Anyone who has ever had a car stolen will know that often that vehicle is stripped or crashed before you even know it's gone. When a Downey, California, man had a treasured '69 Chevy Camaro snatched from him 17 years ago, he never expected to see the muscle car again. But one day he got a phone call that no one would have expected. The Camaro Means Everything To The Owner CBS LA/ YouTubeThe Camaro itself couldn't be more special to Victor Munoz. The iconic muscle car was bought brand new by his father, David Munoz, when he returned from the Vietnam War. The car was gifted to Victor by his dad when he turned 16. But when Victor took the Chevrolet to get a body-off restoration when he was in his '20s, it ended up being stolen from the shop.That should have been the end of the story. For almost 20 years, Victor thought about the car, which was one of the few things he had to remember his late father, who passed away in 2017. But with the car a distant memory, everything was about to change. The Camaro Was Found Just 30 Miles From Where It Was Stolen CBS LA/ YouTubeThe shell of the car was found on someone's property not that far away. It turned out that the new owner had apparently bought it not knowing it was stolen. The shell of the dark green Camaro could then be returned to Munoz for an emotional reunion.With the shell arriving on a flatbed, Munoz said: "I haven't seen this car in 17 years," he said, tearing up, "it's going to be tough." Looking over the vehicle, he says happily, "that's my car, yeah, that's my car. Wow." Later, with the car in the garage, he adds, " I just still cannot believe that it's actually sitting in my garage. It's amazing. It's amazing." The Owner Plans To Restore The Classic Muscle Car To Its Original Condition Detectives at LA County Sheriff's department confirmed that the car had been found in a backyard in the city of Whittier, said CBS LA, around 30 miles from the body shop where it disappeared. Munoz is now hoping to raise $50,000 to restore the car, with friends and clients at his Downey barbershop already contributing. Munoz has been explaining the story of the find on his Instagram (@downeydaves) which has plenty more detail on the car. The Restoration Will Be Done For Love If the estimated $50,000 is correct to bring the car back to its former glory, it won't bring in any profit — but that's not why Munoz is doing it clearly. From the pictures, it looks like the car is fitted with a 200-horsepower 307ci V8. These cars are fabulous slices of Golden Era muscle, albeit for an affordable price. Hagerty Valuation Tools puts the good condition price of a 307 Camaro from 1967 at $24,300. But the restoration of Munoz's car is a familiar story to a lot of people who want to get a classic back on the road. Often classic cars are too expensive to restore. But that means cars are often more than money, they are about love and memories.Sources: Hagerty.com
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