The Decision to Store It
By the late 1970s, the Mustang began to show its age. Harsh Illinois winters had taken a toll. Rust was setting in, and the engine was tired. Gail and Tom decided to store it in their garage rather than sell it. They covered it with a tarp and let it sit. Years turned into decades. The Ford Mustang remained hidden, quietly waiting. Most families would have scrapped the car, but not the Wises. They always planned to bring it back to life.
The garage became the car’s quiet resting place. It was parked beside holiday decorations, tools, and old bicycles. Each time they saw it, they remembered the past. But they never gave up on restoring it one day.