Classic car mechanic faces felony theft charges, victims say vintage Mustangs were stripped and abandoned
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – It was supposed to be a dream restoration project on a classic American muscle car but instead turned into a financial nightmare for a Mid-South antique car enthusiast.
Garner Kirkendoll, 76, was formally arraigned in Shelby County General Sessions Criminal Court Wednesday morning on multiple counts of felony theft of property.
According to Memphis Police affidavits, Kirkendoll operated Classic Mustang Specialist on Pleasant View Road, where customers say he took thousands of dollars in deposits, closed his doors without notice, and left vintage cars dismantled, stripped, or abandoned across the city.
For Andrea Bailey, owning a 1967 Ford Mustang was a long-time passion.
“I love classic cars,” said Bailey. “I saw this Mustang on Craigslist one evening and I drove to Heber Springs, Arkansas, test drove it, liked it, came back to Memphis, went back and got it and I drove it back.”
Bailey said she began bringing the vintage coupe to Kirkendoll’s shop, off and on, starting in late 2020 to have work done piece-by-piece.
“I dropped the car off with the intent that I was going to get a little work done at a time because I know it takes time,” said Bailey. “He put in a heating and AC system, changed the drum brakes in the front to disc brakes. Was OK with that work. Next steps was going to be restoring the inside and paint.”
According to court documents, Bailey delivered the vehicle for interior restoration and paint on Dec. 12, 2024. But earlier this year, the business went dark according to Bailey.
“All of a sudden, he had to close the shop down this year. I think it was around maybe March or April or May… he had to close the shop. He had to get all those cars out of his lot. A lot of cars in there,” said Bailey. “He towed several people’s cars, they didn’t know where their car was at, didn’t notify them…He stopped answering the phone. Stopped communicating with everyone.”
When Bailey went to the Pleasant View lot on March 14, 2026, to check on her Mustang, she discovered the business was abandoned. Bailey said her vehicle was parked outside alongside one other car, missing key components.
“So, the parts that I ordered, never came in or he never ordered them and he also stole parts off of different people’s cars,” said Bailey. “This was a 1967 Mustang. So that’s why I’m upset. Those parts are hard to find, you have to order them, you can’t just go to the store and say hey let me get this, you know, bumpers. We’re talking about bumpers, windows, chrome, stuff like that. Major parts.”
An arrest affidavit shows Bailey had paid $11,172 for labor that was never completed, and the value of the missing parts was estimated at $8,637.67. That brings her total documented loss to $19,809.67.
“I’m out of double parts, double labor, the inside still looks like… it’s not even finished,” said Bailey. “So, I’ve had this car for a while. I could’ve been driving this car all this time. It’s been sitting in his shop five or six years. I could have been driving it if I took it somewhere else and they would’ve finished it.”
Bailey was not the only owner left searching for answers.
Another victim told investigators he gave Kirkendoll $7,000 between two deposits in May 2025 to restore his 1965 Ford Mustang. When he checked the shop on June 4, 2026, he found the shop was closed and a new tenant was operating at the address.
Bailey said she was in contact with this other victim as both tried to locate their vehicles.
“One of my friends, he had no idea where his car was. He drove down that street and saw the shop closed,” Bailey said. “He actually called around and he found out his car was in Classic Autos on McLemore. So he had to get it towed, it was not finished. Stuff was missing… so he was mad.”
Police records confirm the other victim recovered his 1965 Mustang from the East McLemore lot in March 2026, discovering someone had replaced his original hood with a used, mismatched replacement.
Both Bailey and the other victim positively identified Kirkendoll in six-person police photo lineup.
Kirkendoll was subsequently charged with Theft of Property $10,000–$60,000 (a Class C felony) in Bailey’s case and Theft of Property $2,500–$10,000 (a Class D felony) in the other case.
Bailey noted she and the other victim are retired from the Memphis Police Department. Bailey said their law enforcement background helped them navigate the justice system.
“This has been happening for years, but nobody has actually filed a report. Nobody’s followed through with it and he’s just been getting away with it for years and we had no idea,” said Bailey. “I know some people that this happened to and I’ve been contacting people here and there. I hope they see the interview because they don’t know the process to go through. I know the process to go through.”
Bailey said another local repair facility had to turn away several owners because their classic cars had been left in such disrepair.
“Two cars were turned away at Cofer’s Classic. Mr. Cofer had to turn two or three people away because the car was so broken apart and destroyed that they couldn’t repair it. It’d be just cheaper for them to get another car that’s already finished,” said Bailey.
Bailey is urging anyone else who entrusted a vehicle to Kirkendoll to take official action.
“I want people to come forward and actually do reports so all these charges and all this money can be added together, because he’s swindled way more people than we even know,” said Bailey.
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