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Geared for nostalgia
Photo
Nate Miller stands near a 1969 Mustang Mach 1 that his Canfield company is restoring. Miller owns Buckeye Classic Car Restoration. He’s also branching out into reproducing Mustang Fastbacks through a sister company called Thoroughbred International.
By Elise Franco | news@vindy.com
CANFIELD
Nate Miller’s love for classic automobile restoration began as a part-time hobby and flourished over the past 10 years into a career that is in no danger of slowing down.
Miller, owner of Buckeye Classic Car Restoration in Canfield, said he’s considered one of the top concours restoration businesses in the country. He, along with his father, John Miller, and a crew of about 15, rebuild classic cars for customers throughout the United States.
Miller said Buckeye also has done business overseas with customers in places such as Switzerland, Australia, Dubai and Indonesia.
“The finished cars we do range in value from $50,000 to $100,000, depending on the kind of detail put into it,” he said, noting that most of his customers have few budgetary restraints and choose to have their cars because of sentimental value.
“A lot of times it’s because the customer had one as a kid, or his father did,” he said. “The sentimentality is what makes people do this.”
Bruce Beeghly, chief executive officer and president of Altronic Inc. in Girard, and a former member of the Youngstown State University board of trustees, is one of those customers. Beeghly purchased his pre-production 1964 Ford Mustang for $39,000 from a dealership in Atlanta and put an additional $35,000 to $40,000 into its restoration.
“One of the first cars I ever had was a 1965 Mustang, so it’s neat having this car for that reason,” he said. “It’s very hard to put a value on a car like that today because it’s so unique.”
Though Beeghly’s car was in good condition when he brought it home about eight years ago, it needed a quality paint job. He said he’d seen an article about Miller’s restoration work and gave him a call.
Beeghly said he didn’t realize how valuable the car was until Miller popped the hood.
“I knew it was a pre-production car, but after Nate looked at it we realized it’s one of the earliest Mustangs ever built,” he said. “Without his expertise and research, I wouldn’t know 95 percent of what I do know now about the car.”
Bill Baker, a retired Youngstown businessman, met John Miller four years ago during a swap meet at the Canfield Fairgrounds, on the same day he purchased a 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air convertible.
Baker said he brought the car to Nate, who took his time and made sure the restoration was done right. He said he’ll continue to do business with Buckeye not only because of how visually appealing the finished product is, but also because of the overall quality of the work.
“It took about three years to get the car done, completely, because they really take their time with these things,” Baker said. “These are old cars that don’t have airbags and things like that, and I trust these guys. I know the car will be safe when I go to drive it.”
And now that Miller, who began the business in 2001, has a solid customer base for his restoration business, he’s branching out into something that he said hasn’t been done before. Thoroughbred International, Buckeye’s sister company, has begun the skeletal reproduction of the 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback.
“Thoroughbred is the only company in the world that we know of that’s remaking the Mustang Fastback,” he said.
The parts, imported from Taiwan, are fitted into fixtures and spot-welded together. But the cars are not completely rebuilt on site. Miller said the finished skeleton is sold and shipped to the customer.
“It’s the most-complex re-engineered body shell, but I like a challenge,” he said. “It took two years and, probably, 15 junked shells before we got it right.”
The Fastback skeletons are produced in a 25,000-square-foot building off state Route 446 in Canfield, though Miller said they’re beginning to outgrow the space and are looking to expand in the near future.
Miller said the long-term success of Buckeye and the new success of Thoroughbred will allow the business to soon roll out a third tier: the turn-key car.
“These body shells are where we’re taking the company, and with that we can build cars that look like the old classics but drive like new,” he said.
Miller said the turn-key cars will be built with modern suspension with a target price of $65,000.
“There’s definitely a market — it’s a niche market,” he said. “But this is what these people want.”
Miller said his business has survived because he listens to what his customers want and continues to adapt to changes in the economy.
“I think we’re a sustainable business for the next 25-plus years,” he said. “It’s an ever-changing market, so you have to pay very close attention to it.”