A parade of Ford Mustangs rumbled past the funeral of an Alberta man whose prized pony car project revved up the generosity of the local gear-head community.
Rick Lamanes’ dying wish was to restore his 1966 Mustang hardtop. He started about 13 years ago. Terminal cancer forced him to quit with the car half finished.
The restored Mustang roared to life late last year thanks to a successful GoFundMe campaign and a pit crew of volunteers, many of them complete strangers, who stepped forward to wrench on the car in their spare time until it reclaimed its former glory.
Rick watched his dream ride come to life in between treatments, and eventually got behind the wheel for the first time at an emotionally charged ceremony held in the parking lot of a local garage.
He died this summer.
“Outside of having his children, it probably was one of the biggest highlights of his life,” his wife Marcy told CTV Edmonton.
Knowing her husband had precious little time left; she did everything she could to help him make the best of it. Rick often spoke of taking her on a road trip to the west coast.
“It’s a huge adjustment when you are alone without your partner. Nothing is the same. Your whole life changes so much,” Marcy said.
It took a while before she was ready to drive the car. Rick’s memory was practically etched into every surface. She said being around the Mustang lacked significance without her husband nearby, but now she feels closer to him behind the wheel.
“I was kind of sour on the car for a while,” Marcy said. “There isn’t a part of that car that doesn’t have his mark on it.”
She’s driven the Mustang three or four times since Rick’s passing. Strangers stop to talk to her when they recognize the iconic blue and white livery. She’s even brought it to a car show so people can get up close.
“I got to put his name on the car, place his Mustang coat on the seat, and put his picture on it. I wanted people to see that this was his car. I was very proud of it,” Marcy said.
As the car came together, so did total strangers who were inspired by Rick and Marcy’s story.
“Rick turned into a great friend from somebody we just tried to help. He turned into a life-long friend,” said Corey Lipka of the local CARSTARS garage. “I’m glad I was a part of it. I hated the way it ended. He lasted longer than they thought. I’m glad he got to drive it.”
Marcy still hasn’t met many of the people who opened their wallets and toolboxes to make Rick’s dying wish come true. She said the ongoing support and parade of Mustangs at Rick’s funeral was a complete surprise from the car community.
“You don’t have to meet them. You don’t have to know them. They hear about something like this and they just hold you dear in their hearts,” she said. “They made us family right then and there.”
With a report from CTV Edmonton’s Dez Melenka
