Keeping my Dads 96 Step-Side Alive

My dad Chet worked at General Motors for forty years. To make sure that his family was taken care of, my dad would work 12 to 16 hour days at the GM plant in Michigan as a manager. My dad was one of the hardest working guys that I knew in my lifetime. I remember when dad purchased his 1996 step-side special order and customized just the way he wanted it. Dad had purchased a couple more trucks through the years but his step-side was all that he would drive. My dad was diagnosed with colon cancer in the early 90s and after a couple of trips to the Mayo clinic and radiation and chemo treatments he was ready to get back to work. He was so dedicated to his job at GM that he would do chemo treatments and head into work that same day. My dad finally retired around 2000. Growing up in the small town of Three Rivers, Michigan everyone in town knew my dads truck. It was the only one like it in our town. My dad passed away in January, of 2016. Not long after dad passed away people started inquiring about buying his truck from my mom. My mom kindly told them it was not for sale because that’s how she kept his memories alive. After sitting in my parents driveway for almost two years my mom gave me a call and asked if I would be interested in taking my dads truck with one stipulation. I could never sell it and she asked me if I could restore it. I agreed and told my mom I would be honored to come get my dads truck. I drove my other Chevy Silverado to Michigan and loaded dads truck on a car carrier and pulled it back to Colorado. I started the restoration just as soon as I returned back home in Colorado Springs. After replacing numerous parts and lots of hard work plus a new paint job done by Geared Up Automotive in Pueblo, Colorado my dads truck has a new life. My dad’s truck is something I will keep and cherish my entire lifetime and one day will be my sons and then hopefully passed to our grandson his son.