Why our Ford Performance communications staff attends as many different car shows as it can each year isn’t just to bring you event coverage on FordPerformance.com – it’s also to meet Ford people. It’s you who bring us so many great Ford ownership stories for us to share in the Enthusiasts section of our website and on FordPerformanceClubConnect.com. And that’s exactly how we landed the story behind Jim Hatch. We met Jim after spotting his trick 1969 Mustang Mach 1 in one of the display buildings at the Carlisle Ford Nationals this summer. Just read his email to us below and you’ll understand why Jim’ Hatch’s Ford story belongs in our Fan Spotlight:

“Hello Ford Performance! I’m Jim Hatch; it was nice meeting you in Carlisle. My Ford story is a little long but, but I’ll try to be as brief as I can. It all started with Matchbox cars in 1961. In the next five years I had a collection of around 80 cars. I wish I had them today.“In 1964 I saw the new Ford Mustang on TV when it was unveiled at the New York World's Fair. I really liked it as it looked so streamlined compared to anything out there at the time. 

“Fast forward to 1966 when my dad came home from Vietnam. He went out and bought a Sunbeam Tiger with the Ford 260 cubic inch V-8 motor in it. That car was incredible to ride in. A year later a family moved into our neighborhood, and I noticed a Mustang that was white with blue stripes in their driveway. One day my dad and I came home in the Tiger and pulled in our driveway. The new neighbor came over and told my dad that he couldn't believe a 4-cylinder motor sounded that good. When he was told that it had a Ford 260 V-8 in it and the hood was opened to prove it, he was amazed.“He wanted a ride so I jumped in the space behind the seats and my dad took him for a spirited cruise. When we got back, he told us to come over and see what he had. It turned out to be a Shelby GT500. That 428 cubic inch big-block motor was huge. They talked for a few minutes and the neighbor said. 'Let's take it out.’ He looked at me and said, ‘You want to go, boy?’ I jumped in the back seat as fast as I could. When he started it, all my senses came to life from the sound, smell and vibrations of that car, and after the ride -- with a couple burnouts and some gear-slammin -- my course in life for cars was set.

“Fast forward to 1969. I was watching and liking what Ford was doing with the Mustang for the past three years. I was walking to school and parked out front was a 1969 Mustang Mach 1, red and black with the shaker hood scoop, rear window slats and rear spoiler. I was looking at the full passenger-side view and I froze. That was the most beautiful car I had ever seen! I looked at that car for at least 40 minutes and was blown away. I had never seen one before, and as I walked away, I said to myself, ‘Some day . . . ’

“About 26 years later -- and after owning a 1955 Ford Customline, the Tiger, and quite a few other 60's Mustangs and other Ford cars and trucks -- I bought an Acapulco Blue 1969 Mustang Mach 1, with a 428 Super Cobra Jet and the Drag Pack. It had the shaker hood scoop, window slats and rear spoiler. That ‘some day’ was here. After getting the Marti Report, we found out the car was a one-of-one so we restored it back to 99-percent original, showed it for five years and, after owning it for 11 years, we were made an offer for it we couldn't refuse.

“After we sold it, I bought a 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra, a 2003 Mach 1 and a 2008 Shelby GT500. Even with having those three great cars, something just wasn't right. So in 2012 I found a 1969 Mach 1, this a 351 cubic-inch V-8, automatic transmission car, that I bought on the spot. Life was getting right again. After thinking about it, I decided that this car was going to be built to my vision, and we were going to go way outside the box with it. I wanted it to look like a 1969 Mustang, but as you got close and walked around it, you'd see all the changes that were made.

“The first thing was paint color. I had always owned red, blue, black, silver and gray Mustangs my whole life, so that had to change. I had seen Ford's Golden Bronze color and liked it. I got with a painter and we started modifying it. It took a year with a lot of spray-outs and sleepless nights -- but we got there. It was definitely different.

“Then we got into the build. Custom bronze paint exterior  with satin clear in the engine compartment, a Coyote 5.0 Aluminator motor, Tremec TKO 600 5-speed manual transmission, headers, coilover suspension system, high-performance rotors and calipers, subframe connectors, and a 9-inch Ford Detroit Locker with 370 gears. It rides on Schott Wheels with Nitto 555 G2 tires, and employs 1968 GT500 taillights from Mustang Projects and all LED lighting, Custom steering column, and digital gauges that can convert to analog, rear fold-down seat delete with custom-built platform and storage underneath. All of the car’s rear panels were fiberglassed together to eliminate joints, and the inside features custom-made seats that are door-level height and a full-blown custom ultra-leather interior, including the headliner, with custom panels with aluminum trim and ultra-leather in the trunk.

“After almost seven years of work what you see here is the outcome. I'm really happy with it. Now if I could just add a 2006 Ford GT that is red with white stripes to my garage, my life would be complete.

“Side note: During that seven years, the original builder just didn't know how to finish it, and the painter walked away -- so it took me six months to find a couple of companies that could finish it the way I wanted. I'd have to say that if I'd met them earlier, things would be different. My point is that if you decide to go outside the box, just run with it. But make sure you know of great backup companies just in case you need them. 

“That's a mini version of my Ford story. I could keep going but would probably take 10 pages to cover it. I hope you also enjoy a few pictures of some of the cars we have had. Thanks, and take care!”

FORD PERFORMANCE PHOTOS / COURTESY JIM HATCH AND MARCUS CERVANTES

How YOU can Get In The Spotlight: For the past decade, one of the most popular features on FordPerformance.com and in our weekly Fast News e-newsletter continues to be "Ford Fan Spotlight," where readers can send in their own reasons why they're fans of Ford Motor Company and its vehicles. You know who they are: Ford "superfans;" grassroots Ford racers; unique Ford vehicle owners; loyal Ford enthusiasts; notable Ford club people; special Ford families; and/or any avid supporter of Ford, Ford vehicles, Ford motorsports or Ford Performance who deserves a little bit of special recognition.

All you need to do to get you, your car or candidate considered is to send in a brief description (200-500 words or less) and a few photos (in .jpeg format, preferably around 1 mb in size) with the owner’s full name and hometown, please. Just tell us about the vehicle(s) and why you think Ford Performance should feature it (them) in the "Ford Fan Spotlight" for an upcoming installment of Fast News as well as for posting on FordPerformance.com. Then email it to: ClubHub@Ford.com with your contact info. Should you wish to send a video, you simply need to post it on www.YouTube.com (preferably 1-2 minutes long) and send in the link, along with a brief description, to that same ClubHub@Ford.com email address. Your submission allows us the rights to use your words and images (along with any edits) for editorial purposes; we’ll choose one submission in random order each week to post online. We hope to see YOU and your Ford in our Spotlight soon!