By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Max Ewert and his wife, Gerri, had to contemplate whether they could afford an extra $6 per month on the payment when they bought their 1964 Ford Mustang in Newton.

Their choices of transmission, V-8 engine, and 289 four-barrel carburetor increased the car’s price, and even though the car cost $2,943.80 to buy in 1964, that’s the equivalent of $23,644.51in 2018.

The decision they made to spend the extra money for the features they wanted must have been worth it, because the Ewerts still drive the white Mustang today and proudly show it off at car shows a couple of times per year.

They bought it in Newton, where they lived eight years, then moved to Colorado, where they lived 34 years, then returned to Marion to retire.

“This little sweetheart’s been everywhere with us,” Ewert said. “My wife drove it back from Colorado. No air conditioning.”

The body is nearly all original. One fender had to be replaced after an accident, but otherwise, all the parts are original.

Ewert has done restoration work on it, having it completely repainted and getting bodywork.

“We paid double for the body work as we paid for the car,” Ewert said. “It was really mistreated when we were working on the house in Colorado. Nobody would give us anything for it then.”

Ewert completely rebuilt the engine himself.

After these years, the car has 114,134 miles on it.

“I want to do some more work on it when I get money ahead,” Ewert said.

He wants to give the car new springs, shocks, and disc brakes.

“There was a time when I would have done that myself, but I’ll hire it done,” Ewert said.

When the car is on display at a car show, Ewert sets out drive-in movie speakers, a parking meter, and a piece of vinyl with the Ford emblem that was signed by Lee Iacocca, designer of the Mustang.