Mustang Magic: The Ultimate Meetup

The%20Rocky%20Mountain%20Mustang%20Roundup%20is%20held%20annually%20and%20takes%20over%20the%20main%20street%20of%20Steamboat%20Springs%2C%20CO%20with%20nearly%20500%20Mustangs%20from%20all%20over%20the%20country%2C%20some%20traveling%20all%20the%20way%20from%20Hawaii%20and%20Florida.%20%28The%20photos%20and%20copy%20in%20this%20gallery%20were%20produced%20by%20Heather%20Ruch.%29

Ford%20produced%20251%20of%20the%201968%20High%20Country%20Special%20Mustang%20and%20sold%20them%20only%20in%20the%20Front%20Range%20of%20the%20Colorado%20Rocky%20Mountains.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

Owned%20by%20Barry%20Mathias%20of%20Littleton%2C%20CO%2C%20this%20High%20Country%20Special%20received%20an%20award%20of%20excellence%20in%20its%20class%20as%20part%20of%20the%20Show%20n%20Shine%20of%20the%202012%20Rocky%20Mountain%20Mustang%20Roundup.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

Ford%20produced%20seven%20performance%20Mustang%20models%20in%201969%20including%20the%20Mach%201%20to%20compete%20with%20the%20Chevrolet%20Camaro%20and%20the%20Pontiac%20Firebird.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

Fort%20Collins%2C%20CO%20resident%20Terry%20Sandmann%26%238217%3Bs%20Mach%201%20received%20an%20award%20of%20excellence%20in%20its%20class%20at%20the%20Show%20n%20Shine%20of%20the%202012%20Rocky%20Mountain%20Mustang%20Roundup.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

The%20interior%20is%20signed%20by%20Mustang%20designer%20Carroll%20Shelby.%20The%20convertible%20King%20of%20the%20Road%20Mustang%20was%20only%20produced%20for%20the%201968%20model%20year.%20This%20Shelby%20sold%20new%20for%20%245%2C100%20and%20is%20currently%20valued%20in%20the%20six-figure%20range.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

One%20of%20518%20Shelby%20GT500KR%20%28King%20of%20the%20Road%29%20convertibles%20made%20in%201968%2C%20this%20red%20powerhouse%20is%20owned%20by%20Bob%20Dallas%20of%20Westminster%2C%20CO.%20According%20to%20the%20story%20told%20to%20Dallas%20by%20Carroll%20Shelby%2C%20designer%20of%20the%20Shelby%20Mustang%2C%20Shelby%20heard%20that%20Chevrolet%20was%20developing%20a%20muscle%20car%20and%20was%20going%20to%20name%20it%20King%20of%20the%20Road.%20Shelby%20raced%20against%20the%20clock%20to%20trademark%20the%20name.%20His%20trademark%20attorneys%20made%20it%20to%20the%20office%20first%20and%20Mustang%20fast-paced%20production%20of%20the%20KR%20line%20that%20has%20now%20become%20a%20classic%20muscle%20car.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

The%20original%20owner%20of%20this%20Shelby%20installed%20a%20427%20ci%20motor%20and%20a%20Paton%20supercharger%20for%20drag%20racing.%20The%20car%20ran%2011-second%20quarter%20mile%20laps%20at%20speeds%20up%20to%20120%20mph.%20When%20Dallas%20bought%20the%20car%2C%20he%20restored%20the%20engine%20to%20its%20original%20design%20with%20a%20428%20ci%20Cobrajet%20motor.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

Larry%20Kerr%20of%20Syracuse%2C%20UT%20is%20the%20original%20owner%20of%20this%20%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9868%20Fastback%20and%20has%20put%20on%20527%2C529%20miles%20over%2030%20years%20across%20several%20continents.%20Kerr%20and%20his%20wife%20bought%20the%20Fastback%20in%201968%20when%20Kerr%20joined%20the%20military%20and%20was%20stationed%20in%20Europe.%20In%20those%20days%2C%20the%20military%20would%20ship%20vehicles%20and%20personal%20belongings%20of%20service%20personnel%20for%20free%20around%20the%20world.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

Kerr%26%238217%3Bs%20GT350K%20has%20traveled%20back%20and%20forth%20across%20the%20United%20States%20several%20times%2C%20over%20both%20oceans%20and%20across%20several%20seas.%20It%26%238217%3Bs%20currently%20on%20its%20fifth%20engine%2C%20one%20engine%20was%20purchased%20in%20Turkey%20and%20Kerr%20describes%20his%20Mustang%20as%20a%20keeper.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

The%201969%20Ford%20Mustang%20Grande%20is%20a%20luxury%20model%20built%20for%20a%20driver%20looking%20for%20the%20fun%20of%20a%20Mustang%20combined%20with%20more%20luxury%20features.%20Owner%20Barry%20and%20Julia%20Shaffer%20of%20Brighton%2C%20CO%20say%20their%20Grande%20is%20quieter%20and%20more%20elegant%20as%20well%20as%20leaps%20and%20bounds%20more%20comfortable%20than%20their%201968%20Ford%20Mustang%20GT%20California%20Special%20and%20other%20Mustang%20models%20produced%20up%20to%20that%20year.%20The%20Grande%20received%20an%20award%20of%20excellence%20in%20the%20Show%20n%20Shine%20of%20the%202012%20Rocky%20Mountain%20Mustang%20Roundup%20for%20the%20third%20straight%20year.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

Annie%20Baker%20of%20Oregon%20bought%20the%20Grande%20used%20in%201971.%20She%20met%20current%20owner%20Barry%20Shaffer%20in%201984%20when%20Shaffer%20was%2024%20and%20Baker%20was%20old%20enough%20to%20be%20his%20mother.%20They%20%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9Cadopted%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D%20each%20other%20and%20maintained%20a%20close%20relationship%20over%20the%20years.%20Baker%20passed%20away%20in%202009%20and%20willed%20the%20Grande%20to%20Shaffer.%20The%20Grande%20holds%20tremendous%20personal%20meaning%20to%20Shaffer%20and%20his%20wife%20Julia.%20The%20car%20has%20become%20a%20well-loved%20member%20of%20the%20family.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

Owner%20Johnny%20Herrmann%2C%20a%20twenty-something%20metal%20fabricator%20from%20Haxtun%2C%20CO%2C%20also%20known%20as%20Johnny%20Sparks%2C%20bought%20his%20Fastback%20new%20in%202011%20and%20had%20a%20vision%20of%20a%20new%20Mustang%20in%201968%20Mustang%20clothes.%20He%20set%20his%20mind%20and%20his%20welding%20torch%20to%20do%20just%20that.%20Sparks%20took%20reproduction%20Dynacorn%20%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9968%20and%20%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9969%20Fastback%20sheet%20metal%20and%20manipulated%20them%20by%20lengthening%2C%20widening%20and%20shortening%20to%20fit%20on%20a%202011%20Fastback%20body.%20The%20result%20is%20a%20one-of-a-kind%20prototype%20dubbed%20the%20Reversion.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

The%20one-of-a-kind%20Reversion%20has%20been%20shown%20at%20SEMA%20in%202011%20as%20well%20as%20at%20Ford%20headquarters%20where%20engineers%20had%20a%20few%20questions%20for%20Sparks%20about%20his%20design.%20Sparks%20says%20he%20would%20love%20to%20make%20anyone%20a%20Reversion%20of%20their%20own.%20Prices%20start%20at%20%2430%2C000%20as%20long%20as%20the%20Mustang%20is%20supplied.%20He%20can%20be%20reached%20on%20Facebook%20at%20www.facebook.com%2FJohnnySparks.CO.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

Owner%20Ken%20Peel%20of%20Cottonwood%20Heights%2C%20UT%20decked%20out%20his%202010%20GT500%20with%20custom%20upholstery%20in%20Bronco%20blue%20and%20orange.%20He%20also%20adorned%20the%20center%20console%20with%20a%20stallion%20statue.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

Originally%20rented%20out%20by%20Hertz%20in%20Chicago%20and%20then%20sold%20to%20a%20Ford%20dealer%20in%20Colorado%2C%20this%20GT%20was%20eventually%20found%20abandoned%20in%20a%20Colorado%20field%20by%20Milt%20Johnson%20of%20Boulder%20who%20completed%20most%20of%20the%20restoration%20work.%20In%20the%20summer%20of%202003%2C%20Chuck%20Otoupalik%20purchased%20the%20GT%2C%20rebuilt%20the%20engine%20and%20suspension%2C%20and%20added%20a%20correct%201966%20dealer%20option%20supercharger.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

Owner%20Chuck%20Otoupalik%20and%20his%20daughter%20Shelby%20have%20worked%20on%20the%20GT%20together%20since%202003.%20Shelby%20Otoupalik%20has%20driven%20the%20GT%20in%20numerous%20autocross%20races%20over%20the%20years.%20Otoupalik%26%238217%3Bs%20GT%20took%20home%20the%20Merchant%26%238217%3Bs%20Choice%20Award%20as%20well%20as%20an%20award%20of%20excellence%20in%20the%20Show%20n%20Shine%20of%20the%202012%20Rocky%20Mountain%20Mustang%20Roundup.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

Owner%20Gary%20Griffith%20of%20Castle%20Rock%2C%20CO%20says%20his%20Shelby%20is%20not%20a%20trailer%20queen.%20He%26%238217%3Bs%20raced%20at%20the%20Stat%20Patrol%20Track%2C%20Second%20Creek%20Raceway%2C%20High%20Plains%20Raceway%2C%20Pikes%20Peak%20International%20Raceway%20and%20Wood%20Creek%20Raceway%20near%20Snowmass%2C%20CO.%20He%20says%20the%20supercharged%20engine%20makes%20for%20a%20very%20fast%2C%20old%20car%20and%20the%20paint%20job%20attracts%20a%20lot%20of%20attention%2C%20including%20from%20the%20local%20sheriff%26%238217%3Bs%20department.%20At%20the%202012%20Rocky%20Mountain%20Mustang%20Roundup%20Autocross%2C%20Griffith%20took%20fourth%20place%20in%20the%20Men%26%238217%3Bs%20Early%20Street%20Prepared%20Class.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

Ford%20produced%20only%201%2C058%20Fastback%20King%20of%20Road%20models%20in%201968.%20Around%201982%2C%20Jerry%20Katopodes%20bought%20this%20Fastback%20as%20a%20college%20graduation%20present%20to%20himself.%20He%20paid%20%243%2C500.%20The%20restoration%20has%20been%20a%2022-year%20project%20for%20Katopodes.%20Today%2C%20the%20model%20could%20reach%20as%20much%20as%20%24400%2C000%20at%20auction.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

The%201968%20GT500KR%20features%20a%20big%20block%20428%20cubic-inch%20Cobra%20jet%20engine%20earning%20it%20the%20nickname%20Big%20Snake.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

At%20the%202012%20Rocky%20Mountain%20Mustang%20Roundup%2C%20Katopodes%20took%20first%20place%20in%20the%2064-78%20category%20of%20the%20popular%20vote%2C%20decided%20upon%20by%20Mustang%20club%20members%20throughout%20the%20nation.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

Owner%20James%20Kothe%20of%20Northglenn%2C%20CO%20makes%20sure%20everyone%20knows%20the%20finer%20points%20and%20ground%20rules%20for%20his%20Mustang%3A%20%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9CYes%2C%20it%26%238217%3Bs%20fast.%20No%2C%20you%20can%26%238217%3Bt%20drive%20it.%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%9D%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

Ed%20and%20Juanita%20Clark%2C%20Tuscon%2C%20AZ%20say%20their%20Cobra%20is%20production%20number%201%2C952%20of%203%2C867%20and%20only%201%20of%20457%20originally%20painted%20in%20mineral%20gray.%20%28credit%3A%20Heather%20Ruch%29

The%20Clarks%20have%20taken%20the%20factory%204.6L%20DOHC%20V8%20engine%20and%20built%20layer%20upon%20layer%20of%20stability%2C%20power%20and%20venom%2C%20starting%20with%20a%20Paxton%20supercharger.%20They%26%238217%3Bve%20also%20added%20Eibach%20springs%20and%20Bilstein%20shocks%20as%20well%20as%20a%20carbon%20fiber%20hood%20that%20they%20say%2C%20gets%20straight%20to%20the%20point.%20%28The%20photos%20and%20copy%20in%20this%20gallery%20were%20produced%20by%20Heather%20Ruch.%29