A grandpa fought back tears of joy when his grandson surprised him by restoring his beloved 1954 pickup truck, which had not been in working order for decades.
Richard Kincheloe, from Lebanon, Missouri, initially purchased the 1954 International Harvester pickup with his mother for $50 and a hog when Richard was just 15.
For more than 45 years, the truck, nicknamed Cannonball, remained on Richard’s land – and one day, it even caught the eye of his grandson, Blake Kincheloe, 20.
When Blake was about three or four years old, Richard, 68, took him to see Cannonball, which resulted in Blake pointing at the vehicle and saying, “That’s my truck.”
Richard agreed with his grandson, saying, “Okay, that’s your truck,” but Cannonball sat on the farm for years, not in a drivable condition.
When Blake was old enough to start working and save a little money, he took Cannonball from the farm hoping to add new brakes to the vehicle.
Over time, however, Blake’s plans changed, and he decided to restore the truck to working order.
Richard had no idea the truck was gone, and for months, Blake worked on Cannonball with the help of a local company, C&J’s Classic and Muscle Cars.
Then, on December 9, it was time for the big surprise, with Blake driving the truck down the road to his family’s home, where Richard was standing outside.
Richard proclaimed, “I never thought I’d live to see this,” before fighting back tears as his grandson showed him around the working vehicle.
Blake described the moment as like seeing his grandfather being reunited with a family member or old friend, and in the days since, he and his grandpa have taken rides in Cannonball once more.
The pair hope to enter the truck in car shows over the coming months.
Blake said: “My grandpa’s reaction to seeing that truck go down the road was priceless.
“It was a fantastic feeling to watch him watch his old friend drive down the road again after all those years.
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“He said, ‘I never thought I’d live to see this.’
“Family and friends who have watched the video have reached out, saying that video brought them to tears.
“The whole family knows Cannonball and has known it for years.
“The outreach and all the stories from online comments have been tremendous.
“I hope others can receive a message of the importance of family and the things left by them.
“Cannonball is one of the only things my grandpa has left from his mother, so it is very special to him and the rest of our family.”
