This is a ‘70 Chevelle that’s been in my family since it was brand new. My grandpa bought it off the lot the summer of 1970, right after he married my grandma. I remember being a kid, running around his barn, and that car just sat there under a dusty tarp for years. He’d lift the corner sometimes and tell me stories about street racing it back in the day. I didn’t think much of it back then — it was just an old car to me.

After my grandpa passed, my dad and I decided to finally do something with it. What started as “let’s just get it running” turned into a full-on project. Every weekend we’d be out in that barn, tearing it down, replacing parts, sanding, welding — you name it. I’ll never forget the first time we fired up the new LS3 we dropped in. That thing shook the whole place.

We didn’t keep it original. It’s a restomod now — modern suspension, big brakes, a killer midnight blue paint job, and a custom interior. But I kept the original steering wheel. My grandpa’s hands wore that thing smooth, and there was no way I was getting rid of it. Now it’s the kind of car that gets attention at shows, but more than that, it’s a connection to my grandpa and my dad. Every time I drive it, I feel like they’re both riding with me.