Sometimes you are indeed in the right place at the right time, when Fate gives you a little nudge and tells you that this is meant to be. I was extremely fortunate to have this happen in regards to my 1986 Cougar LS convertible. The car itself had been in my area for several years, as I'd seen it cruising town since the late 1980s, but I was never able to track down who owned it. Yet it was always in the back of my mind that I'd cross paths with it eventually.

That happened in 1994 when I finally found the car at a used car lot. The top was missing completely; only the skeleton remained. An attendant at the lot told me it was the lot owner's mother's car, and they had just sent the top out so that a new one could be made from it. I asked if it was for sale and he didn't know. At least I had a lead on finding the car though.

The following spring I happened to drive by the same car lot, and to my shock the car was sitting out in front with a price on the windshield. I quickly pulled in, inspected the car, and was even allowed to take it for a short test drive. While obviously I was infatuated with it, the only concern for me was being able to afford it. At the time it just wasn't possible to fit this car into my already narrow budget. Very reluctantly, and with a sadness that's hard to put into words, I returned the car, seemingly never to see it again.

When driving by the car lot several times over that fall and winter, the car had disappeared and my immediate impression was that the car got sold. I had held out hope that it didn't but one never knows.

It just so happened that the next summer, in 1996, I drove by that used car lot—and there it was, again for sale, and with a lower price to boot! I simply could not believe my luck. Of course I was still stuck in the exact same financial rut. But there was no way that I wasn't owning this car even if the money outlook was bleak. I made arrangements to secure a loan and paid for it a few days later. Everything happened very quickly but at long last, it was mine.

As the years have gone by I've done a lot of customization and personalization to the car. Even though it's a relatively uncommon vehicle I've always lived by the belief that one should make his or her vehicle the way that they want. I believe the only original, untouched part left on the car is the windshield. Admittedly the car gets driven less and less as the years go on, and I'd love to do so many things to it still, but life always complicates things. I'm still as happy driving it today as I was those many years ago.