Dads do everything they can for their families, even if it means putting their wishes aside for the good of their family. For one father in particular, he never imagined seeing his favorite car again after selling it fifteen years ago so he could have enough money to feed his family.
In the past, Denny had a prized white 1959 Edsel Ranger, which had unique teal blue accents, which he took to the annual car show. I looked forward to it every year; it was his unique bonding activity with his late brother.
A beautiful car with special memories
Denny and his brother worked together on the car and took it on many rides across the country. The car was home to many of his memories, so more than its physical beauty, Denny valued its sentimental value above all else.
Not only Denny and his late brother had special memories with the car; their children did too. His son recalled doing a lot of work on the car with his father and uncle as a child, and his sisters recalled driving him around.
Riding the Edsel was a staple family bonding activity on the weekends, which was great fun for everyone growing up. Unfortunately, Denny had no choice but to sell it to support the family at a time when the economy was not doing so well.
Unfortunately, the owner did not want to part with him and instead kept Denny’s son’s information along with other details in case he changed his mind.
His only option was to sell.
During that time, the family had a hard time staying afloat and needed to sell some of their assets to continue living comfortably. So, even though he was heartbroken, Denny sold his car because it would bring him the most money. “It was his only option,” recalls his son.
Despite physically letting go of the car, Denny didn’t want it to be forgotten, so he framed photos of the car with his late brother and posted them in his office.
Years later, the idea of the beautiful car would still cross his children’s minds. His son began doing some digging to locate the vehicle in hopes that its owner would allow him to buy it back.
find the car again
In 2018, Denny’s son found the car and approached its owner. Unfortunately, the owner did not want to part with him and instead kept Denny’s son’s information and other details in case he changed his mind.
Three years later, some time after the owner of the car had passed away, his wife found a note he had written about the car and suddenly remembered its history. He called Denny’s son and allowed the family to buy the car for him.
Without hesitation, the son gathered his mother, sisters, brothers-in-law, and wife to decide what to do. It was a no-brainer for all of them: They knew they had to get the car back for Denny, who they loved dearly.
A special birthday present
On Denny’s 67th birthday, the family gathered the man’s grandchildren to present him with special cards with clues to his gift. Each card read: “Can we take a walk, dad?”
Denny thought he was buying a lawn mower, but to his surprise, behind him was the special car he once had to drop, with a big tape on top of it. He was in for the surprise of his life!
Before turning around, her children asked her to read a couple of letters. The last one, they had him say out loud, and he was like, “Can I have my [expletive] trans-am now?”
Confused, Denny asked his family, “What’s going on?” Then, he looked back in disbelief and saw his Edel in the garage.
Surprised by the unexpected Surprised
Denny was about to cry when he said, “You’ve got to be kidding.” He was emotional, trying to prevent his tears from falling. “Is this a dream or what?” he asked his family.
Still in shock, he walked around the beautiful car to inspect it, still stupefied by the surprise he never expected. “And that’s it. I was really hoping for a Kubota,” he quipped.
A special welcome event
One of Denny’s daughters noticed that the car still had her stuffed dice, which she dangled in the rearview mirror years ago. “That is!” he said as he sat inside his old car again. It was an all too familiar sensation, and he knew immediately that it was his from the inside of the car.
He started the engine and sat there, letting it all sink in. His car was finally back with him! Your son remembers that his father was in shock for several days after receiving his special gift, and they couldn’t be happier that his father enjoyed his gift.
For Denny, the car was more than just a utility vehicle: it was a memory bank in which he could now make more memories, this time with his adult children and grandchildren.
Denny now takes his grandchildren for walks the same way he took his children when they were younger. He takes them out for ice cream or for a walk around town. Denny also attended various car shows again, just like the good old days.