Brett Gwin and Mike Armetta make up two parts of the automotive club known as RRC Performance. These guys might be two of a kind when it comes to cars, but it’s the vehicles that get people talking.
Gwin is the owner of a 1966 Mustang fastback and a 1999 Harley-Davidson Super Glide, both of which are finished in a resplendent orange paint job. These prize winners have plenty of upgrades that allow Gwin to bring home first-place finishes at major shows like the World of Wheels and the East Coast Indoor Nationals in Timonium.
Gwin, who works on computers for a living, said when prepping the car and bike for design he creates the computer-aided design drawings and hands them over to friend Armetta who turns them into a reality.
“I come up with ideas and spend other people’s money,” laughed Gwin, who traces his friendship with Armetta back a number of years.
Gwin first approached his friend when he overheard him say he was doing work on a certain Chevy Nova for another person and putting the car on the track for competition.
“He was racing a car that was nicer than most of the cars I was showing with,” said Gwin.
Gwin’s intrigue led him to ask Armetta if he could build him something similar. He later bought a vintage Mustang for 6,500 off one very nostalgic owner, who for many years would follow Gwin from show to show to see for himself the progress made on the pony.
The Mustang, recalled Armetta, was a timely investment. With over five years built into the project, nothing was easy. During the build process, the guarantee of a bolt-on accessory fitting properly was as unlikely as Gwin getting the work done for free. With the exception of the brakes, Armetta banged out every part of the car.
“You buy a fender, and it doesn’t fit. The back quarter pieces don’t fit,” said Armetta.
“You have to spend hours making it look like it belongs on the car.”
When it came to ramping up his Harley, however, Gwin enlisted Charm City Choppers in Baltimore, to do much of the wrench work, which includes a custom fabricated handlebar set and custom wiring. Gwin designed the wheels on the bike to mimic what’s on the car. But the bike, like the car, went through a couple of incarnations itself to get it to where it is today.
“You’ve got to break some eggs to make an omelet,” laughed Gwin as Armetta explained how the bike has a spare parts entourage that includes three sets of handlebars and four exhausts.
What do you drive?
It’s a 1966 Ford Mustang fastback and the motorcycle is a 1999 Harley-Davidson Super Glide Sport custom.
Why do you drive it?
Just for pleasure. The bike is just strictly for the weekend. I like the motorcycle much better than the car. I don’t drive the car very much. It spends most of its life in the garage. The Harley, I get it out as much as I possibly can. It’s a lot more fun, relaxing to ride on.
What makes these vehicles so special?
Just the time that went into them. The design of all the colors. Got to spend time with my friend, Mike Armetta. He built the car, built the motor. The car took about five years to build. It wasn’t something that was just torn apart. It needed a lot of attention but it was a rust-free car.
What was your most memorable driving experience?
Probably going to Ocean City and hanging out for the Boardwalk run.
What was the first vehicle you owned?
A 1981 V-6 Camaro, and it was horrible. Then I got an ’86 Mustang. I went from Chevrolet to Ford and never looked back. Now I’m a Ford man … until I met the Harley (laughs).
What’s currently in your CD player?
I listen to Howard Stern. The radio is there for aesthetics.
And your first ticket? What was it for?
The only ticket I’ve ever gotten in this car is racing on Coastal Highway. We were only in Ocean City for 45 minutes before that happened. But I only got a warning. He heard me. He didn’t see me.
Check out my stats:
- Mustang: 306 engine, Edelbrock aluminum heads, hydraulic roller cam, 3:55 gears, 8-inch 4500 converter, two 450 Holley carburetors, custom made valve covers, custom hood with Chevy scoop, Billet Specialty steering wheel, Billet Specialty 17-inch wheels, 4-piston caliber breaks, parchment interior, Autometer gauges.
- Bike: 1,450 cc engine, 11-inch inch lowered shocks, 1.5-inch tubing hand-made custom handlebars, custom fit controls, Accutronix triple trees, Accutronix 4-inch controls, Supervenom tires, 18-inch wheel on back, 21-inch up front, Extreme Machine wheels, billet headlight, Forcewinder intake.
