Son Son Surprises Dad With His Prized Car After 29 Years Of Searching
While relaxing with his family, Alan Van Dyke was handed a note with a cryptic message. As he read it, a sound suddenly erupted in the distance that sent a chill down his spine. It couldn’t be, could it? Alan instantly recognized the noise: it was his old car! Following years of separation, they were finally reunited again after the vehicle had gone on an epic journey. But this beautiful moment nearly didn’t happen.
How it all started
So let’s head back to the year that it all began — 1992. After meeting up with a guy named Steve Cordes, Alan was drawn to an old vehicle in his garage. It was a vintage 1968 Pontiac GTO. But to say it wasn’t in the best condition would be an understatement. The hood and front fenders were all missing! And the issues didn’t end there.
So much rust
Due to the lack of protection, the engine was also covered in rust. As for the rest of the body, the original paint job had been completely removed, giving it a rusted look, too. Despite the car’s rough state, though, Alan decided to purchase it anyway. Along with his cousin, he believed he could restore this thing to its former glory.
Ultimate DIY project
Yet for that to happen, Alan knew he’d have to essentially build the car up from scratch. It was the ultimate DIY project! So, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work right away. To shed more light on that, his son, Austin Van Dyke, wrote up a detailed post about the GTO on Facebook in July 2021.
“Numbers matching”
Austin wrote, “My father 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 decoding the sheet, he was able to determine that the car [had] numbers matching from front to back, and even into the carburetors.” In other words, none of the vehicle’s components had been replaced since it came off the factory floor.
