Dave Fox and Byron Dreher, an automotive instructor at Butler County Vocational-Technical School, stand with a 1971 Pontiac LeMans which used to belong to sports star Eddie Hartman. The car, bought by Fox from Hartman for $500, is being refurbished and will be used as a mobile tribute to Hartman, who was killed 32 years ago by a drunken driver the night before his wedding.

The restoration of a 1971 Pontiac LeMans that had belonged to the late Butler sports hero Eddie Hartman needs more work, and a planned unveiling of the finished car has been pushed back.

The “ribbon cutting” was expected to be June 11, but after tests on the vehicle were run, organizers discovered that the vehicle's engine and transmission needed to be rebuilt.

“The engine and transmission both were in bad shape,” said Dave Fox. “It's another hurdle, but it's been a fun project. People are really talking about it. I'm really looking forward to getting it (the car) out and around.”

Fox, a 1983 graduate of Butler High School who bought the car from Hartman for $500, said he has raised $4,300 for the project and needs about $7,000 more to complete the restoration.

The transmission will be rebuilt by Byron Dreher, another Butler High School alumnus who is an automotive instructor at the Butler County Vocational-Technical School. Dreher and his students already have contributed time installing a new fuel injection system in the vehicle, as well as replacing or refurbishing other components like the exhaust system, tires and brakes.

The vehicle's engine will be rebuilt by Gary Cygan of Cygan Speed Engineering in Renfrew, and Denny Ashcraft of Ashcraft Speed in Chicora.

There is no timetable for when those repairs might be completed, and Fox said that it could be as long as another year before the car is ready to unveil.

Dreher and students at Vo-Tech were testing and replacing some engine and mechanical components, and the vehicle's next stop will be at the school's body shop, where it will receive touch-up work.

Once the vehicle is roadworthy, Fox plans to take it to shows and promote Hartman's legacy as well as speak out against drunken driving. He's described his vision for the vehicle as a “time capsule” that helps tell Hartman's story.Hartman was a multisport athlete at Butler who went on to receive All-American honors in football at Geneva College.Hartman was 22 years old when he was killed May 27, 1983, the night before he was to marry his high school sweetheart, Marybeth Diamond.Hartman and five of his friends had left the wedding rehearsal dinner that evening and were on Route 28 in Etna when their vehicle was hit head-on by a drunken driver traveling in the wrong lane.

This 1971 Pontiac LeMans once owned by Butler graduate Eddie Hartman is being refurbished by students at Butler County Vocational-Technical School.