5-Year, $24K Mustang Restoration Ends With Owner’s Car Returned In Pieces

A vintage Ford Mustang was returned five years late and with its parts stripped in a restoration project gone wrong. Kevin Bickley ended up going to court to get his 1969 Mustang Mach 1 — yes, like the one in John Wick — back from Miller’s Performance and Restoration in Tennessee after the $24,000 repair turned into a disaster.

Bickley brought the Mustang to the shop back in October 2020. He wanted new wheels, a new orange-accented interior, a new steering wheel, a new transmission, and to get it painted Grabber Orange. The owner, Corey Miller, told him that it would take about six months — on the faster side of the average time it takes a shop to do a restoration. But over $24,000 and five years later, Bickley was without his prized Mustang.

In December 2025, Bickley went to court to get his car back from Miller. What he saw was quite shocking: “The car is in worse shape than when I gave it to him. He stripped it. He kept the car doors. He kept the hood. He took the rear axle off. He took the front suspension off. I got none of that back,” Bickley told WATE 6 On Your Side. Many car enthusiasts believe that the Mustang’s parts were sold by the shop.

It’s been a tough five years for Bickley ever since he dropped the Mustang off at Miller’s Performance and Restoration. Miller seemed trustworthy at first — Bickley described him as nice and knowledgeable. But he started to notice that the work wasn’t getting done. “I went to Corey’s shop about a dozen times,” he said to WATE 6 On Your Side. “I worked for free to help speed up the process.” Meanwhile, Miller continued to text Bickley to say he was sick. “He was in the hospital five or six times with pneumonia,” said Bickley.

By 2023, Bickley had to get lawyers involved. His lawyer and Miller’s lawyer exchanged emails, with the shop agreeing to prioritize the Mustang. In October 2023, Miller was found guilty of unlawfully and knowingly controlling personal property, including automobiles and belongings, not only for Bickely but also for three other people. No trial happened for two years, so Bickley sued Miller to get his Mustang back once and for all.

WATE 6 On Your Side was able to get a statement from Miller, who claimed Bickley hadn’t paid for the additional parts he needed after discovering more damage in the Mustang. According to Miller, Bickley was told to pick up the Mustang in 2023. “It’s Kevin Bickley’s fault,” said Miller. This is not the first time a shop has been accused of fraud. If you’re looking at restoring a classic car, you might be safer doing the restoration project yourself.