Thanks to a car detective, Maplewood man reunited with his Plymouth Road Runner years after selling it

CBS News

19 hours ago

People can become attached to their cars, and a Maplewood man is no different.
In 2002, Pete Glass sold his beloved 1970 Plymouth Road Runner convertible to help pay for his son Jake to go to school. Now, more than two decades later, his son hit the road to get the car back for his dad.
"It brought the family together for different things. We definitely got attached to it," said Pete Glass.
In a sense, Pete's Plymouth Road Runner was a part of the family. The Glass' would take it to car shows, cruising with the top down, putting on the miles and the memories. But in 2003, Pete had to sell his beloved muscle car so he could invest in his son's future.
"Jake was just going to be starting school, and we were running short on money and so I had to part with it. Kind of regretted it ever since," said Pete Glass.
That sacrifice is something Jake Glass never forgot.
"It's always something I had in the back of my mind. Ever since he had to get rid of it, I wanted to get it back," said Jake Glass.
For five years Jake Glass searched for the car on his own, with little luck. Then earlier this year he got in touch with Wes Eisenschenk, a North Branch man who's a bit of a car detective and runs the Facebook page "Lost Muscle Cars."
But tracking down a nostalgic vehicle can be bumpy ride.
"A car like this, a Road Runner convertible, we are in low production numbers with those vehicles already," said Eisenschenk. "I would say the survival rate is half of what was built."
Luckily, Eisenschenk loves a challenge. And in just two days, he had a hit thanks to a serial number.
"We got a lead down in the Carolinas and we did some networking down there," said Eisenschenk.
He found the car and its new owner in Durham, North Carolina. Jake Glass got the contact information from Eisenschenk and reached out, hoping to make a deal.
"I think his first sentence was, 'not to bury the lede but I would entertain an offer,'" said Jake Glass.
When they finally agreed on a price, Jake Glasssurprised his dad with the news.
"I go, oh my God I can't believe it. It was really amazing. Just from there-, really quick. Everything came together really quick," said Pete Glass. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think I was going to get it back."
Two weeks ago, father and son flew halfway across the country to bring the Road Runner home.
Now, it's back on the Maplewood streets it used to roam.
The plan now is to keep the car in the family for as long as they can, so that future generations can enjoy it.
"Definitely a core memory of mine growing up that I'm looking to repeat with my kids," said Jake Glass. "I don't think I've seen him smile like that in a long time. So, it was awesome."
Eisenschenk said he's been able to find 1,600 lost muscle cars since he started "Lost Muscle Cars." He said the owners don't always want to sell the cars back, but when they do, it's a thrill for everyone involved.