Mustang parts company branches out

Jay Zeigler bought his first Mustang in 1985. The car needed a little work.

"It was being used as a shed," Zeigler recalled of the decrepit vehicle, which was used for storing deck chairs and other items.

Most of his friends and family laughed at the then long-haired teenager. Except for

The pair's like-minded attitude on the Mustang extended to the shared dream of owning a chain of auto parts stores. "We just wanted to be self-employed," Zeigler recalled.

Fifteen years later the dream is thriving in the form of CJ Pony Parts Inc., West Hanover Township, which specializes in Mustang parts.

The company, which began in the corner of a barn behind Stammel's parents' house, moved in November to a $750,000 facility. At 18,200 square feet, it's nearly four times larger than the building it left behind.

The new building is only one of many changes that have taken place in the last six months at CJ Pony Parts.

The company also is branching out from its focus on 1964 to 1973 Mustangs and starting to carry parts for newer models.