By Gary Butler
Sometimes, when tragedy strikes, words of condolence and shared memories of loved ones taken from us too soon are just not enough, irrespective of how powerful and heartfelt they may be. Such was the case when Glenda and David Boggs, owners and operators of Cars Best Friend Paint and Body, 40 Old Leicester Road, Asheville, N.C., lost their son Richard to a four-wheeler accident on May 11, 2013.
Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes of their grief, the couple made a decision the day following their son’s funeral that has not only guided them on their journey through despair, but nurtured their path to healing.
“I wasn’t sure I could get through the grief until David and I made a commitment to build Richard’s ‘dream truck,’” Glenda Boggs said. “We knew exactly how it needed to turn out, because Richard had planned it down to the last detail.”
The couple also knew that the job would be daunting and expensive, but felt that the spirit of their son was virtually reaching out from the grave to implore them to fulfill his goal.
“He was only 26 when he passed, but Richard was more responsible and more focused than most men twice his age,” Glenda said. “He brought such excitement and such energy to work with him every day, and he made us so proud of him that we knew building that truck would be the greatest gift to his memory that we could ever give.”
David said one thing that differentiates their shop from many others is their preference to repair rather than replace, when possible. He pointed out that it takes a steady hand and a keen eye to make repairs, but those were qualities Richard had.
“We’ve had several young people from community colleges nearby come here to try their hand at body repair, and most of them have given up when they saw how demanding the work is,” he said. “Richard would tell them, ‘What you do at a body shop is you sand, you sand, and then you sand some more.’ Some of them would only last two or three hours.”
Although David Boggs was actually Richard’s step-dad, Glenda said the two were so in-synch that they would often finish each other’s sentences. David, who was already A.S.E.-certified, made sure that Richard got that same certification.
“But Richard learned so much about body repair and building cars watching and listening to David that we could see he was on his way to surpassing both of us in this business,” she said. “In fact, we both agreed that ‘the student was about to become the master.’”
Glenda said, with tears in her eyes, “It would be so funny. Richard would see me block-sanding a fender, and he would say, ‘Mom, lay down the block and step away from the car! I’ll take it from here.’ But it’s true, he was that much better than me.”
The Boggs say that although their shop is a fairly small one and they do very little insurance work, they were looking forward to their son taking over the reins in a few short years.
“Between the fleet work we do and the many loyal repeat customers and referrals we get, we do pretty well here,” she said. “And Richard would have built on that legacy because he had such a knack for the work and was such a quick study.”
Glenda Boggs suggested that one of the reasons their shop would have flourished in the future with their son at the helm was that Richard had an insatiable curiosity when it came to figuring out how to approach a repair.
“If he didn’t already know how to do something, he would figure it out. If he didn’t have a piece and one wasn’t readily available, he would make it,” she said. “It breaks my heart that the car world didn’t really get to experience his talent.”
David Boggs remembers that Richard also had an insatiable “need for speed. The faster it went, the better he liked it,” he said. “Whenever Richard got his truck as fast as he could get it, he would want it faster.”
The Boggs recall that when Richard sold his 1985 Chevy truck, he immediately regretted it and began searching for one to replace it.
“Richard planned every detail of what his ‘dream truck’ would include, down to the exact shade of blue, minute details about the engine, drivetrain, and rear end, and the power-to-weight ratio he wanted,” David said.
Fueled by their love and devotion to their son, the Boggs set out to not only meet but exceed Richard’s high standards.
“He said he wanted at least 600 horsepower, and the small-block, 421 cubic-inch engine in this truck produces more than 700,” Glenda said. “And once it is fitted for nitro [nitros oxide], that will increase by 200 horsepower.”
The 1987 Chevy truck, which bears little resemblance to its original factory incarnation, has been the ultimate “labor of love” for the couple. Most of the truck is fiberglass, bringing its total weight down to 3,265 pounds, about half-a-ton less than factory specifications. Despite its lower weight, David says the X-bar in the bed and special shocks on the rear that offer 460 different settings for rebound and coming up keeps the rear end down during take off.
“The cab was basically ruined by improper sandblasting, and it took us about a year to fix that damage, and move on to piecing together new and fabricated components, building the engine, and fine-tuning all of it,” David said. “But after about two-and-a-half years we were ready for the track, and we have made about a dozen passes so far.”
In accordance with Richard’s unending quest to achieve greater speed, David said he has achieved a top speed of 93 MPH and an elapsed time of 7.40 seconds in the eighth-mile.
“We’re looking to get down to 6.80 or 6.70 when we’re done, but everything on the truck is new, so there are still a lot of bugs to work out.”
Bugs notwithstanding, the truck is not only a testimonial to their son, but an impressive machine in its own right — a thing of beauty, but a powerful beast at the same time. To hear this engine start up, with little more than headers to muffle its roar, is unsettling to the genteel ear, to anyone not accustomed to being around racing vehicles. And although the truck is not quite street legal yet, it will be as of next year, when it turns 30 years old.
“We will be able to drive it on the street next year if we want to, but since the gas it uses costs $13.50 per gallon, we probably won’t be driving it to the grocery store,” David said.
David also said that they have the truck insured for $50,000, and that they have almost that much invested in it. “But we would never sell it,” Glenda added. “The only return we want from this truck is in honoring Richard’s memory.”
Although the building of the truck was undertaken to honor their son’s memory, it turned out to serve a dual purpose, according to the couple.
“We didn’t realize it at first, but building this truck has been a healing experience for us,” Glenda said. “When we heard the engine start up on the lift for the first time, we both cried. But now when we cry, it isn’t so much tears of grief, but us telling Richard that we made it through this.”
Glenda went on to say that she hopes their story, the story of their son’s strong faith and his determination, should not be limited to them.
“For any parent out there who has lost a child, I would ask you to find something that your child was passionate about and put yourself into it, fully, 100 percent, and I think you will find healing comes easier,” she said. “And if you have a child, pay close attention to what your child cares about and embrace that. You will never be sorry you did.” •
