Malia Riggs
Elmore Autauga News
Reviving memories and keeping love alive with the ultimate labor of love and a classic test of time.
Over 20 years ago Retired U.S. Army First Sergeant (Military Police) Paul Pennington surprised his wife with her dream car, a 1966 Thunderbird for their 13th wedding anniversary in 2001, which also happens to be Valentines Day.
Over the years, the classic car has seen better days, and like most old cars, the Thunderbird didn’t stand the test of time and had not been running for the better part of 10 years. Until last spring when Pennington brought the cherished Thunderbird to Max Complete Auto Care, MCAC, in Millbrook, unbeknownst to his wife Brenda.
Leading up to their 13th wedding anniversary, the Pennington’s went to a car show where Brenda saw her beloved Thunderbird for the first time in the year 2000, not knowing the miles of memories yet to come.
“I’m not really a Ford guy but when we saw it, I thought it was nice. We walked off and looked at other cars and the whole day all she was saying was ‘that’s not as nice as my Thunderbird.’ I knew I had to get her that car, so I tracked the guy down, got his name and bought if right before Christmas that year. I surprised her with the car with a blue bow in the front yard as she came home from work that day,” Paul said as Brenda had tears in her eyes looking at her restored Thunderbird.
Brenda knew about her restored “surprise,” as the Thunderbird had been at MCAC for over a year. But that did not stop the tears from flowing as Veterans Day 2024 was the first time the Pennington’s have driven the Thunderbird since the restoration.
“I was just so glad when I first saw it. I’m happy I get to see it again too because it’s been out of site and out of mind for so long. This brings me back to when we could get out more and do more years ago. Things change but I’m glad we have this to hold onto,” Brenda said through happy tears looking at her beloved running Thunderbird.
Brenda walked around her car and watched the working top of her convertible Thunderbird come down and latch, working perfectly. MCAC employees stated that the convertible aspect is Brenda’s favorite part of the vehicle.
“I’ve put weeks and weeks into this car. I literally went all the way through the motor, carburetor, fuel tank and lights. For the convertible top I went through wire by wire, relay by relay until it was fully functional,” MCAC mechanic and business partner Frank Walthers said.
Walthers stated Paul would come by every couple of weeks to see the progress and talk cars. Walthers confirmed that Paul would speak of his career in the military, telling stories of his deployment in Vietnam.
“We were standing right here over his car, and he was talking about how he was having so many doctors’ appointments from all the chemicals in Vietnam. He looked right at me, and he said, ‘it was a terrible place, but I’d go back tomorrow,’ and that truly blew me away,” Walthers said.
Both Walthers, and his wife the owner of MCAC Ann Walthers, stated that all their restorations are handled with care and love. However, this restoration hits close to home as it is truly a labor of love from start to finish on all sides.
After a paintjob, the Pennington’s plan to take Brenda’s Thunderbird for a cruise once the weather is nice this spring and summer, with the top down, Brenda’s favorite part.
With the wind in her hair, her husband at the wheel and her adored Thunderbird roaring, the Pennington’s took the Thunderbird for a cruise this Veteran’s Day. Bringing back cherished memories while also making new ones in Brenda’s 1966 Ford Thunderbird.
