'Part of him with me': Sask. man fixing up grandpa's classic truck after finding it for sale on social media
A 24-year-old man from Preeceville, Sask. was reunited with his grandfather’s classic, custom-made Ford truck after finding it on social media and plans to restore it to its former glory.
Sean Ebel said he discovered a familiar Ford F100 posted to a Facebook group in the summer of 2021. It was the same truck his grandfather, Leonard Ebel, bought nearly 50 years ago.
“The guy who made the post wanted to cut it up for a parts truck,” Sean said in an interview with CTV News.
“I absolutely love this thing. I could never image someone cutting it up.”
Sean remembers visiting his grandfather’s farm as a child and admiring the 1974 burnt-orange beauty.
“I would see this truck sitting there and I just thought it was the coolest thing,” he said.
The truck was inherited by a family member after his grandfather died, but Sean still enjoyed taking care of it.
“I was very proud to drive it around on my grad day and show it off. It was very special,” he said.
Sean said he was often away for work and didn’t realize the truck was sold until two years later. He said he immediately reached out, bought the truck back and set his sights on fixing it up again.
Wilfred Ebel, Leonard’s younger brother, worked at Formo Motors, the dealership where the truck is from. He remembers his brother’s excitement.
“He was ecstatic. He had never owned a brand new vehicle before and he just loved it,” Wilfred said.
Wilfred is glad the truck is being restored and staying in the family.
“Leonard would be so happy, he thought the world of that truck,” he said.
He said the truck is a sixth generation F100 pickup truck (1973-1979), and the 1974 was the last model to come out, before the infamous Ford 150 was introduced in 1975. His brother custom ordered it to have a heavy-duty rear suspension and a four-speed transmission, with a low gear for towing bales around the farm.
Nearly five decades later, Wilfred said the truck hasn’t had any major problems. Sean added it still has most of the original drive train.
Sean said his grandpa died when he was young, but he feels a connection when he works on the truck.
“It felt like I did have part of him with me,” Sean said.
Right now, he is focusing on getting the engine running again, then he’ll replace the tires, and give it a fresh paint job.
He plans to keep the original colour and restore it back to, “how my grandpa would have wanted it”.
“And maybe throw little bit of my own spin on it,” he added.
Sean said working on the truck has sparked his interest to go back to school, and pursue a career as a mechanic.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
Ontario urges mpox testing amid spike in cases
Ontario health officials are urging public health units to test for mpox, the viral disease formerly known as monkeypox, amid a spike of confirmed cases in the province.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
'Don't expect any deals:' Expert says stores may not offer steep discounts on post-Easter chocolate
Those looking to snap up cheap treats at their local grocery store next week following the Easter long weekend could be in for a bit of a surprise as the rising cost of cocoa continues to drive up the price of chocolate, one expert says.