(piano music)
- [Ryan] I was a kid,
I think I was maybe nine, ten years old,
my mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
- [Wes] We had medical bills to pay,
we had house bills,
I just wanted her to focus on getting healthy.
It was devastating. I mean, it hurt,
but I wanted my wife to, you know, get past this.
- [Ryan] My sister was brought home
from the hospital, she was born in that car,
so that was my dad's, you know, first love, besides my mom.
To see that car drive away, to hear my mom cry,
you know, my sister cry,
to see him try and hold back the tears,
it was a tough night.
Fast forward to last year,
just looking on Craigslist and looking for a Fox Body,
and there she is, and it was that gut-wrenching feeling,
just like, let's surprise dad with it.
(dramatic piano music)
- [Wes] When we first got her,
I mean, I was absolutely, you know,
ecstatic she was home, but we had a project.
We had something that was gonna take three, four years
probably to get on the road, and running,
and looking the way we were used to her being.
(dramatic music)
- This really kind of touched a cord with
Ford Motor Company, with the Ford family,
all the way up to Bill Ford, and they said,
"We wanna commission you,"
us, Hennessey Performance,
"To do a restoration of this car for the Ryan family
in San Antonio."
We've seen some pictures of the car,
it's a little rough but I think that
there's a solid foundation to work with,
and Ford Motor Company is gonna provide us with a new
five liter engine, transmission, wheels,
we're gonna do a nice restoration to where
this family can really enjoy the car
with modern performance, probably 450 to 500 horsepower,
and so we're very honored, thrilled, excited,
a little anxious, nervous,
I mean I think this is gonna be an emotional moment,
there's probably gonna be some tears.
Wes?
- Yessir.
- Hey buddy, how are you man?
- How you doing?
- This is a special day.
On behalf of the Ford Motor Company and the Ford team,
I know that they love y'all,
you guys are our heroes for sure
because I think y'all's story resonates with
car people and non-car people, you know.
I mean, you bring your child home from high school
in this car.
- [Woman] Yeah.
(dramatic music)
- [Man] Hey!
(engine revving)
(rock music)
(drill whirring)
(rock music)
(applause)
- [Woman] You and I have a date in a couple of weeks.
(airbrush spraying)
(rock music)
(engine revving)
(music stops)
- [John] Really everybody here at Hennessey Performance
had a hand in this build, it's a labor of love.
I mean, this is just one really big family, the Ford family,
and the little family here loving on the Ryan family.
(upbeat music)
- Wes, I know you made a pretty big sacrifice
to take care of your family.
I know how passionate you guys are about your Mustang,
and we're so happy to be a part of it,
and to be able to return it to you with,
I think some improvements that you'll like!
- This is my car?
(engine revs)
I'm an old oiled gun, you know, I've always been a Ford guy.
From what we got to what we have now is,
we got a family heirloom.
I'm blown away.
Forever in debt to Ford and Hennessey for what they did
for my family and myself.
The car is beautiful.
(engine whirring)