Gannon University and a local car restoration company recently teamed up for a good cause.

NFI Empire of North East decided to restore a 1932 Ford in an effort to raise funds for the Brett Boyer Foundation, which supports advancements in coronary heart disease treatments.

The plan was to restore the vehicle and auction it to raise funds for the foundation. During the restoration, NFI Empire reached out to Gannon for custom work.

Gannon students and staff used the university’s maker-space in I-HACK to 3D print a custom gear shifter, hood ornament, horn button and name plate.

NFI Empire’s CEO noted the partnership could bring some new attention to Erie’s manufacturing industry.

“Hopefully it brings a lot of interest about the abilities of 3D printing and things that we could be doing out there, especially because Erie was a manufacturing town years ago. And even though we might have moved away from that, it’s just a new level of technology. It could bring us into something again,” said Justin Fried, CEO, NFI Empire.

The restored car recently was auctioned off and sold for $366K.