Cruisers show off pet project: 1978 Mustang

Not all classics cruising Woodward Avenue Saturday were in tip-top shape; some car enthusiasts used the event to preview their pet projects.

Livonia resident Sara Stemen, 19, said she and her 15-year-old brother, Brian, helped her parents restore a blue 1978 Mustang Fastback in time for Saturday. The car, purchased in April with only about 28,000 miles on it, just got up and running Wednesday.

"She was in a barn for 30 years," Stemen said. "My parents bought her and fixed her up."

Extensive engine work and brand new tires got the Mustang running in time for the family to get a head start on the cruise Thursday.

"We took her in from Livonia," Stemen said. "We got off I-696 and cruised up here."

The family settled in a parking lot at Webster Street in Birmingham, where they remained Saturday. Alongside the Mustang sat two more classics owned by the family: a 1978 Mustang Cobra and 1970 Cutlass Sport Rallye 350.

There's still work to be done on the Fastback, Stemen said, including a new interior, buffing the paint job, and engine tweaks to prevent the car from stalling.

"She just needs a little more work," Stemen said. "She's a work in progress."