Maintainer musters muscle in Mustangs - Airman's World - Master Sgt. Vincent "Dale" Cole, collecter of Ford Mustangs - Brief Article

Airman, Dec, 2001 by Jason Tudor

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- Appropriately, the home of Master Sgt. Vincent "Dale" Cole is mere feet from a farm housing more than 100 miniature horses. Cole can snicker and thumb his nose a bit at those neighbors. He's collected more than 1,000 horses on the edge of his driveway, and he doesn't have to clean up a mess.

But the horses Cole, a C-130 maintenance production superintendent for the 53rd Airlift Squadron, collects don't have hooves. They have chrome wheels. Boss 351 engines and stand as a testament to gas-guzzling street machines that have gone the way of Studio 54 and the "Dukes of Hazzard."

That's because Cole collects, refurbishes and sells old Ford Mustangs. He's owned more than 30 and still keeps six in his driveway, tinkering away whenever he's able (and has the money) to get them back on the road.

The self-professed Tennessee University football fanatic (even his love for cars falls second to the sport) drives a red 1968 Mustang to work each day, while another $100,000 worth of automobiles sit in his driveway. It all started one day when his brother tossed him the keys to a 1965 Mustang Coupe and traded cars with him.

"He threw me the keys, and we traded because his new bride couldn't drive a four-speed." he remembered, giving his brother an automatic 1966 Buick Skylark. "I was hooked from that point."

The career crew chief said he enjoys the simplicity of the cars, and compares his work to his time spent on several of the Air Force's C-130s over the years.

"They're so old but if you take care of them right -- by the book -- they'll be around another 30 or 40 years," Cole said. "They're fun to drive, well engineered and parts are plentiful."

In the Lawrenceburg, Tenn., native's driveway, you'll find a white 1971 Boss 351 Mach 1 Mustang, another white 1971 Mach 1, the red 1968 model, a black 1968 California Special (one he's fixing for his father) and another Mach 1 that he's owned twice in his lifetime. There's another in pieces in his garage. He's found most of the Mustangs by word of mouth.

The 22-year Air Force veteran has also served as the president of the Central Arkansas Mustang Collectors Club (his wife as treasurer) and attends two or three trade shows a year. However, between his work schedule that encompasses his Air Force career, a second part-time job and the time he spends coaching baseball for his sons. he hasn't found much time to tinker.

He looks forward to someday completing work on all the cars in his driveway. But he'll wait while he continues maintaining the C-130 Hercules and spending time with his sons.

"These cars and I go back a long way, so there's a tradeoff I have to make," he said. "There's plenty of time,"