About Dorian Quispe

The Car That Started This

In 2022, I bought a 1967 Mustang Fastback — the same body style that Steve McQueen made famous in Bullitt. It needed everything: rust repair, a full engine rebuild, interior restoration, new suspension, and a respray. I had a budget in mind. The car had other ideas.

Getting real cost estimates in Los Angeles turned out to be harder than I expected. Shops quoted wildly different numbers. Online forums gave decade-old figures. Nobody was publishing honest, current, LA-specific cost breakdowns that actually helped you plan a budget.

So I started interviewing shops. I called every Mustang specialist I could find in the LA area — from Burbank to Long Beach, from Santa Monica to Pasadena. I documented their rates, their processes, and the variables that move the needle on price. Then I wrote it all down.

That's what this site is: the guide I wish existed when I started.

Research Methodology

Every cost guide on this site is based on:

• 35+ years in the Mustang restoration world — I started working on Mustangs as a teenager in the early '90s — pulling parts from Mustang graveyards at 16, scrounging forums and early internet communities for specs, and having hundreds of conversations with owners, shops, and parts dealers across Southern California. Every shop recommendation and parts comparison on this site comes from my experience as a restorer, not as an outside observer.
• Real estimates — Quotes obtained for specific repair scopes on a 1967 Mustang Fastback and similar first-generation models (1965–1970).
• Parts vendor research — Pricing from major Mustang parts suppliers including NPD, CJ Pony Parts, and Mustangs Unlimited.
• Owner community data — Cross-referenced with cost reports from Mustang owners on forums and local clubs.
• Annual updates — Prices are reviewed and updated as labor rates and parts costs change.

All figures represent realistic ranges based on LA-area shop rates ($150–$175/hr for specialists). Your actual costs will vary depending on your car's condition, year, and the scope of work.

My Car

The 1967 Fastback is a numbers-matching car with the original 289 V8. Restoration is ongoing — which means I'm constantly encountering new problems, getting new estimates, and updating these guides with what I learn.

Classic car restoration is expensive, slow, and often humbling. It is also, categorically, worth it.

Contact

Questions, corrections, or want to share your own restoration experience? Reach out at hello@mustangrestorationla.com