"Cowboy Ryan" Ehmann climbs into the driver's seat of the 1983 Ford pickup truck that sits in the yard of his Coeur d'Alene home and starts it up. 

The engine roars to life. Screams. It is almost deafening as Ehmann revs the motor a few more times. Then, he turns it off and smiles. 

That is what his son Brentley would have wanted. That is what he would have liked about this old rig he and his dad were restoring at their Kalispell, Mont., home. They picked the big tires and doors together, sanded the frame, and rebuilt the engine. 

"We just tore it apart and started building it," Ryan Ehmann said. "This is every father's dream. Playing with cars, in the garage, making money, my son was with me. What a magical formula."

One day, his son had a question.

"Is it going to be loud? he asked his dad not long after they bought the rusted truck for $500 from a Montana farmer. 

His father assured him it would be. 

"Yes, it's going to be loud," he said 

Brentley smiled, that smile of his that his dad remembers so well. 

When Ryan Ehmann speaks of his son, there is love in his voice. 

"He was adventurous, curious. To him, everything was a game. He laughed all the time. He just enjoyed life. He was always smiling. He always had a happy smile on his face."

"He loved cars," Ryan Ehmann continued. "He was so smart. My son was so smart."

Brentley Ehmann died in April 2022 of bacterial meningitis. He was 11 years old. 

It shattered Ryan Ehmann. He struggled emotionally and mentally to come to terms with his son's death. His marriage didn't survive.

"I just lost myself," he said. "You just go into this blur." 

He found a way back. 

He threw himself into the pickup, nicknamed "Bear" after a collision with a real-life bear, and it happened to be Brentley's nickname, too. "Brentley Bear," they called him.

The old Ford strengthened his resolve to pay tribute to his son. 

"This truck saved my life. This was my saving grace," he said in his garage on a sunny afternoon. "It gave me purpose."

The truck was going to be Brentley's. Today, Ehmann's uses it to share his automotive skills with other youth and show them how to restore and rebuild old vehicles. 

He wants parents to realize that each moment with their children is precious. 

He wants them to know the greatest memories with children aren't made on vacation, but sometimes in the garage, changing oil, sanding a fender or standing side by side when an engine comes to life. 

"My message now to parents — spend time with your kids. You don't know if tomorrow is going to come," he said.

That led him to start HeavenREV. 

The www.hevrev.com website says, "Join HeavenREV Garage and help keep your memories alive while spreading awareness of meningitis for my son in heaven." 

HeavenREV is "Built by family, fueled by purpose, driven by heaven." 

"We're not just restoring trucks," the website states. "We're restoring memories. Every Friday we fire up our engines, not just to show horsepower, but to honor someone we love." 

HeavenREV is described as a "movement of memories. We tell garage stories. We share builds. We celebrate life. We spread meningitis awareness. And together, we prove that memories never die as long as someone keeps the engines roaring.” 

Ehmann's "Revvin for a Reason" video has had more millions of views.

He hears often from people, sharing stories and posting videos of loved ones. One man recently sent Ehmann a message saying he had helped save his son.

"That brings me joy," he said with a nod. "That's what I'm talking about."

Ryan Ehmann, outgoing, friendly and positive, grew up in Darby, Mont. He was a professional champion rodeo bronc rider who became a personal trainer. He created, "Lose 12 inches with any 12 workouts" and appeared on "Shark Tank."

He still loves rebuilding hot rods and plans to paint a speed boat that he and Brentley worked on and take it out on Lake Coeur d'Alene this summer.

He also intends to keep restoring the 1983 Ford pickup, honoring Brentley, sharing learning moments with youth and urging moms and dads to do the same.

He refers to the truck as a "living headstone I can constantly touch and build and add." 

Brentley is never far from his thoughts. And when he's working on that Ford, he can feel Brentley right there with him.

"I just have to have the faith we're still together," Ehmann said. "Every day that I work on it, he's with me."

And every now and then, he sits behind the steering wheel, starts her up and revs the engine. It's so loud, the neighbors down the block must hear it.

Brentley would approve.

    Ryan Ehmann's tattoo bears the name and reminder of his son, Brentley.
  

    Brentley Ehmann poses with one of the tires in his dad's garage in Kalispell, Mont.
  

    Ryan Ehmann of Coeur d'Alene stands before the 1983 Ford pickup he has continued to work on in memory of his late son, Brentley.