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Earl Guynes of Mesquite, Texas, cherished his 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, but at the age of 22 he made the tough choice to sell his dream car to help provide for his growing family. Over the years, he’d reminisce about the car that he considered a symbol of his youth, and he’d joke with his son, Jared, of the sacrifice, saying, “I let it go for diaper money.”
At first, Jared didn’t believe the story, thinking it was an exaggeration, but he came to realize the blue ‘67 Camaro with white racing stripes that his dad described really was the dream his dad gave up for him. So after a successful business year in 2021, Jared decided to honor his father by finding the car. After a year-long nationwide search, he located the exact 1967 Camaro just 70 miles away, but it would need an extensive restoration.
Jared spent two years rebuilding the Camaro in secret, determined to give his father an unforgettable gift. Then last week, on Earl’s 65th birthday, he surprised his dad with the fully restored Camaro. Overwhelmed with emotion, Earl finally saw his long-lost car brought back to life. “I wanted my dad to know how much I love him,” Jared says, “And the greatest way to do that was to bring back the Camaro. It was always the Camaro.”