'He nearly passed out': man gives grandfather unexpected gift
Cam Dedman says that his grandfather is his best friend.
So for his birthday Dedman decided to give his grandad, Fred Lamar, a gift that he didn't expect on his 81st birthday- his old car back.
The bright red Chevy had been his grandads since 1957, but unfortunately, due to the wear and tear of time, it has been out of action for decades.
Lamar refused to dispose of it, however, he had too much of a love for his first car and all the good memories that came with it.
Speaking to Love What Matters, Dedman said that restoring the car without the grandad knowing was a challenge:
"This was so hard to complete, let alone do it without him knowing. I saved up for years to do this—and even sold my personal car to help fund parts for the car. It's all worth it, though, for my grandpa!"
The car required a lot of TLC, but Dedman was up for the work:
"I replaced every nut and bolt with new, and added all the billet interior accessory’s custom steering wheel, to match the wheels on the car, and added all new chrome front to back and dash restoration.
"I did this from the bottom of my heart, for my grandpa."
The moment he reveals the car is as emotional as it is touching. The grandfather is nearly collapses with the shock of seeing his much-loved car back in it's full glory.
Dedman had began working on the project in September of 2016, telling Lamar that he just wanted to get it running again. When he got suspiciously quiet about the car, Lamar assumed that he had just run out of money.
"Every time [Lamar] asked about it, I kept telling him I was busy and had things going on and was moving the car from place to place so I could keep it a secret,'' Dedman told Today.
Working on the car was also a therapeutic outlet for Dedman. Two years ago, he had been involved in a car accident that had ended his career as a firefighter.
"It took me a good while to get over everything,'' he said. "I had to get back to doing something I loved."
Working on the car has made Dedman realise his dream, of opening a motorcycle shop. Thanks to his grandfather, he had always been into racing and cars.
"I always wanted to own my own hot rod shop,'' he said. "I think this was the final kick."
The Chevy, is more than a car, it's a symbol of their friendship, restoring the past and hope for the future,
"He’s my best friend," Dedman said. "And [he] truly deserves it."