Gift of a Lifetime!

On my son’s 16th birthday, my wife Christy and I were thrilled to surprise our son Dalton with this beautiful 1990 Chevy Silverado 1500. It was one of the coolest things we have ever done, but the truth is we never could have done it without the generosity of friends and family. This truck was purchased new by an amazing man named Chuck. Christy and I are lifelong friends of Chuck’s daughter, Tanya, so we knew first hand how much Chuck loved his truck! It was his baby, and took meticulous care of it. Unfortunately, Chuck passed away in 1998. His wife Laura kept the truck in Chuck’s “man cave” garage for a year or so, and then gifted it to Tanya. Tanya drove the truck off and on over the years, and it always made her feel close to her dad. If Tanya ever needed help with the truck, she turned to Christy’s dad, Chris. Chris was like another father to Tanya, and he worked on the truck often over the years. Sometimes Tanya could pay him and sometimes she could not, but she always told him that someday she would love to give the truck to him. As time went on, Tanya got married and had a family of her own. With two small children, the regular cab pickup truck became less practical. So, when Laura passed away in 2013, Tanya took the truck to her uncle’s house, where it sadly just sat and collected dust. In 2019 Tanya’s uncle passed away, and Tanya decided that it was time to gift the truck to Chris. Tanya is one of the most generous people I have ever met, and was ecstatic to present Chris with the truck. Chris was rightfully honored, but already had a truck of his own and didn’t really have the means to restore it. Chris, also being a generous and giving person, called me and asked if he could give the truck to Dalton. Even though were wondered if Dalton was a “truck guy” I thought this was a spectacular idea. We made sure this was OK with Tanya, and she thought it was a great idea. Chris and I got right to work. We had the truck towed to his house, and immediately put in a fuel pump and new battery. It fired right up and the big V8 rumbled! Over the next couple of months, we tuned everything up under the hood, installed an updated retro stereo, had some body work done, repainted it, and spruced it up with some new molding, mirrors, headlights, and exhaust. A trip to the detail shop, and this baby was ready to go! The surprise went off without a hitch. Dalton had no idea he was getting a car, let alone an amazing truck with an amazing story behind it. Chris and Dalton took the first spin in it, and Dalton instantly became a truck guy. Since that time, Dalton has shown a remarkable respect for his truck. He takes great care of it, and truly understands how powerful the story of the truck is. He will keep this truck until he is an old man, and then most certainly pass it on and continue the story.