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Austin Van Dyke
Приєднався 30 бер 2015
A muscle car Cinderella story- Son surprises Dad with the 1968 GTO that he restored 29 years ago
The restoration (1992-1994)
In 1992 my father bought a 1968 Pontiac GTO from a local man named Steve Cordes, who told him that he didn’t believe it was a numbers matching car. My father (Alan Vandyke) began to tear the car down to the frame in order to properly restore it. When he dropped the gas tank, he found the original Pontiac build sheet. After de-coding the sheet, he was able to determine that the car was numbers matching from front to back, and even into the carburetors. Over the next 2 years and change, he built the car back up from the frame, replacing everything that needed to be replaced. He rebuilt the engine, and cleaned everything up, and put it all back together. In the summer of 1994, the car restoration was finally completed!
In the fall of 1999, after having kid number 5, my father decided to sell the car in order to finish the basement. The day that he sold this car is the very first memory that I retained as a child. I remember the very last ride that we took in the car, on the day that it was sold. I was 3 going on 4 years old. Growing up, every time that my father and I went to a car show, I was always told to keep an eye out for the GTO. It never showed up.
The Search (2019-2021)
In the spring-summer of 2019, 20 years after it had been sold, I decided to start looking for the car. I dug up a few pictures of the car showing the old license plates, and sent them to a few cop friends to see if anything would turn up. Months later, my mother was able to dig up the receipt for the paint job from my fathers restoration of the vehicle, giving us the VIN number of the car. A long summer of unsuccessful searching followed, and in early spring of 2020, I decided to pay a Private Investigator to look for the car. After months of COVID, and not hearing much, the P.I. informed me that he was not able to turn up any information on the car. A few months later I had applied and joined a few Pontiac and GTO pages on Facebook, where I posted my story in hopes of somebody recognizing the car. Months went by, and still no answers. I finally posted to a few more Facebook pages, and after a day or two, I was told to Google the VIN. We are not sure what changed, but this time when I googled the VIN, a single search result came up: the registration for a car in the country of Denmark, matching the VIN and description. Since 2008, the car had been registered in the country of Denmark. After some searching, I was able to find One Facebook page that was titled in English “GTO club Denmark”. The page had 82 members. I shared the story again, hoping that somebody would recognize the car. The next morning I woke up to a picture and a video of the car in my inbox from a man named martin that said he knew the owner. He got me in touch with the owner, and translated for us since the owner did not speak English. The owner was excited to hear the story, but not willing to part with the car. My last communication with the owner was the fall of 2020. In January of 2021, Martin reached out to me and informed me that the owner of the car was in a tragic accident with his land cruiser in which he lost his life. Four months later, the owner’s daughter and widow reached out to me, willing to sell the car. My uncle (my father’s best friend) and also my fathers cousin pitched in to foot the bill to get the car back without my father knowing. I had it shipped in a container, and then trucked to a friend’s house, where we went through the car, before surprising my father on Memorial day of 2021.
In 1992 my father bought a 1968 Pontiac GTO from a local man named Steve Cordes, who told him that he didn’t believe it was a numbers matching car. My father (Alan Vandyke) began to tear the car down to the frame in order to properly restore it. When he dropped the gas tank, he found the original Pontiac build sheet. After de-coding the sheet, he was able to determine that the car was numbers matching from front to back, and even into the carburetors. Over the next 2 years and change, he built the car back up from the frame, replacing everything that needed to be replaced. He rebuilt the engine, and cleaned everything up, and put it all back together. In the summer of 1994, the car restoration was finally completed!
In the fall of 1999, after having kid number 5, my father decided to sell the car in order to finish the basement. The day that he sold this car is the very first memory that I retained as a child. I remember the very last ride that we took in the car, on the day that it was sold. I was 3 going on 4 years old. Growing up, every time that my father and I went to a car show, I was always told to keep an eye out for the GTO. It never showed up.
The Search (2019-2021)
In the spring-summer of 2019, 20 years after it had been sold, I decided to start looking for the car. I dug up a few pictures of the car showing the old license plates, and sent them to a few cop friends to see if anything would turn up. Months later, my mother was able to dig up the receipt for the paint job from my fathers restoration of the vehicle, giving us the VIN number of the car. A long summer of unsuccessful searching followed, and in early spring of 2020, I decided to pay a Private Investigator to look for the car. After months of COVID, and not hearing much, the P.I. informed me that he was not able to turn up any information on the car. A few months later I had applied and joined a few Pontiac and GTO pages on Facebook, where I posted my story in hopes of somebody recognizing the car. Months went by, and still no answers. I finally posted to a few more Facebook pages, and after a day or two, I was told to Google the VIN. We are not sure what changed, but this time when I googled the VIN, a single search result came up: the registration for a car in the country of Denmark, matching the VIN and description. Since 2008, the car had been registered in the country of Denmark. After some searching, I was able to find One Facebook page that was titled in English “GTO club Denmark”. The page had 82 members. I shared the story again, hoping that somebody would recognize the car. The next morning I woke up to a picture and a video of the car in my inbox from a man named martin that said he knew the owner. He got me in touch with the owner, and translated for us since the owner did not speak English. The owner was excited to hear the story, but not willing to part with the car. My last communication with the owner was the fall of 2020. In January of 2021, Martin reached out to me and informed me that the owner of the car was in a tragic accident with his land cruiser in which he lost his life. Four months later, the owner’s daughter and widow reached out to me, willing to sell the car. My uncle (my father’s best friend) and also my fathers cousin pitched in to foot the bill to get the car back without my father knowing. I had it shipped in a container, and then trucked to a friend’s house, where we went through the car, before surprising my father on Memorial day of 2021.
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It's not just a car it's the time you spent with family and friends it another member of the family !! Rock on she is a sweet goat ❤️
Welcome home... GTO!
It’s a really good story. I understand the meaning your dad was so happy
It's a beautiful car! I've always loved GTO's! Glad it came back home!
I cannot believe how fast he knew...when, from out of sight even, he hears the exhaust, and he KNEW!! 😂😎💜💜👍🏼
One of the greatest car stories I ever heard so far..!! 🙂
and they died in a car crash... If this was a clinton, imagine the conspiracy theories
What a great story. Great Dad great Son great Seller in Denmark, in fact all the great people that made this happen. I hope the Family of the man who died sees this video. God bless everyone that was involved.
I understand it completely. Had me tearing up much respect
The look on his face when he heard his car calling him
OH MAN!!! THIS IS SO AWESOME!!! OH MAN I'M sitting here with tears of joy rolling down my face. This is such a beautiful story. WOW! sO HAPPY FOR YOUR POPS.
You’re an awesome son and I’m a huge crybaby! ❤
Your dad gave up his cat for the family. It’s about giving back and honoring our parents for what they have done for you. It meant allot for him I am sure. It’s Allot of work to rebuild a car. To give that away when you do it for your family is a sacrifice. This is not any car. He build this car. Condolences to the owner’s family who died in the crash.
My eyes watered up by the end of this, cars are so epic, there like living things almost. A electric car will never produce these feelings tho.
My dad had a 70s Chevy C-10, and he talked about selling it, and it hit me hard for some reason. Before i knew it, i was crying and begging him not to sell it. There are a lot of memories in that truck. So, instead of selling it, he gave it to my nephew. He's such a good kid. They rebuilt the engine and did a complete overhaul on the body. It's in great shape. Made me so happy to know it's in good hands.
its not just a car its memories great story man
people are crazy with cars. just bought an 01 mustang gt conv. after talking about it for seven years. read car and driver in HS. I want a vette. what a pretty house with nice land., looks like KY.
my dads 66 chevy II is sitting in my garage gettin restored to the way it was for 40 years he lost it in 2011
59 yr old car guy here with tears down my face
it’s not the car. It’s the memories. The real story is how your dad loved his family so much that he sold the car. You loved your dad so much that you found it for him.
🔥💯💯
Best thing about this picture is that no 1 was missing for the second 1, very happy ending🙂
Cars mean just as much as family members to car guys
🫡💪
It's not really the car that matters, but the memories!!
It’s not just a car. Very cool
That's so cool wat yous did for ur dad .it's not just a car. It's his baby to❤
It’s not just a car. That fact you were able to track this car down and buy it back is the most wholesome thing and show all the good we have in us.
het is niet alleen een auto na al die jaren hard werken om hem weer in die staat te krijgen word het een deel van jou 🤙🤙
It makes perfect sense
The best part when he jumped up as heard the roaring of his old buddy(GTO) calling him❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊
👒🎩Off to a wonderful mother who gave birth to a loving caring brood. from Scotland.
Love this story. I sold my 79 Trans Am 25 years ago. Was my very first car when I was 16. Had the 400 4 speed, WS6 package. Wish I never sold it and would love to find it now.
Man heats the exhaust & becomes the boy he was years ago.....Nothings bigger than making ur parents happy... God Bless❤
Good bless u bro ❤❤❤
There's a couple things a man know instantly one is a a car he built with is Blood Sweat and Tears
🎉loved it.
Beautiful.
Good love 💕. God’s so good…
~ BLESSED ~
Good for you man
I am 40, I bought farm land, a car for my Mom and Dad.
I died when he jumped out of his chair 😂😂😂
Cool story!
I of most beautiful car ever made u do lucky have so like that's
It’s not just a car it’s the car ur father not only built but sacrificed for his family when it ment the world to him. Awesome video
Its crazy how instantly just by the sound he knew it was his. Man knows the car
Awesome 😀
Dude how did this car end up in Europe just crazy