the Armed Forces and industry partners.
Tobyhanna's unparalleled capabilities include full-spectrum logistics support for sustainment, overhaul and repair, fabrication and manufacturing, engineering design and development, systems integration, post production software support, technology insertion, modification, foreign military sales and global field support to our Joint Warfighters.
About 3,100 personnel are employed at Tobyhanna, which is located in the Pocono Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. Tobyhanna Army Depot is part of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command. Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, the command's mission is to research, develop, acquire, field and sustain communications, command, control computer, intelligence, electronic warfare and sensors capabilities for the Armed Forces.
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