My Wife Calls it My ‘Mid-Life Crisis’ Car, But I Call it Fun

On Saturday, February 15th, I bought a Mustang. My wife calls is my "Mid-Life Crisis" car, but so far I call it a heckuva lot of fun.

2013 was a rough year for cars in my family. Late last summer my Chevy HHR suffered a major mechanical issue that affected the braking system and would have cost more to repair than the vehicle was worth. Then, last fall, my wife's Van--never the peak of automotive fitness in the first place--died a glorious death on Poleline Road when the engine exploded.

My wife and I were without our own vehicles for almost three months, but thanks to both of our families, we car-pooled our way into 2014. That all changed on February 15th when we bought a Ford Mustang.

You may not believe this, but I have never owned a sports car before, or anything that could even remotely be classified as "sporty." Heck, February 14th, when my wife and I went to meet the cool couple in Filer that were selling the car, marked the first time I had ever even driven a Mustang.

I decided that since this vehicle would primarily be my commuter car, and I didn't have a ton of money to spend, that I was going to scour Craigslist and local classifieds until I found the exact car I wanted. While my family was trying to push me toward a "people mover" (read: mini-van or small SUV), I wanted something fun.

I have to admit that this is a bit of a dream come true for me. When I was 15 years old, Ford announced the new "Fourth Generation" Mustangs--this was the first major body change in 15 years--and I was absolutely, head over heels in love with it. I actually had a poster of a red 1994 Mustang on my bedroom wall.

And now I own a red 1996 Ford Mustang V6 Convertible.

Mid-Life Crisis? Possibly. Helluva lot of fun? Definitely.