'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
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.