Remember our Metal Mustang? Many of you have asked us where it went and if it will come back. (We are updating this story as it progresses… check back to see how we’re doing!)
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- Susan La Forest Williams (’82), next to her creation, “The Metal Mustang”
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- Rust and bent metal
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- More rust, lots of damage
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- Closeup of damage
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- Closeup of damage
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- Salty sea breezes got into every crevice.
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- Here’s Susan, painting the Mustang
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- The Mustang is Ready to GO!
11/10/16 UPDATE: We’ve need your help with installation costs.
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We’ve run headlong [SMACK!] into a bit of hurdle with our Metal Mustang and now are turning to our alumni for help!
Installing the Mustang on school grounds costs a lot more than it did when it was first installed in 1981 because the State building code standards are much more complex today. We must follow the plans drawn up by our SDUHSD architect. (Which, by the way, were made gratis for us — thank you!)
For example, a detail not required in the 1981 installation is a steel cage (or basket) placed within the 4-foot deep hole holding the concrete, which will be welded to the post. We’ll also need a crane to lift the Mustang from Susie Bruun’s truck in order to place it into the ground.
We got a competitive bid: installation cost will run approximately $6900, which includes picking up the Mustang, delivering it to the school, using a crane to move the pole, making steel cage, etc…
We are now rolling up our sleeves.
We need your help.
Any donation, any size, will help us get our Mustang back on the road. If you donate via the SDA Foundation to this cause you will receive a tax receipt.
06/10/16 UPDATE! It’s repaired! THANK YOU TO ALL DONORS!
Susan La Forest Williams (’81) finished painting the Mustang and may I say what a great job she did? Ken Harrison wrote an article about it, here.
Susan Ash Bruun (’61) had the Mustang delivered from Baker Iron Works in Solana Beach to RW Little in San Diego, which is where the Mustang was painted. Thank you, Mrs. Bruun! After it cures (next week) she’ll be bringing it back and holding it in her work yard for us until the District is able to install it.
None of this would’ve happened if it weren’t for Susan Bruun! THANK YOU, MRS. BRUUN!!!
Ken Harrison wrote an article in the San Diego Reader about Susan La Forest William (’81)
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06/06/16 UPDATE! SUSAN LA FOREST WILLIAMS WILL PAINT TUESDAY, 6/7/2016!
We are still short of our goal of $800 to pay for the Metal Mustang repair. Any little bit will help! A HUGE THANK YOU TO MANOJ JHAWAR (’83), who has donated the balance of our bill in the memory of his teacher, Mssr. Perrault. “One of the nicest men and teachers to grace the rooms of San Dieguito.”
We are finalizing arrangements to paint and reinstall our Metal Mustang. In the meantime, we want to thank those donors who’ve helped so far:
Metal Mustang Donors:
- Manoj Jhawar (’83)
- John Thomas Tone (’85)
- Wendy Woodard (’83)
- Natalie Renee Powell (’83)
- Danette and Bart Smith
- Cindy Iohning (’84)
- Lizbeth Ecke (’75)
- Brianna K. Huntoon (’05)
- Louise Sullivan Hoffman Abbott (’68)
- John Van Horn
04/28/16 UPDATE!
THANK YOU, BAKER IRON WORKS!
Randy is not an alumnus, but he should be considered an Honorary Mustang for this contribution to the cause! Hooray for RW Little, Co.!
THANK YOU, RW LITTLE, CO!
This super-duper high performance coating consists of an inorganic zinc primer, a zinc metal spray, and then two applications of an intermediate coat of epoxy before a final top coat of polyurethane. Holy hoofprints!
It hardens very quickly and will resist any paint applied to it — unless that paint is applied within 24 to 48 hours after application of the high performance marine finish. The original artist, Susan LaForest Williams (’81) is coming in from out of state to paint those details, so we must schedule the marine finish application accordingly.
The SDUHS District Facilities team will the install the Metal Mustang very close to its original location.
All is coming together! If you would like to help, click to donate to this worthy cause.
MARCH 3, 2016
Help us repair the Metal Mustang! All donations will receive a tax receipt.
Our Metal Mustang was created by Susan De Forest (’81) and stood by the field for over 30 years — until it had to be removed when our track was renovated. It was placed in the “Art Yard” on campus, which was when we realized how much repair it actually needed.
After standing for over 30 years in the sun, rain and ocean breezes, the Mustang was rusty, bent, and dented in spots.
We asked our Metals teacher, Jason Berend, if he could fix it. He determined that it needed sandblasting or chemical stripping plus some torch work, and let us know that the school’s sandblaster is too small and the chemicals involved in paint stripping would be too hazardous for students.
Then we looked into several alternatives with local contractors. When we contacted Mrs. Susan Bruun (’61) owner of Baker Ironworks of Solana Beach, she immediately said, “Yes!” She gave us an extremely competitive bid in which she absorbed most of the cost of the repair and we very much appreciate her kindness! The remaining balance we hope to raise will pay for the remaining cost charged for those services Mrs. Bruun has to contract out.
This morning, SDUHSD facilities workers picked up the Mustang and took it to Baker Ironworks. Mrs. Bruun’s plan is to go over all welds, then send it to the sand blaster, have it marine coated and powder coated white.
THANK YOU, BAKER IRONWORKS! (And thanks to the alumni donors listed below!)
If you’d like to help contribute to the cost of repairing and re-installing our iconic Metal Mustang, please click on the donate button; you will be helping the San Dieguito Alumni Association maintain as many campus landmarks and memorabilia as possible. Help us repair the Metal Mustang! All donations will receive a tax receipt.
All of our landmarks and memorabilia can’t be saved, but we do our best to save what we can! We are so glad to be able to save our Metal Mustang.
