This dad sold his dream car to buy diapers—41 years later, his son returned the favor
It’s no secret that parents make unimaginable sacrifices to give their children the best possible start in life. For Earl Guynes, that meant parting with his beloved 1967 Camaro—a car he’d dreamed of owning for years—to afford diapers for his growing family.
Fast forward 41 years, and his son, Jared, brought that dream full circle, gifting his dad a nearly identical Camaro in an unforgettable birthday surprise. This story isn’t just about a car; it’s a celebration of love, gratitude, and how small, selfless acts ripple across generations.
A dad’s sacrifice, a son’s quest
In 1982, Earl married Mona, his sweetheart, becoming a stepfather to her daughter, Jennifer. Two years later, they welcomed their son, Jared. With two children to care for, Earl made the difficult decision to sell his prized 1967 Marina blue Camaro. As a young dad, he didn’t think twice about putting his family first, even if it meant parting with his dream car.
Years later, Jared Guynes grew up hearing stories of the Camaro his dad had sold to care for the family. As an adult, he decided it was time to honor his father’s sacrifice in a big way.
“Instead of paying down debt or investing or doing something responsible, I did what any Guynes man would do,” Jared told NBC. “I started looking for a cool car, but this one specifically. I wanted to begin the quest to get my dad’s car back or get as close as I possibly could.”
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The search for the perfect Camaro
Jared knew the details of his dad’s dream car like the back of his hand: “It’s a 1967 Marina blue Camaro SS with a 350 small-block V8, an automatic 3-speed transmission. Crager chrome 15-inch mag wheels with white letters on the tire, small 1969 style cowl hood on the front, a small little whale tail on the back and a black interior,” he told NBC.
Determined to honor his dad’s sacrifice, Jared spent 12 months scouring the country for the perfect car. In 2022, he finally got a lead—a Marina blue Camaro located just 70 miles from his home. But that was only the beginning.
Over the next two years, Jared worked tirelessly to restore the Camaro to its former glory, matching every detail as closely as possible to the car his dad had loved decades earlier. All the while, he kept the entire project a secret from Earl, waiting for the perfect moment to reveal his surprise.
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A birthday surprise like no other
This year, on Earl’s 65th birthday, Jared decided it was time to unveil the big surprise. He threw a party and even enlisted the help of a magician to orchestrate the moment. As part of the act, the magician led Earl to the driveway, where the restored Camaro waited.
Earl’s reaction was priceless. Tears filled his eyes as he realized what his son had done. Jared explained his motivation to NBC: “Wanting dad to really understand how much I love him and how important he is to me and how good of a job he did being a dad, I wanted to find the biggest, most symbolic, most outrageous way to help him understand how much. And I’m like, what is the greatest thing possible? And it was the Camaro. It was always the Camaro.”
Sacrifice, gratitude, and the ripple effect
For Earl, the decision to sell his Camaro in 1984 was practical, but it came with the silent understanding that his dreams would take a backseat to his family’s needs. For Jared, the opportunity to gift his dad a similar car decades later was about so much more than the vehicle itself. It was a way to show his father how deeply those sacrifices were felt—and how much they mattered.
As parents, we all have our “Camaro moments”—the dreams we’ve put on hold or the treasures we’ve given up for the sake of our children. What’s yours? Whether it’s big or small, share your story with us in the comments or on social media.
