John DePauw’s Memorial Wish

My dad’s life has always been two things: family and cars. He’s had this gorgeous ‘68 Dodge Dart shell for the past 25 years, and with family taking precedence, he wasn't able to dedicate much time to it until he retired in 2020. Through the years, my dad and I would go to car shows and pick up parts. One of our favorite family activities was to go to Cruisin’ Grand in downtown Escondido and dream of the day when his car was complete, and we would be there cruisin'.

This car was truly his bucket list project. There’s one thing he wanted to leave his family, and that was this car. We got to spend three full days in the hospital with him before his passing, and he kept bringing up how important finishing this project was. He suggested we set up a GoFundMe in lieu of flowers, and with all the amazing techs he knows, maybe even some would enjoy donating their skilled labor to help put this beauty together. The funds raised will be allocated for some paintwork, upholstery, and remaining parts.

He has most of the parts, and the engine is already built, so labor is equally important since none of us inherited Dad’s car skills. If you're interested in working on the car, contact a member of the family and we'll coordinate times to make that happen.

Thank you for appreciating and loving our #1 guy.