OKLAHOMA CITY – An expensive vintage car that was stolen from a business is back with its owner.
Officials with the Oklahoma City Police Department say a 1955 Chevy Bel Air, valued at approximately $175,000, was stolen Wednesday night from a business in the 8600 block of S. I-35 Service Rd.
“When you build a car like that, you put part of yourself in it,” James Goad, known as “The Reaper” on the Discovery Channel’s Street Outlaws, said.
Goad spent eight years working on the 1955 Chevy.
“There’s over 2,000 hours building that car, and I’ve never even drove it. I’ve pulled it out of this garage and backed it back in, it’s never went down the street,” Goad said.
On Wednesday night, Goad’s pride and joy was stolen from an auto shop along with a performance motorcycle, three ATV’s, tires and rims.
Goad says his car is worth over $150,000.
“I don’t care about the money. Everything about that car I designed. Except the door panels and the console. I picked the color,” Goad said.
That fueled a long-time childhood dream.
“That black and copper, I’ve had it in my head since I was nine years old. When I read a book in school about a guy with a 50 model Ford, a kid out of high school had the fastest car in town, painted it black and copper. I’ve had that in my head since then,” Goad said.
“I hope they get scared and they just go dump the car in a parking lot, because there’s not a piece of that car that serves a purpose but to that car,” Goad said.
Fortunately, the car was spotted on Friday and was eventually returned to Goad.
Goad’s wife tells NewsChannel 4 that it doesn’t look like anything was wrong with the car.
