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My grandparents purchased a 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air car new in George, Iowa. It was the family car until 1965, then driven by my dad and his siblings. Eventually it was used as a field car on the farm and to check fur traps in the pasture. In the early 1980s, the vehicle was parked and became an inoperable fixture on the family farm. As a kid I remember sitting in the driver’s seat and pretending to drive, and when I turned 15, I began to make plans to make it my own.
Due to various circumstances, my grandpa ended up selling the car locally in 1993. In the years that followed, I made unsuccessful attempts to purchase the car back. At last, in 2005, the owner agreed to sell it back to our family. I began restoring the ’62 at home. The restoration took 20 years, with life and other projects slowing progress. In 2025, the Bel Air was back on the road! The car was restored to appear as it did when purchased by my grandparents, with modifications such as a Muncie 4-speed, disc brakes, lowered suspension, and Dakota Digital gauges.
Weeks after getting the car back on the road, our community was struck with a devastating flood. Thankfully I was able to save the car by putting it on a four-post hoist.
– Casey T., Iowa
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