Jerry Heasley

Early Reviewers Review

I was surprised to see the amount of information that is contained in this book. For any car enthusiast this is the book to have. The stories that are shared along with the great finds is just amazing. Don't let our heritage rust and ruin... Lets rebuild and race! lol

Realistically, I can’t give Jerry Heasley’s Rare Finds: Mustangs & Fords a fair review. I read it with the misplaced hope that I could relate to its subject matter based on universal feelings of euphoria any collector feels when he finds a treasure. I was mistaken. I am not a car buff. I am, or have been, a collector of comic books, baseball cards, CDs and records. However, what I felt from reading story after story of finding Mustang after Mustang was not equivalent to the thrills I show more felt in finding an old Superman comic book at a garage sale.

Having laid those cards on the table, I’ll proceed with my review.

I might have enjoyed the book more if it wasn’t so narrowly focused. The hay-day of collectible Mustangs was from the mid-60s to the mid-70s. In that time, the body style really didn’t change all that much. So finding a 1960s Mustang under a toadstool or an early 1970s Mustang under a bed didn’t really spark my imagination. If the book was one about finding vintage cars from the 1940s and 1950s – particularly from automobile companies that were short-lived or absorbed into one of the Big Three – I would have found it much more fascinating.

And the condition of most of these cars! My gosh, when I would find that Superman or Green Lantern comic book at a garage sale it was in one piece. Not these things. How one can find a half-shell, restore it and feel like you own a classic car is beyond me. It would seem to make more sense just to start from scratch, perhaps with a seal of approval from the original auto manufacturer.

There’s also a lot of jargon in these stories that will mean nothing to a detached reader.

So, I just have one last thing to add: Is there a book that chronicles the adventures of finding old comic books? show less

My husband has a beautiful fully restored 1967 Mustang (fastback) in our garage.....so yes...we are Mustang enthusiasts! Needless to say, he enjoyed the stories and all the great pics of these 'rare finds'. I have to admit I mostly looked at the pictures!! He has always been on the lookout for 'hidden treasures' such as these in out of the way places...and now this book has just reinforced to him that they are out there!!! A great, inspiring book for those who search out those hidden show more treasures, and bring them back to their glory days!! show less

Jerry Heasely's book features adventures of people who treasure hunt for classic Mustangs and Fords. A few of the stories include a classic car enthusiast rescuing the original Boss Mustang Prototype, a man's search for a 1968 Shelby GT350 who finds it...plus a GT500KR, and how a 1965 GT40 was literally unearthed. The photographs do a good job of illustrating the cars in their newly found state as well as, in some cases, their restoration. The book, which reads like a collection of magazine show more articles, is readable and should be considered a must-have for you Shelby or early Mustang fans. Even if you're not a Ford fan, though, the book might inspire you to keep your eyes open for treasures of other makes and models. show less