Texas — A former Texas Department of Public Safety Mustang known as M6-380 is being preserved through years of restoration work and the efforts of several people dedicated to keeping its history alive.
Retired law enforcement officer Robert Arena is the Mustang’s current owner and caretaker, but the restoration began before the vehicle came into his possession.
Fellow Texas resident Jason Skwarek had already completed significant work on M6-380 before Arena purchased it. Arena then continued the project, spending the past six years restoring and refining the vehicle.
The work has included paint and suspension work, replacement glass, gauge restoration and numerous other details. Arena’s longtime friend and Mustang mechanic, Tim with Majestic Auto, also helped resolve several mechanical issues.
Attention was also given to recreating the Mustang’s historical appearance. Arena discovered that decals previously installed on the vehicle did not have the correct color or print. Joe Pell helped with the decals, while Arena and his friend JD, who owns a sign company, worked to reproduce them as closely as possible to the originals.
M6-380 is Arena’s fifth privately owned former police vehicle. His collection over the years has included three Mustangs and two Camaros from agencies in Florida, Utah and Nevada. Arena said M6-380 has been the most enjoyable of the former police vehicles he has owned.
Arena’s connection to law enforcement spans 25 years. He retired following an on-duty injury after serving with the Suffern Police Department in New York. His final patrol vehicle was a Corvette D.A.R.E. car that was later produced as a Matchbox collectible.
Arena credited the police vehicle preservation community and the people who have helped along the way.
“There are a lot of good people associated with this hobby, and many are always willing to lend a hand helping with info and finding things,” Arena said.
Thanks to Robert Arena, Jason Skwarek, Joe Pell, JD, Tim and others who contributed to the project, M6-380 continues to preserve a piece of Texas DPS history.
