My First Ride Podcast

Welcome to "Your First Mustang," a podcast designed to celebrate your journey of Mustang ownership.

I’m your host, Gary Neidert.

Maybe you bought your first Mustang many years ago. Could be, you’ve recently bought your first Mustang. It really doesn’t matter if you bought your first one 50 years ago, last month or anywhere in between. We just want to hear about Your First Mustang experience.

Our journey together on Your First Mustang will be filled with excitement, nostalgia, and intense passion as we listen to the stories of those who have experienced the thrill of their first Mustang.

My guest today is Richard Springsteen. We met at a car show recently and we started talking about his current Mustang and that led to his first Mustang. Of course, that led to him being a guest on the podcast. He's got some great stories about his first Mustang as well as the ones along the way that led up to his current GT named “Stacie”.

Today’s episode is a little different.

It was July 2017 and I finally got a chance to go to a local car show.  This car show is an annual event held in conjunction with a bluegrass music festival in downtown Wylie, Tx just before July 4th.

What you’re going to see is a slide show of some pictures I took of the vehicles at Bluegrass on Ballard.

It’s a short video but you’ll see some great vehicles.

Here's the link to watch the video: https://youtu.be/VxEBIQrZSa8

Do you remember your first ride? You know, the first mode of transportation that gave you a newfound freedom when you were younger? Stick with me for a few minutes while I go back in time with my guest and explore some great memories.

Today, I’m talking with Frank McCarthy. His first ride was a 1964 green VW convertible. But wait, my first ride was a 1964 green VW convertible! What gives? We’ll Frank was the third person for that vehicle to become a first ride. You see, he bought the VW from me after I got another car. We’re going to talk about his first ride experience with the VW. 

My first ride? You probably know by now it was a VW convertible that was British Racing green with a black top and chrome wheels. In episode 27 I talked about my first Mustang. A 1979 coupe. Today, I’m going to talk about what I would like to have as my next Mustang.Hello, I’m your host, Gary Neidert. Thanks for listening to and watching My First Ride Podcast.

This podcast is about nostalgia. Automotive nostalgia. You know, reliving the events, sights, smells, and emotions of special memories connected to our favorite rides.

Said another way…it’s about allowing our memories to travel back in time and experience our special car moments all over again.

The California Special first appeared in 1968 when Ford introduced a limited-edition Mustang exclusive to the Golden State. This model was born out of a collaboration between Ford and Shelby American, taking design cues from the Shelby GT models and blending them with Mustang's classic styling.

The California Special made a triumphant return during the fifth generation of the Mustang, known as the S197, which ran from 2005 to 2014. This reincarnation paid homage to its iconic predecessor while incorporating modern design and performance elements that captured the spirit of California cruising.

The Mustang GT California Special is a testament to Ford's commitment to preserving the Mustang's rich heritage while pushing the boundaries of design and performance. It captures the essence of California's sun-soaked roads, where style and power converge in perfect harmony. Whether you're a collector or an enthusiast, the California Special remains a symbol of American automotive excellence and a thrilling tribute to the Golden State.

I’m looking for people that would enjoy telling the stories of their first rides and how their lives were influenced by them. And I bet you probably know someone that would be a great guest for My First Ride Podcast, right? Let me know a little about them and their story.

What about telling your story on the podcast? Let me know a little about you and your first ride.

Check us out and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast and more. You can also go to My First Ride Podcast on YouTube. When you do, be sure to like, share and subscribe. And of course, you can also go to the website at MyFirstRidePodcast.com.

One final thought….

You may not have your first ride, but you still have the memories. It’s time to share them.

Contact me if you have questions regarding today’s podcast or would like to be a guest on My First Ride Podcast. Send an email to [email protected].

I’m Gary Neidert and you’ve just experienced My First Ride Podcast.

Thanks for listening.

This podcast is about nostalgia. Automotive nostalgia. You know, reliving the events, sights, smells, and emotions of special memories connected to our favorite rides.

Said another way…it’s about allowing our memories to travel back in time and experience our special car moments all over again.

My first ride? It was a VW convertible that was British Racing green with a black top and chrome wheels.That car was so much fun to drive, and I have lots of great memories associated with it. However, I did yearn for more power than the VW could deliver.

When I was a senior in high school, a friend let me drive his 67 Mustang fastback in the parking lot. I couldn’t help but punch it a couple of times to smoke the tires and make noise. So much fun.

The memory of power in the parking lot lingered in my memory for a long time.

And then….in the mid eighties I bought my first Mustang. It was a light medium blue coupe with chrome wheels, 4 speed, 302 and glass packs. It was like being back in the school parking lot again.….so much fun.

Today I’m talking about some of the 1979 Mustang history.

In the next episode I’ll talk about the fifth generation Mustang, also known as the s197. This generation was produced from 2005 to 2014 with several models throughout that time.

More specifically, I’ll talk about the Mustang GT California Special which was first introduced in 1968 with a targeted production run of 5000. The GT/California Special was reintroduced in 2007 and was produced through 2009. It was brought back several times up until 2017.

So, be sure and check back to learn more about the GT/California Special, and why it’s of interest to me.

I’m looking for people that would enjoy telling the stories of their first rides and how their lives were influenced by them. And I bet you probably know someone that would be a great guest for My First Ride Podcast, right? Let me know a little about them and their story.

What about telling your story on the podcast? Let me know a little about you and your first ride.

Check us out and subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast and more. You can also go to My First Ride Podcast on YouTube. When you do, be sure to like, share and subscribe. And of course, you can also go to the website at MyFirstRidePodcast.com.

One final thought….

You may not have your first ride, but you still have the memories. It’s time to share them.

Contact me if you have questions regarding today’s podcast or would like to be a guest on My First Ride Podcast. Send an email to [email protected].

I’m Gary Neidert and you’ve just experienced My First Ride Podcast.

Thanks for listening. Thanks for watching.

In this episode, I explore the fascinating world of hot rods and celebrate the "Big Three" who shaped the hot rod car culture. They are George Barris, the "King of the Kustomizers,". Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, the audacious artist and creator of Rat Fink, and Von Dutch.

I’m looking for people that would enjoy telling the stories of their first rides and how their lives were influenced by them. And I bet you probably know someone that would be a great guest for My First Ride Podcast, right? Let me know a little about them and their story.

What about telling your story on the podcast? Let me know a little about you and first ride.

Check us out and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcast and more. And of course, you can also go to the website at MyFirstRidePodcast.com.

One final thought….

You may not have your first ride, but you still have the memories. It’s time to share them.

Contact me if you have questions regarding today’s podcast or would like to be a guest on My First Ride Podcast. Send an email to [email protected].

To sum up My First Ride Podcast for 2022 here are some of my favorite automotive highlights:

- Going three for three with my 2000 Toyota pickup in car shows.

- Seeing friends at a car show I had not seen in  years.

- Getting to see the Viet Nam Mustang (https://youtu.be/0_eAS2Gf8vk) in  person at a car show in Murphy, TX.

- After watching a couple of videos that featured a COPO Camaro on Dennis Collins’ Coffee Walk, a few days later getting to see and listen to it do a short burnout at a car show in Murphy, TX.

2022 was a good year. Hopefully it was a good year for you too.

Here's are the episodes links:

Vickie Watson and her 1964 VW Convertible

https://myfirstridepodcast.com/a-vw-convertible-and-servicemen-vickie-watson-shares-great-memories-of-her-first-ride/

Spring 2022: Car Shows are Back

https://myfirstridepodcast.com/spring-2022-car-shows-are-back/

More car shows. Over 200 mph in a ’57 Chevy!

https://myfirstridepodcast.com/more-car-shows-over-200-mph-in-a-57-chevy/

Do I have a car show obsession?

https://myfirstridepodcast.com/do-i-have-a-car-show-obsession/

1st place! Old School is three for three in the car shows!

https://myfirstridepodcast.com/1st-place-old-school-is-three-for-three-in-the-car-shows/

What does Frank Sinatra, Marylin Monroe and NASCAR have in common?

https://myfirstridepodcast.com/what-does-frank-sinatra-marylin-monroe-and-nascar-have-in-common/

What’s in store for 2023?

My plan is to release more episodes for 2023 than I did in 2022. Life got a little complicated this year which made it a little difficult to release as many shows as I intended. My goal is to have several interviews with people talking about their first rides as well as solo episodes talking about interesting automotive and hot rod history.

May your 2023 be filled with great times with family, friends, and car shows!

I bet you probably know someone that would be a great guest for My First Ride Podcast, right? Let me know a little about them and their, story.

What about telling your story on the podcast? Let me know a little about you and first ride.

Go to MyFirstRidePodcast.com for more information.

One final thought….

You may not have your first ride, but you still have the memories. It’s time to share them.

Contact me if you have questions regarding today’s podcast or would like to be a guest on My First Ride Podcast. Send an email to [email protected].

I’m Gary Neidert and you’ve just experienced My First Ride Podcast.

Thanks for listening. Thanks for watching.

Hello, I’m your host, Gary Neidert. Thanks for listening to and watching My First Ride Podcast.

This podcast is about nostalgia. Automotive nostalgia. You know, reliving the events, sights, smells, and emotions of special memories connected to our first rides.

Said another way…it’s about allowing our memories to travel back in time and experience our special car moments all over again.

So, let’s talk about what Frank Sinatra, Marylin Monroe and NASCAR have in common?

The Ford Thunderbird

For more information, go to MyFirstRidePodcast.com.

Do you remember your first ride? You know, the first mode of transportation that gave you a newfound freedom. Think about it. What do you remember about your first ride?

I would be thrilled to have you as a guest on My First Ride Podcast. It's an online audio/video program spotlighting the stories of people's taste of freedom with their first vehicle.

Whether it was a car, truck, or motorcycle we all have some great memories that need to be shared.

We'll talk about your first vehicle and the memories attached to that time in your life and what kind of an impact it had on you later in life. It doesn't matter if your first ride was 5, 20, or 30 years ago or more. What does matter is that you share the stories.

If you have fond memories of your first ride it's time to tell those stories and what they mean to you. You know, stories you can tell your kids and your grandkids.

Although, there are some stories that probably need to remain untold.

It doesn’t matter how busy your schedule is, the whole process to record our conversation is very easy. It'll be a 30-to-40-minute conversation recorded over Zoom. And now, just about everybody knows about zoom, right?

I would love to have you as a guest on My First Ride Podcast.

Would you be open to participating? You know, telling your first ride story? If yes, I would like to schedule a time where we can record our conversation.

Contact me at [email protected] and we'll start the process of setting up to record your story and share it on MyFirstRidePodcast.com

Final thought.

You may not have your first ride, but you still have the memories. It's time to share them before they fade away.

I’m Gary Neidert, host of My First Ride Podcast. Send me an email if you have questions or would like more information. Again, my email is [email protected]

Thanks for watching. Thanks for listening.

This podcast is about nostalgia. Automotive nostalgia. You know, reliving the events, sights, smells, and emotions of special memories connected to our first rides.

Said another way…it’s about allowing our memories to travel back in time and experience our special car moments all over again.

In episode 22 I told the story of going to car shows and eventually entering my 2000 Toyota Tacoma, Old School, in one on May 7th this year. It was a great experience and met some great people.

Well….I entered another show on May 28th along with my friend Danny. He brought his Mustang GT that is pristine, and it’s never been driven in the rain! I had a great time there and we got to see a survivor Mustang that was manufactured for use in South Viet Nam.

After talking with my friend Danny, he decided to bring his Mustang GT as well. So, we parked next to one another and enjoyed the show.

Then, on June 25th, I entered my Toyota Tacoma in an Annual celebration held in downtown Wylie, Texas call Bluegrass on Ballard. The event is more than a car show. It has music, craft booths, food booths and more.

While the votes were being tallied, I thought I saw Alex with Coffee Walk going through the show. A little later he walked by and sure enough it was him. He’s on most of the Coffee Walk episodes with Dennis Collins. It just so happened the day before, Dennis gave some more information about the Vietnam Mustang on episode 200.

I was able to introduce myself to him and talk with him about the Mustang, which was parked close to the show. He was gracious in not only talking about the car but showing it to us. To me, this was a great find because it was driven in South Vietnam during the war. Very cool bit of history.

Thanks, Dennis Collins, for rescuing the car and thanks Alex for taking the time to show it to us.

Go to the original episode where Dennis introduced the Mustang (episode 103: https://youtu.be/0_eAS2Gf8vk ) and then watch episode 200 (https://youtu.be/TTeXtm9Ouos ). The links to the videos will be in the show notes. Make sure you watch them!

Just like the show earlier in the month, the public started voting when the show began and later those with vehicles entered were able to vote.

Because there were so many great looking cars and trucks on display, it was hard to pick a winner for each category and the best of show. For me, I had to walk the show several times to make sure I picked the best that was there.

So, after all the votes were counted, the show promotors began to hand out the trophies. All the people that entered vehicles were gathered around the Mustang Sally Production tent waiting to find out who got an award.

Danny and I stood next to a group that’s in many of the shows I go to called Eddie and the Cruisers. Several older guys that enjoy working on and showing their rides. Plus, this group usually has several of the cars they enter go home with trophies.

Sure enough, most of the guys there won awards.

Then, I hear my name called out and I won first place, again, in the 2000 and Newer Truck class. So cool to get another award for my 2000 Toyota Tacoma pick up. So, I’m two for two. Two car shows entered. Two trophies awarded.

A couple of minutes after I received my plaque, Danny’s name is called, and he won first place in his category.

It was a great day all the way around.

Another show was coming up close to home. So, I decided to enter again.

The next car show, on June 28th, was Bluegrass on Ballard. This event was started thirty-four years ago by merchants in downtown Wylie as an ice cream social and a way for merchants to give back to the community. It eventually became a country music festival, and then other activities were added to the event, which includes the car show. Cars, trucks, and motorcycles lined Ballard Street for at least three blocks while live music was playing in the park. This was a great event with a fantastic hometown feel.

In 2017, this was the first car show I attended and took a lot of photos and had a blast looking at all the vehicles on display. Since then, I’ve been every year except for 2020 when it was cancelled due to Covid.

So….when I found out the dates for this year, 2022, I thought, “let’s enter my truck again and see what happens”. As soon as the entry form was available online, I signed up in the 2000 and Newer class. Just like the two times before.

There were quite a few entries for this event, and it took a while to get through the list. Several vehicles represented Iron Horse Classics, a custom rod shop in Wylie, and took home some well-deserved awards.

Of course, Eddie and the Cruisers bunch also took home several wards.

While standing there, I was really surprised when they called my name for first place: 2000 and newer truck. Wow. This is fantastic, now I’m three for three.

Participating in the car shows this year has been a great experience for me. I entered my truck in each event mainly for the experience and the idea of meeting people but with little expectation of winning anything. The three wins, so far, were a great bonus to it all.

Will I enter some more shows? Yes, but when it cools down some. In my younger days, I could stay on the lake all day with my boat no matter how hot it was. However, as I’ve aged, I’m not so intent on being in the heat. If fact, I have a saying that best describes what I’m thinking: “I’m not too old. I’m just too old to do that.”.  

If you live in the Dallas/North Dallas area, make sure you check out Mustang Sally Production’s events. You’ll get to enjoy looking at some fantastic rides and talking with the great people that own them. They would love to talk with you about their cars, trucks and motorcycles. 

I bet you probably know someone that would be a great guest for My First Ride Podcast, right? Let me know a little about them and their, story.

What about telling your story on the podcast? Let me know a little about you and first ride.

Check us out and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcast and more. And of course, you can also go to the website at MyFirstRidePodcast.com.

One final thought….

You may not have your first ride, but you still have the memories. It’s time to share them.

Contact me if you have questions regarding today’s podcast or would like to be a guest on My First Ride Podcast. Send an email to [email protected].

I’m Gary Neidert and you’ve just experienced My First Ride Podcast.

Thanks for listening. Thanks for watching.