American muscle rebuilt, restored in Soddy-Daisy

Dozens of classic Mustangs have passed under Larry Hickman's hands during his time at JJ's Mustangs and now at his own shop. Whether they were formerly rust buckets in need of a total reconstruction or the pristine prize of a collector, he says he treats each equally. Dozens of classic Mustangs have passed under Larry Hickman's hands during his time at JJ's Mustangs and now at his own shop. Whether they were formerly rust buckets in need of a total reconstruction or the pristine prize of a collector, he says he treats each equally.

By Shane Foley November 2, 2016 2 min read

Everyone loves a shiny new paint job, but the work inside a car is just as important, says local Mustang restorer Larry Hickman. Getting engines originally built over 50 years ago to rev just like they once did is a major source of gratification for Hickman when working on the cars.

Larry Hickman knows his way around a Mustang. He worked as a restoration technician at JJ’s Mustangs on Bonny Oaks for almost three decades, specializing in breathing new life into the classic American muscle car.

When the owner of JJ’s passed away, Hickman decided it was time to become more independent, which led to the creation of Hickman’s Classic Mustangs at 10315 Dayton Pike in Soddy-Daisy.

“There was just something years ago I was drawn to about them,” Hickman said of the cars that make up his livelihood. “I liked the body style and applications they made.”

When Hickman initially got in to vintage Mustang repair, the model had suffered in popularity, but that didn’t deter him.

“They weren’t as cool back then as they are now. There were definitely more popular cars, but it’s what I was into,” he said.