During his high school days, Brent Reed owned the car of his dreams: a 1969 Mach I Ford Mustang.
    Like so many others, he sold it when he started a family. And, like many others, he regretted the sale. But since that fateful day he's been able to make up for it, in a big way.
    Reed and his wife, Heidi, own Mustang Ranch in South Salt Lake just west of Main Street on 4800 South.
    There is only one make and model they put their hands on, and it's the classic Ford Mustangs from 1964 1/2 to 1972.
    And that's enough to keep him busy.
    He doesn't do a run-of-the-mill restoration either. Restorations cost on average between $80,000 and $100,000.
    But what the customer gets for that price is anything but ordinary: Every inch restored to the hilt, without a speck of rust and looking better than the day it left Detroit.
    He said it's no mystery why he and so many others love Mustangs. "It's just got that nostalgic look. If your 8 or 80 you know it's a Mustang," Reed said.
    Most of the time the car the owner gets back isn't the same car he or she had in the 1960s. It's a trend for customers to want Mustangs that are closer to today's cars.
    "People are willing to put more money into a car that looks like yesterday but drives like today," Reed said.
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Mustangs he restores have power windows, satellite radio, modern suspension, power brakes and power steering.
    He used to offer a lesser quality paint job if the customer wanted something less expensive. Five years ago he changed his mind. "If my name is going to be on it, it's going to be the quality of work we do," Reed said.
    The garage's Web site reports there are between 12 and 15 cars being worked on on any given day. Some restorations take more than a year.
    Reed is quite involved in the restoration.
    In fact, he's the painter.
    It's not easy finding people with the experience to not make mistakes. "Our labor rate is probably close to double that of the collision industry," Reed said.
    He thought that after 11 years he'd met everybody in the valley with a Mustang, but there's still several out there, "Almost every day we talk to someone who wants a Mustang restored."
    His work has been featured on the cover of two national magazines: Mustang Monthly and Mustangs and Fords.
    "To be on the cover of a national magazine was one of my biggest triumphs," Reed said.
    Mustang Ranch has received awards at prestigious car shows. Reed and his crew submit six cars to the AutoRama car shows each year and always walk away with six trophies. In fact, the Reeds don't have the room to display them all.
    His work has also graced the big screen. His father-in-law's cherry red '65 convertible was used extensively in the film "Charly."
    The Mustang phenomenon is not just for baby boomers. This generation likes the 40-something car design as much as the older generation.
    "It's really funny how many young kids are into them. It's the car they want."
    Of all his accomplishments, he has one more to be proud of. He has for the second time become the proud owner of a 1969 Mach I in perfect condition.