Mesquite, Texas -For Earl Guinns and his son, Jared, cars have always been their love language, with Jared fixating on Bondo and brake pads since he was young.
And over the years, the one thing they've talked about the most is the 1967 Chevrolet Camaro that Earl used to own.
“Whenever we saw a Camaro, he would definitely bring it up,” Jared said. “This will be a recurring theme in a recurring story… The joke was, or the way they summed it up, was that I have to sell this car for your diaper money. “Lay.”
Actually, the earl was only half-joking.
“You have to build a nursery, find a crib and a crib, and it's time to settle down and raise a family,” Earl said.
So in 1983, it was goodbye hot rod, hello lukewarm minivan.
Since then, his car dreams have mostly been limited to helping others with their vehicles. He works at O'Reilly Auto Parts in Mesquite, Texas, where he continues to share the story of the Camaro that got away.
Of course, Jared knew that his father never regretted selling that car. But he still felt as if he owed his father more than he could ever repay. So, he went to work.
A car, exactly like the one his father had, did not exist. So, Jared spent three years scouring the internet and putting it together piece by piece. Until last month, when he handed Earl the keys to a restored Camaro for his 65th birthday.
“And it affected him, and he got over it,” Jared said of his father's reaction. “And he just wrapped his arms around me. It was the best.”
We all sacrifice something to start a family. But if you're lucky and patient, sometimes you can get your Camaro, and even keep it.
The earl said: “He loves me very much, as much as I love him.”
