NEWSMAKERS: Muscle Cars Get New Lease on Life Via Web Site
BY LEE ZION
Staff Writer
A San Diego company has made a name for itself online by helping owners of classic Mustangs find spare parts for their muscle cars.
RestoreMustangs.com, a division of San Diego-based ePublications LLC, has a catalogue of more than 9,000 parts, about double the number of parts the company offered when it first went online in August 2000, said Darren Palmer, spokesman for the company.
Revenues have been fairly strong in its first year , more than $1 million in sales through its online presence and printed catalogue, he said.
In fact, it’s done so well that in July, the company established a second site, RestoreClassics.com, which features parts for classic cars such as the Camaro and Firebird.
The company was founded by partners Al Peterson and John Bennett, both of whom love muscle cars. Peterson, 40, still owns his ’68 Camaro convertible, and he’s planning some projects to update the car’s look.
Bennett, 39, at one point had a classic ’67 red Mustang convertible. But he sold it over the Web for $12,000, which provided the start-up capital the pair needed to get the business up and running, he said.
“Our inspiration was that we knew it was difficult to find parts for classic Mustangs,” Bennett said. “It was an inconvenient process. You either had to wait a week for a catalogue to arrive in the mail, or find a local mom-and-pop shop and have them order the part.”
In contrast, the Internet is immediate. People have responded to that speed, with the site getting thousands of unique visitors every day, he said.
Also, buyers typically order anywhere from five to 10 items per visit, Bennett said.
Top sellers include hard-to-find engine parts, as well as interior molding, including 1965-era two-tone Mustang pony seats with the chrome medallion and a running horse galloping across the backrest, he said.
All parts are exact replicas licensed by the Ford Motor Co., Bennett said.
“Even if we don’t offer a part a customer wants, we’ll find it,” he said.
