Man restores grandpa's 1954 pickup truck for his birthday: 'Didn't think I'd ever live to see that'

Vintage items mean a lot for the younger generations, as they tell the story of the past. However, these items are dear to the older generations because they hold memories. What is considered a classic piece of art was once a prized possession for older generations. Blake Kincheloe—who goes by @blakekincheloe on Instagram—revealed his grandfather’s prized possession. Kincheloe’s grandpa had a 1954 International pickup truck he drove around years ago. The vehicle was not functional anymore, but his grandson decided to restore it for his grandpa’s birthday. “Today is the day we will be getting the 1954 international truck,” Kincheloe said.

“This truck is my grandpa’s and great-grandma’s. They bought it years ago for $50 and a hog,” he exclaimed. Kincheloe explained that he and his dad had been working with mechanics to fix up the truck. He shared several glimpses of the journey on his YouTube channel (Blake Kincheloe). After much work, the father-son duo picked up the truck to get the grandpa’s reaction. “This truck hasn’t been driven for a good 40 years or so. It’s going to be cool to see it,” the man said. He added that his grandpa hadn’t seen the truck in a long time and that it had been sitting still. It was a big moment for the family.

The duo got the truck and headed straight to the grandpa’s house. The old man was waiting outside with the rest of the family, unaware of what was to unfold. As soon as the truck arrived, one of the members pointed out, “Papa, what is that over there, look?” The grandpa looked over and, in a jiffy, recognized his beloved truck. “Oh, I’ll be damned,” he exclaimed with the biggest gasp. He stared in disbelief till the truck arrived in the driveway. “That is crazy,” he said. “Where did you get that though?” he asked. The grandpa was confused and overwhelmed with emotions. Above all, he was excited to get to his truck as a child who got their favorite toy.

After getting a good look at his vehicle functioning well, the grandpa exclaimed, “Wow!” He added, “Didn’t think I’d ever live to see that.” The eager man immediately decided to take his truck for a spin. As he drove, tears welled up in his eyes. He was hit with nostalgia and nothing could compare to that feeling of warmth and comfort. As the grandpa returned from his drive, he was flooded with emotion. He caught up on the working of the truck with his son and broke down in joy. “This truck isn’t just a truck. The reason the emotion is so high is that this truck was bought by my great-grandmother and him,” Kincheloe explained. 

“It’s an emotional deal for him for sure,” the young man added. As the grandson explained the plans for the revival of the truck, he asked his grandpa what his thoughts were. “I want it back,” grandpa said with the sweetest chuckle. “This is the best thing that has ever happened to me,” he added. @yosoyeva57 remarked, “Your grandfather is lucky to have you!” @lynetti.confetti wrote, “I am crying at the sweetest act of love for your grandfather and the desire to do that for him, the respect you show him and appreciation of family memories.”

You can follow Blake Kincheloe (@blakekincheloe) on Instagram and YouTube for more wholesome content.