Family, friends chip in to restore classic Chevy

By GWEN ALBERS Western News Reporter

Ron Remp can tell some stories about the 1955 Chevy he's owned for 35 years.

Now he's got yet one more he's sure to tell over and over.

About 70 people on Thanksgiving Day surprised Remp after friends and family went behind his back to restore his Chevy. He knew something was up, but never dreamed it would be to this magnitude.

"I kind of lost it after I seen everybody," said Remp. "It looks like it's brand new. That's the best it's looked ever since I first started seeing it in grade school."

The gift from Libby's heart couldn't have come at a better time.

On Dec. 13, the 51-year-old Remp will undergo surgery for cancer.

"It's unbelievable," he said. "It brought back a lot memories."

While at Libby High School, Remp in 1971 paid $50 for the car. It came from the Granite Creek area.

"It was being used for a chicken coop," he said.

The car had no engine, yet Remp and his friends had it running in four weeks.

He drag raced the black, green and white Chevy from 1972 to 1981. While returning to Libby one night from the track, Remp crashed the car into a bridge.

"I caved in the side of the car, but still raced it," he said.

Remp in the early 1980s had friend Dennis Quinn, owner of Denny's Auto Body in Libby, paint the car. Remp never put the car back together. For 23 years, it sat in his garage.

After Remp, co-owner of Remp Sand and Gravel, was diagnosed with cancer about one month ago and then hospitalized in Seattle, his friends and family decided to restore the car, said his brother, Randy Remp. They took it from the garage and hauled it to Brownlee Peppenger's shop.

The Remps' other brother, Rusty, and friends Gary and Grace Rantala and Dave and Heidi Sichting were among a few that helped make it happen, said Randy Remp. Auto parts stores in town donated things, and Quinn offered to do the two-tone green paint job.

"Dennis stopped by and looked at the car. It really needed to be painted," Randy Remp said. "He was willing to paint the car for nothing. We couldn't get it over there fast enough."

It took Quinn 2 1/2 days to complete the job.

"He's (Ron) a nice guy and did a lot of nice stuff for my dad," Quinn said. "He fixed motorcycles and snow cats when we were kids."

Friends also stripped the car and took the door panels and seats to Star Williams, owner of Starz Upholstery in Libby. It took Williams 40 hours to reupholster the olive green and white seats.

"That's what friends do," she said. "It felt really good to do something for Ronnie."

Ron Remp about two weeks ago figured something was up when he went to his garage for a tool and the car was gone.

"I just went to my wife and said 'just tell me you know where it's at,'" Ron Remp said.

He knew some work was being done, but assumed it was something like the brakes.

The restored car was taken to Dream Marine, which Randy Remp owns. Dave Sichting on Thursday gave Ron Remp a ride there, where he was greeted by everyone.

"It's really hard to accept," Ron Remp said.

He then drove the car home.

"It was pretty touching. There's wasn't a dry eye in the place," Williams said.

"We couldn't believe how this community is just incredible," Randy Remp added.