This son fixed his WWII veteran dad’s 1946 Cadillac so he could drive it one last time for his 102nd birthday.
The car had been sitting in their backyard untouched for more than 45 years.
His son tried to fix it before his dad’s 100th birthday, but the project took a lot longer than he bargained for.
As it turned out, there were a few challenges along the way.
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Son fixes WWII veteran dad’s 1946 Cadillac
Meet Walt West a WWII veteran whose only wish for his 100th birthday was to drive his old Cadillac.
Unfortunately, the car wasn’t functional by his 100th as it had been sitting idle for over 45 years, with its engine and pistons completely rusted.
Restoring the car was a challenge.
The classic car required extensive work, including finding a replacement ’46 Cadillac engine, similar to the original.
He had to repair the engine, brakes, and other components all while maintaining its original features.
While it took longer than he expected to get the car going again, it fortunately took a lot less time than the 12-year-long restoration of this rare 1985 Ford CL9000.
Fortunately, in this case, Walt had a chance to see and drive his beloved Cadillac after his son had restored it too.
The family hoped the old Cadillac would be restored in time for Walt’s 100th birthday, but when it wasn’t ready on time, they got something else lined up.
Instead, they gave Walt a ride in a stunningly rare Ford Model T during the Veterans Day parades and ceremonies.
In the meantime, Harry, his son was working hard to get the Cadillac up and running again.
And he managed to do it just in time for his 102nd birthday.
Walt’s reaction
Jerry Heasley captured Walt’s reaction to seeing his old car restored and running.
The old veteran was overjoyed but also trepidatious to drive the car.
But eventually, he got behind the driver’s seat and took it for a drive with his family in the backseat.
What a lovely end to a chapter.
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