NATCHEZ — Keyone Sewell’s 1994 Chevy Caprice is more than just a collector’s item.

It’s a sentimental belonging that brings back fond memories of when he and his brother, Corey Sewell, would spend time out and about.

When The Dart landed on Keyone’s house on Miller Avenue Friday, he was putting the finishing touches on some work to the car before getting ready to send it in for a paint job.

Keyone inherited the car in 2003 when Corey was killed in a shooting. Since then, Keyone said he’s tried to keep the car in good condition over the years as a way of honoring his brother’s memory.

“The memories about the car keep me going,” Keyone said. “We had a whole lot of fun in this car through the years. Every time it moved, it was us riding together.”

A weekend getaway is the last memory Keyone has of sharing the car with his brother, and it’s a memory he said he holds dear.

“We went to the drag strip in Hattiesburg and spent the weekend there,” Keyone said. “When we got back, we had a family get-together that Sunday night.”

The car has been used off and on since he inherited it, and Keyone said it was time to get some work done so it would continue to work for the long haul.

“If I had waited any longer, I probably wouldn’t have been able to salvage it,” he said.

After having not driven the car for several years, Keyone said he recently took it on a trip up the Natchez Trace to Jackson and back to make sure it still worked.

“It did pretty good for not having moved for a while,” Keyone said.

Some of the work he’s done on the car includes putting in a new alternator and a new fuel pump and getting the heating and air conditioning system working again.

“I’m just getting a few things together under the hood before I take it to the paint shop,” Keyone said.

With the car sitting in his driveway, Keyone said onlookers are constantly asking him if he’d ever sell it.

“No chance — not in this lifetime,” Keyone said. “I get at least five to six offers a day, but it’s not for sale.”

While he may not be able to ride with Corey ever again, Keyone has at least one companion that’s interested in his car — his dog, Precious.

“Every time I open the door, she runs and jumps in,” Keyone said. “She loves that car.”