Garage Retreat: “In each case, whether it was the Shelby, the Firebird, or the Bug, we started with cars that hadn’t been used in several years and needed a lot of work. Over time, the kids could see how all the elbow grease and labor added value. It’s a great lesson, and one that will continue when our youngest (Kristina, 10) gets a little older.” —David Boyle
Scavenger Hunt: “We looked all over the country for the Shelby. … As it turned out, a customer of mine had an old Shelby that was 15 miles from our house (when the Boyles lived in Ohio).” —David Boyle
Turn Key: “[In 2003] my dad said we were going to look at a house, so when we pulled in you could see the Shelby parked in the barn. It was red then and hadn’t been used in [about] 20 years. We got it back and we stripped out everything, including the interior, body panels, the [original] 302 engine, and the exhaust.” —Ben Boyle
Hollywood Lights: “My dad had said each of the kids could pick a car and we would restore it, so right around that time I saw Gone in 60 Seconds, and I knew that’s what I wanted. It’s basically the same Shelby that Nicolas Cage drove in the movie, right down to the paint scheme, which I got from the Web site. We even call it ‘Eleanor,’ like they did in the movie.” —Ben Boyle
Roush Racing: “[Race car owner] Jack Roush was a customer of National City, so I made arrangements to buy a 427 engine at Jack’s facility in Livonia (for the Shelby). … We got a tour of Roush Racing and had the engine loaded onto the bed of our pickup. We got a lot of stares on the freeway because we had this huge wood crate in the back with ‘Roush Racing’ stamped on the outside.” —David Boyle
Firepower: “We got the Firebird back in 1999 on eBay from someone in Lawton, Okla. I think we paid [about] $5,000 for it. We gave it a complete restoration, with a number of modifications, but it still has the tachometer in the hood.” —David Boyle
Overhaul: “I started working on the Firebird when I was 7 years old, and it was finished five years later. We made a few modifications, including a rear quarter panel. It was impossible to find a replacement that we wanted, so my dad and I used a quarter panel from a Camaro.” —Geoff Boyle
Electronic Parts: “We’ve bought and sold a lot of parts on eBay, so we’re definitely power sellers. In some cases, we sold parts from our cars for some of the modifications we did. A lot of the fun in doing this is trying to find the parts. It wouldn’t be nearly as much fun if all you had to do was drive to the local auto parts store.” —David Boyle
California Dreaming: “The Bug is pretty much finished, and it’s being painted midnight blue with a cream interior. Pretty much everything was worked on, though it has Harley-Davidson mirrors, and the back fender is two inches wider than the front. It’s in the California style, so there’s no trim at all.” —Kate Boyle
Pink Slips: “One time we were getting pizza, and a young kid comes out and says his [new] Mustang Bullitt could beat our Shelby. Well, what he didn’t know was that we had the Roush engine in there with 554 horsepower. So I asked him if he’d like to race for pink slips, and it was funny because he said he had to go back inside and ask his dad.” —David Boyle
Family Ties: “The great part for me in restoring these cars — and believe me, I didn’t have much to do with it — is that we can be together as a family when we take one or both of the cars out, whether it’s Sunday breakfast or a car show in the area. With Dave’s busy schedule, I just appreciate that he carves out time to be with the kids on weeknights and weekends.” —Deb Boyle
