Car Crash: The Happiest Ranchero
A feature here at the Daily Driver is the Car Crash. Breathe easy – no actual cars were harmed in the making of this crash. That would be a crime, and a cryin’ shame. Our Car Crash is much more fun – in a “crash a party” kind of a way. If you’ve ever seen a vintage car and wanted to see the finer points of the vehicle or wondered about its history, then the Car Crash is just the post for you. Join us as we explore the details of one amazing vehicle…
Can a car be happy? We think so, particularly when it is well used, well loved, and truly a part of the family, like this 1965 Ranchero. Bale of hay and horns to be explained shortly.
We first came across this Ranchero at the 2013 Main Street El Segundo Car show. It was a bit hard to miss, as it was accompanied by this lovely lady and tiny dog, both dressed in period-perfect Pan-Am costumes and appropriately themed for the decade of the Ranchero. Even at a show known for a stellar turn out of gorgeous hot rods, the crowd simply couldn't get enough of this triple threat - an awesome Ranchero, a beautiful retro-themed stewardess, and her well-dressed companion, complete with a tiny hat!
As we always do at shows, we dropped a card on the Ranchero to let the owner know we'd be featuring photos of the vehicle on our site. Shortly after the photo went live, we received an email from Seth, who owns this '65. Not only did he fill us in on the details of this true daily driver, but he also provided photos of the Ranchero both at work and at play.
The El Segundo show is a special one for Seth, Lisa and pint-sized powerhouse ANNimal, as it serves as a celebration for Seth's birthday, which falls on the same weekend.
Each year, Lisa and ANNimal dress up in a themed outfit that fits the period of the car, which serves as a unique and personal birthday gift to Seth. He says that Lisa does such a good job of attracting attention that no one even notices the car now! Well Seth, we have to tell you that the retro show only made us more curious about your Ranchero - we knew there had to be a good story there!
Here's Lisa at the 2012 show, all decked out in a perfectly '60s mod black and white go-go outfit!
In our opinion, the themed display only adds to the fun that this Ranchero enjoys, day in and day out. This year, we were happy to find that Seth joined in on the themed party, as the whole family is decked out in awesome western wear - hence the bale of hay and horns! Notice ANNimal's tiny cowboy hat? We'll have you know that her costume is 100% hand made! Can't you see how proud this Ranchero is to be a part of this family?
After talking with Seth, there's no question that this Ranchero is a daily driver - our favorite kind of vintage car. Think this car only travels to shows, only to be let out of the garage on the occasional weekend? Think again; this is no Sunday driver. This Ranchero takes Seth to work each day and continues to earn her keep by running errands both big and small, even if that includes hauling lumber and construction materials home from the local Home Depot. Seth has pics of the Ranchero hauling fertilizer and manure, too - she really is a workhorse!
For all this hard work, Seth regularly rewards his Ranchero with healthy doses of high-quality play. This '65 enjoys time on the track too, seen here at the 38th annual Shelby Club convention at the California Speedway. Look closely at this pic of Seth and his Ranchero in the staging lanes, and you'll see none other than world-renowned driving champion Bob Bondurant in an authentic 1966 Ford GT sitting right behind him. Is that the Ranchero grinning, or is that Seth? It must be both!
This Ranchero has shared track with some pretty incredible cars, like this 1965 Cobra Daytona coupe, one of six that followed Seth out onto the track that day. Seth tells us that these cars gave the only FIA world manufacturer's championship to a U.S. auto company. We can only imagine that the drivers of these Daytonas were equally as thrilled to share the track with Seth and his Ranchero - even rare track cars and their drivers can appreciate a stock daily driver taking a turn on the track! Work hard, play hard, right?Some vintage cars are all work, while some are all play. Thanks to Seth, this clean little '65 Ranchero gets to enjoy the best of both worlds! We can't wait for next year's show, not only to see what theme they'll choose next and to see what adventures the Ranchero has been up to, but also in the hopes that we might see Seth's next project, a '65 Mustang GT 350 that is currently being restored in Wisconsin!Special thanks to Seth, Lisa, and the ever-charming ANNimal for sharing the vintage auto love of their lives with us!