We met Rich Blomberg and his wife Tina at our local Mustang club meeting, and as Mustang turns 60 this week reminding us that “Everyone Has A Mustang Story,” we wanted to share what he told us the Ford Mustang has meant to him. Check out his story below and you’ll quickly understand how Rich is a powerful example of the positive impact that the Mustang, a car family and friends and the automotive hobby itself can have on all of us – even during life’s most challenging times. Then you can check out much more about Rich’s Mustang journey by watching his YouTube channel -- Dad’s Foxbody Garage. His spirit is what being an enthusiast is all about!

“Hi, Ford Performance! My name is Rich Blomberg. I want to not only spotlight my two Fox Body Mustangs I currently own, but also my journey in the automotive hobby through the years. I grew up in a Ford family. My father was a supervisor at the Ford Parts and Service headquarters in Livonia, Michigan. My grandfather was a supervisor in the Interior Division of Ford, and my great grandfather was the General Manager of Holley Carburetor. So needless to say, cars were a way of life in my family.

“I started working with my dad repairing and maintaining our cars shortly after learning how to walk. He showed me what tools were called and how to use them. My dad was an old-school street racer as well. He grew up racing and cruising on Woodward Avenue. It was not uncommon while I was growing up for my dad and his buddies to hang out in our garage back in the 70's and work on hot rods. I can remember my dad fabricating turbo kits for a Pinto and a Pantera for his buddies. My dad let me get my first motorcycle when I was just 10 years old. I used to take it apart just for fun, or to paint something -- as I just grew up being mechanically inclined.

“When I turned 15 I bought my first car, a 1980 Pinto 4-speed. I made some of my best memories with that car! My dad and I rebuilt the engine from the ground up and yes, we turbocharged it! Our garage turned into a hangout for me and my friends now. Unfortunately, my dad worked nights for most of his career so our time together was short, but the time we did have built memories that will last a lifetime. My friends and I would do engine swaps, change transmissions, camshafts, intakes -- you name it. My dad had all the tools and the garage was a mechanic's dream as it was well-lit and heated.

“I went on to take auto shop in high school and at the Livonia Career Center. I loved cars and went on to buy many of them between the ages of 16 and 20. I had a ’68 Cougar, a 1970 Mustang Fastback, a Mustang II, a 1960 Falcon, 2 Ford Escorts and 2 more Pintos. I ended up getting bit by the Fox Body bug though when my buddy at the time bought a white 1979 notchback 4-Speed. I ended up selling almost everything and went headfirst into the Fox Bodies. I bought a vandalized 1979 Indy Pace Car and parted it out, then purchased a 1979 Ghia hatchback with a 2.8L V6 that was bad. I built a 289 Hi-Po with a used B&M blower for it. Although the blower self-destructed due to sloppy assembly from the previous owner, that's a story for another day.

“I sold that car for the down payment of my first house in Livonia when I was 22 years old. Cars became more utilitarian for me over the next 20 years or so as marriage and children entered the picture -- but in my early 40's I needed a car that got better gas mileage than my big Expedition so I bought a candy red V6 2010 Mustang. So it begins again. . . I swapped out the cloth interior for a leather interior that I pulled from a junkyard and I put Cobra wheels and tires on it. I also bought a salvage Porsche Boxster to play with and fix-up with my kids. Unfortunately, the road to life is never a straight one and I had no choice but to file for a divorce. It was a high-conflict mess and I ended up losing everything except my kids and the clothes on my back -- and a salvaged project car. Little did I know what that broken piece of junk would do for me.

“The divorce and sale of the marital home took almost two years, which led to bankruptcy. Through it all I had my kids by my side and that crappy car. I focused on the kids and my therapy was my time working on the car when they were either in bed or not home. I truly believe my faith, my kids, that little car and my memories of my dad and friends that come back to me every time I tinker with cars helped me get through the darkest part of my life. These inanimate objects that bring us together that we love so much make memories and friendships that last forever.

“Two of my best friends to date I met in high school shop class. Fast forward five years to today and I finished the Porsche and sold it a couple years ago and I am remarried to a wonderful woman that enjoys cars with me. We go to shows together and are part of the Mustang Owners Club of SouthEastern Michigan (MOCSEM). I also own 2 Foxbodies -- a 1989 LX hatch with 38,000 original miles on it, and my "YouTube" feature car, a 1993 Calypso Green LX Convertible, one of just 361 built. It was a 4-cylinder automatic car new, but since I saved it from a farm field I have installed a rebuilt 302 I bought out of a barn, supercharged it, converted the car to a 5-speed, rebuilt and installed a 8.8-inch rear end and continue to fix things up and document the build on my YouTube channel, "Dad's Foxbody Garage."

“The build is only funded by me buying and selling car parts and also selling merch for the YouTube channel. I want to encourage everyone who is reading this and is an automotive enthusiast, get out there and join a club. There are people out there just like you that would love to meet you and tell you their car story. You never know when you will may make a lifelong friend. The main reason I continue to make content on my YouTube channel is for the feedback and relationships I have made through it. Happy Birthday Mustang!” 

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