Young brothers restore late model Mustangs on the streets of Butler
Among the good things happening on the streets of Butler is the work of two brothers who restore and modify a series of cars that went out of production about 20 years before they were born.
“All the work is being done in the street,” 25-year-old Kyle Young said standing next to a pair of third-generation Ford Mustangs known as Fox body Mustangs that he and his younger brother, Keith Young, 23, are turning into hot rods.
Fox body Mustangs were built from 1979 to 1993. The Fox moniker came from Ford’s Fox unibody chassis, rear-wheel drive platform. They replaced the Mustang II, which was made to replace the original, first generation Mustangs that fell victim to rising gasoline prices. Mustangs first appeared in 1964 and remain in production today.
Using the modest income they earn doing repair and maintenance work at properties owned by their landlord, the Youngs have bought, fixed and sold seven Fox bodies in the last five years.
The work takes place outside on West Locust Street, which runs along the side of their North Bluff Street home — in all sorts of weather.
“It’s just me and him. We restore these things from the ground up,” Kyle Young said.
Students at Broad Street Elementary School who walk past the Youngs’ street shop while they are wrenching on their cars seem fascinated by the work, and Youngs hope they inspire them and adults to fix up their favorite classic rides.
“Kids see us working. We want them to see what’s possible without a garage and not a lot of money,” Kyle Young said.
“Kids shouldn’t be afraid to try this,” Keith Young said.
He said he once traded a running car for one that didn’t run because he didn’t want to see it end up in a scrap yard. All it needed was a new clutch, he said.
“Don’t be afraid to take that risk,” Keith Young said.
The brothers said the passion for making older cars roadworthy again seems to be fading.
Kyle Young said his infatuation with Fox body Mustangs began when he learned how to drive in one. He considers them lost classics.
“There’s just something about them,” Keith Young said.
“They’re simple to work on. Their pushrod engines are reliable,” Kyle Young said.
Keith Young said he bought a Mustang parked in a field for a bargain price from a friend of his late father, fixed it up and sold it for $10,000.
“People give up on them,” Keith Young said.
“We have no money. No nothing,” Kyle Young said. “It takes time and effort. I feel like we’re just saving them.”
Kyle and Keith Young, who have four brothers, currently are working on two Fox bodies — 1993 and 1987 models. The white 1993 car came with a four-cylinder engine that Kyle Young is replacing with a V-8 and plans to sell it when he finishes the project by spring.
Keith Young plans to keep the red 1987 car and make it a tribute to the brothers’ late father, Kenny, a musician who died early this year from pneumonia at age 56, by placing some of his colorful adages somewhere on the car.
“He was a good guy, a good man and a good dad,” Keith Young said.
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Kyle and Keith Young restore old mustangs in their spare time in downtown Butler, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Kyle and Keith Young restore old mustangs in their spare time in downtown Butler, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Kyle and Keith Young restore old mustangs in their spare time in downtown Butler, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Kyle Young talks about the passion him and his brother have for the restorations they do on old mustangs in downtown Butler, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Keith Young discusses the cars him and his brother restore in downtown Butler, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Kyle and Keith Young restore old mustangs in their spare time in downtown Butler, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
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Kyle and Keith Young restore old mustangs in their spare time in downtown Butler, Monday, Oct. 6, 2025. Matthew Brown/Butler Eagle
