Contributed by John Pfau, Plantation and written by Tara Bush
August 18, 2018 is a very special day for John 75 and his son Dave 40. Not only do they share a birthday together, but that was the day that John received the second gift of a lifetime.
John is a car nut. He has loved cars since he owned his 1957 Chevy in his youth. He shared his passion with his four children who also love cars. When the kids were young, he challenged them on road trips to spot cars 20 years and older, and the one that saw if first, got a quarter. A 1957 Nomad got you a five-dollar bill. No one ever found one until August 2018.
Between work and family, John never owned a classic car to take to shows. He could hold his own in any conversation relating to cars, but ownership was just a dream. Dave decided to it was time to have a family reunion to mark his dad’s 75th birthday. He gathered up family, friends, and neighbors from the Chicago and Tampa area for the big day.
Dave, a competitive racer, purchased the 1957 Chevy Nomad somewhere in the Carolinas and took it home to Chicago where he had it upgraded into a restomod. 4 wheel Wilwood disc brakes, FI Tech fuel injection, tailgate rebuild, interior update, and much more.
He presented it to his father during that family reunion/birthday celebration. John nearly fainted. An extremely generous gift for John to enjoy in his retirement years and add years of happiness to his life.
Five years later, Dave has continued to provide further support to his dad by taking the Chevy to the next “show car” level. They have replaced the floor and rocker panels plus added new soundproofing throughout. Air conditioning, a sound system, power steering & windows, MSD ignition, custom interior with bucket seats, heavy duty cooling system and alternator, plus so 
much more was installed for Dave to be comfortable and safe. Finally, the Cerulean blue metallic paint gave “BLUE BAYOU” a fresh new look. The replacement 283 was upgraded to a stroked 301, 700R replaced the old 4 speed transmission, headers, double hump heads, larger cam and a few other go-fast goodies have been installed.
John travels the show circuit throughout southeast Florida, is a member of the Hollywood Road Kings and the AACA – Fort Lauderdale chapter. He is extremely grateful to have the health and well-being to be able enjoy the car crazy community. The Nomad ranks second as the best gift of a lifetime because the day that he cherishes the most is August 18, 1978 when his son, Dave, came home to share his life and his love with the world. That is the number one gift of a lifetime
