SAN DIEGO -- When Judy Smongesky graduated from high school in 1970, her father gave her a truly cool present -- a 1965 Ford Mustang.

Thirty-eight years down the road, it turns out Smongesky's prized ride was actually hot.

This week, San Diego police confirmed the City Heights resident's nagging suspicions by informing her that her beloved car was stolen. They also broke the news that they had found the Mustang's rightful owner, she said.

Smongesky, 55, has since spoken with that man, Eugene Brakke of Los Angeles, and the two plan to meet soon to discuss what to do about the awkward situation.

Brakke "seems willing to work something out," Smongesky said Thursday morning.

Her father, now 80 and living in Los Alamitos, bought the gold coupe from a used-car dealer in Bellflower to give to his then-18-year-old daughter for her graduation from high school in Long Beach, where they then lived.

Smongesky "loved" the Mustang and enjoyed driving it until about 1990, when she "retired" it because it was no longer running very well, she said.

About 12 years ago, a neighbor of Smongesky's expressed interest in buying the garaged hard-top coupe, but balked after looking it over and concluding that it was stolen.

Dubious but concerned, Smongesky called the police, who sent senior-volunteer officers to investigate. They looked the car over and reassured Smongesky that her neighbor had been mistaken.

Recently, though, Smongesky grew suspicious herself while restoring the Mustang and realizing that it had two different vehicle-identification numbers, one on the firewall, the other on the driver's side door.

"And I just had a feeling in my heart that I needed to clarify this before I put any more money up," she said.

Smongesky, a 35-year San Diego resident, said she hopes to be able to keep the Mustang -- now repainted silverish-blue -- but realizes that, ultimately, it's up to Brakke, who reported it stolen in 1970.

"Of course, he could always take the car as is, right now, and then I'm out of a car," she said.

Smongesky said her father was as surprised as she was to hear that he'd unwittingly bought a stolen car nearly four decades ago. Still, he adopted a philosophical attitude.

"He said, 'Well, Judy, just chalk it up to experience,'" she said.