God Speed Dirty Rick

Yesterday I lost someone that was the best boss, mentor, and friend. His real name was Rick Beers. Yes Beers and he liked his beers too. He also wasn't called Dirty Rick for nothing. He was a real rough around the edges character but the best damn mechanic I ever met, and a genuine person. I first met Rick and started working for him when I was 16. Everyday he would pick me up at 7am and we would hit the deli on the way to his shop. He would always get a coffee, a Snapple and 2 packs of Marlboro Reds. 11am I'd hear the first beer crack open. We worked on everything from simple brake jobs, to restoring vintage tractors, reparing farm equipment, to tanker trucks. It was only for the summer but I learned so much and continued to learn from him to this day. Back in the day he built hot rods, chopped triumphs, and his specialty, garden tractors for tractor pulls. They were heavily modfied machines and were not your "average lawn mower." Rick really was a jack of all trades. He helped me out on so many of my projects from major overhauls to just simple questions. Rick always had an answer. The man really knew everything. One it comes to these situations its a shame they pass on and its a shame the wealth of knowledge that goes too. You will be greatly missed Rick.

Summer of 2008 Rick re-painting the cop car. This car was a disaster when I got it and it was through his help that got it back on the road again for me.