Progress on vet's Mustang to be unveiled
The story of Harry Donovan's 1967 Mustang raced from ripoff to remarkable last year.
This weekend, the long strange journey will turn another corner when progress on the restoration of the 95-year-old Indianapolis man's classic Ford is unveiled at the 58th annual World of Wheels show at the State Fairgrounds.
Work on the World War II vet's car isn’t done yet. But the restoration is moving closer to a reality with the recent completion of extensive body work topped by a brilliant new paint job and vinyl top.
Donovan, who was ripped off by a man he paid nearly $10,000 to restore the Mustang five years ago, will get his first look at progress on the car Saturday.
"Harry's really excited to see what all they've done," said Donovan's daughter-in-law Cheryle Donovan. "He can't wait."
It's a day, Donovan told IndyStar last fall, that he never thought he would see.
Donovan had just about given up on his dream of seeing the car restored before his daughter-in-law reached out to IndyStar Call for Action in a last-ditch effort to get help. The complicated case proved to be beyond the scope of what IndyStar Call for Action volunteers could do, but a subsequent story about the retired businessman's plight spurred an unexpected response.
The story of the ripoff struck a chord among car enthusiasts, veterans and the general public. Within weeks, a team of volunteers coordinated by Ken Mosier, owner of The Finer Details Automotive Restoration in Danville, stepped up to right the wrong Donovan had suffered. And they’re doing the work at no cost to former B-17 pilot, thanks to dozens of businesses and individuals who have donated more than $20,000 in cash, parts and labor.
But that feel-good project is only part of the story. There's also a justice component.
Donovan initially made a complaint to Indianapolis police in 2013, but they did not follow up with an investigation after his request for help.
But after learning about the ripoff from IndyStar, the Hamilton County prosecutor opened an investigation and filed two felony theft charges against alleged perpetrator Dennis Lee.
Lee, who Donovan claims disappeared with the car after accepting nearly $10,000, is scheduled for trial on the theft charges in April in Hamilton County Superior Court. If convicted, he faces a sentence of six months to three years on each charge.
Donovan said he was lucky to just get the car back. And that happened only after he enlisted the help of a family friend with law enforcement ties upon learning Lee had been sent to jail on an unrelated criminal conviction in Hamilton County.
The Mustang eventually was located at the home of Lee's former girlfriend, but it hadn't been restored as promised. Instead, the engine, transmission, hood and several other parts had been stripped from the car — leaving it in worse condition than when Donovan handed it over to Lee about two years earlier.
This time around, the restoration is going much smoother.
The original plan of doing a nice, but modest overhaul of the car was scrapped along the way. With the support of so many, and because his business’ name is tied to the work, Mosier and his crew decided to push ahead with a project that will make the Mustang a true show car like those Mosier has been restoring for 30 years. That kind of project would normally run $50,000 or more.
Volunteers have already put about 800 hours into the car so far, according to Mosier, and still have to install the new interior, engine and transmission.
"We started with a really rough old car that had sat for years and rusted away. Basically, what he's getting is a brand spanking new car," Mosier explained. "We’re hoping to have it done by spring.”
Tim Evans is IndyStar's consumer advocate. Contact him at (317) 444-6204 or tim.evans@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter: @starwatchtim.
