Savannah Camacho’s Fated 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback Restoration

Savannah Camacho’s 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback was destined to find her. “It has my name on it,” she recalled telling her father, “it says Savannah on the back.” She had been scouring Facebook Marketplace, as she once did during high school classes and in her spare time, searching for her dream car. She jokingly claims, “I was joining [any Facebook group] to find this [Mustang], it could have been a cult and I would have joined it.” After she saw the listing for the Fastback, she says, "I immediately messaged the [seller] because it was a great deal.” Sadly, the car had already sold.

In 1964, Ford debuted the Mustang, a sporty vehicle meant to target the coming-of-age Baby Boomer Generation that was attending college, gaining purchasing power, and driving the increasing population of women car owners [1]. Three body styles were available on first-generation Mustangs: a hardtop, a convertible and the iconic fastback. Over the last two decades, first-generation Fastbacks have skyrocketed in price, with rusted, weather-worn shells often ridiculously priced by owners at $45,000. Savannah says, “Initially, I started with a goal of finding a Fastback for $15,000. As prices went up, I realized that I would only get a rusted shell. Eventually my goal was $20,000. I had doubts of ‘Are we even going to find that?’”

About a week after her destined-find seemingly slipped from reach, the seller messaged her. “They said the payment from the sale was not going through. He told me, ‘I see your name on the car, I’m going to take that as a sign. Would you like to come look at it?’” Immediately Savannah and her father booked plane tickets to go see the car. She says, “We got up at four in the morning, went to LAX, even missed our flight. They got us on a second flight. I partially started hyperventilating. We got a great deal on it.”

January 29, 2025

The day 21-year-old Savannah purchased her Mustang in Oakley, California.

Camacho is no stranger to hustling. At 22 years-old, she works a part time job, working as many hours as she can, and is a full-time student. Savannah does not shy away from discussing the reality of investing her hard-earned money into a restoration project. She expresses the confliction of seeing her friends going off on weekend trips, but knowing that to finish her vehicle, she has to make smart financial decisions. “I have to sacrifice a lot of things for this car,” she shares, “it’s the little things I feel like are never talked about.” Even as recently as September, Savannah sold vintage NASCAR jackets to her followers as a way to generate further income for parts to continue fueling the restoration. But her love and passion for vehicles and learning far outweighs the sacrifices she has to make.

A Passion a Decade in the Making

Savannah’s passion formed roots in her childhood, holding the flashlight for her father and asking him questions. She shares, “I’m not a school person. I slept and ate in class. But the second something [became] hands-on. It was very exciting for me. [My father] always talked to me like an adult from a young age, so growing up working with him, I had the benefits of [receiving explanations] like an adult. He was really good about [respecting my level of curiosity]. He never forced me into it.” Around the age of 11, Camacho’s father inherited a 1969 Pontiac Bonneville, which truly solidified her interests. “When I was 12, he got me a 1956 Ford Thunderbird, and that’s when it fully started. [He said], “This is your project now. You’re going to learn everything it does.” Savannah not only worked on cars in her teenage years, but also motorcycles, and had considered purchasing one for herself until her father was in a motorcycle accident. “In the end, I wanted to put my money towards a car that I love that’s safer. Bikes are still something I enjoyed learning mechanically.”

Savannah, 8, sitting on her father’s 1969 Pontiac Bonneville.

Savannah initially discovered the Ford Mustang Fastback around the age of 16, after spending time contemplating her next vehicle. She shares, “I liked it because it has muscle and it’s fast. As a teenager, what more could I ask for? But as I got older, I fell in love with the history and the challenge. The more people said it’s impossible for me to get that car at a young age, the more I was determined to find it.” Upon the trip to look at her soon-to-be Mustang, despite the good deal, she learned that the vehicle has spent time both inside and outside the garage. “At one point, the windows were left rolled down. Years of rain came through the window and went through the doors. The floor was completely rotted.” But nonetheless, she accepted the challenge. After acquiring her 1968 Fastback, Savannah has been able to fully strip the interior; cutting out the carpet, replacing the floors, and getting the seats reupholstered. She also had the body pulled and realigned to correct damage from a rear-end collision that happened nearly 30 years ago. She has fixed jammed windows and door panels, first watching her dad handle the initial repair, then following what he did the second time on her own. Her most recent task has been disassembling the motor to send to a machine shop, which is expected to be ready by early 2026. The highlight of this particular project for Savannah has been the learning process. “It’s a sense of pride that you get from being able to learn and do it yourself. You gotta get creative if something is not working. It really is critical thinking, it’s brain stimulating.”

Savannah at On Fire Garage in Hollywood learning to weld from Chris, the owner, as they film the process.

Throughout her restoration, Camacho, an aspiring actress and filmmaker, has been documenting her journey on various online platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. She shares, “I love film and screenwriting. Being able to enjoy my hobby of working on this car and incorporate film aspects to inspire others is really great.” Her content has even opened the doors to collaboration with On Fire Garage, who reached out to her and offered to be of assistance throughout her restoration. “They’re the best people I have met throughout this whole process. Whether I want to get work done, film the car, anything.”

Film and Vehicles Influencing Savannah’s Future

As she prepares for a career in the film industry, she plans to combine her love for vehicles within her work, crediting Ford vs. Ferrari as a project as a major inspiration to authentic filmmaking. “I would really like to make more films whether they’re based on a true story or telling a story. Especially having badass female leads, real life women that have been in situations where they’ve really made accomplishments in history.”

Besides a 1968 Ford Mustang, Savannah has dreams of acquiring other vehicles. “I would really love to have a pink 1968 Ford Bronco. I love having my muscle car, she will always be my favorite. But I’d love to drive around in a ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’ kind of car too. I feel like when you hear a girl works on cars you don’t see a girly side very often which I love to show too. Yet, I would also love a 1966 Chevy truck for a daily driver as well. Those are my three cars: the Mustang, the Bronco, and the truck. I don’t necessarily need to be Jay Leno with like 300 cars, although that would be fun.”

Moving into 2026, Savannah's goal is to have the car running by the end of the year. But as most builders know, timelines change. She plans to have the engine bay sandblasted to prepare for painting. She will also install disc brakes for better braking capabilities to complete the vehicle's suspension. When the engine returns from the machine shop, it'll be dropped in. And of course, more miscellaneous tasks such as A/C and exhaust installation will be done. Despite the remaining to-do's, Savannah and her father remain confident that they'll finish the vehicle within their timeline.

After the aforementioned tasks are completed, Savannah plans to take her first major drive in her dream car: cruising down the California Coast on Pacific Coast Highway.

If you’re interested in following along on Savannah’s restoration journey, you can find her on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook @s_camacho68.