This Family Won a $30k F100 Interior + Garage Remodel Giveaway!
The moment we've all been waiting for! We finally get to call AJ, Victoria, and little Vera to tell them they've won our biggest giveaway ever. Their reaction is absolutely priceless, but their story is what really made them stand out.
After our judges selected the finalists, we put it to a public vote—and AJ's story won by a wide margin. The response from the community was overwhelming and it's clear why his story resonated with so many people.
AJ & Victoria's Story - "The Mistress in the Driveway, Noni"
AJ bought his black '68 Ford F100 as an outlet—a chance to decompress from the weight of his job as a police officer and Marine Corps veteran. What started as a simple project soon became a full-blown obsession and an emotional lifeline.
AJ is no stranger to hardship. He lost his first wife to cancer at just 34, raising their three children alone while juggling multiple jobs, medical debt, and eventually putting himself through the police academy. Now, his older kids are thriving—two in the Navy, one teaching preschool—and life, in its wild way, surprised him again. At 50, AJ and his second wife Victoria welcomed their daughter Vera. Around the same time, AJ was diagnosed with congestive heart failure.
And yet—he keeps going. Working nights. Building when he can. Showing up for strangers in car crashes and courtroom trials. He's received awards for valor, community service, and life-saving acts… but he doesn't talk about any of that. He's too busy doing the next right thing.
The truck doesn't run. Yet. It's been a slow build, scavenged one part at a time, parked in the driveway like some dusty metal mistress. To his wife, it's a constant reminder of half-finished projects and budget blowouts. To AJ, it's therapy on four wheels. And to his five-year-old daughter Vera? It's Daddy's truck. The one she hopes he'll finish soon so they can take rides together.
Victoria calls this the marriage counseling sweepstakes. She says if he can't turn the truck on, at least let him turn it into something beautiful. Their garage is chaotic, cluttered, and unfinished—just like the truck—but it holds the blueprint of a man who never quits.
This makeover isn't just about restoring a vehicle. It's about giving a great man the space, tools, and momentum to finally finish something for himself—for once. And to pass it on to the little girl who calls shotgun.
WHAT THEY WON:
Complete Fat Fender Garage interior kit with snowed-in bench seat
Full Apex leather interior and carpet
SoundShield sound deadening for the entire cab
Custom seat belts from Seatbelt Planet
Flaming River steering column with Sparc Industries steering wheel
Complete Restomod A/C system
Focal 2-way sound system with Mosconi amp
Up to $10,000 in garage upgrades from Garage Experts (cabinets + epoxy flooring)
Thanks to all our amazing sponsors who made this possible and to everyone who entered. The stories we received were incredible and choosing winners wasn't easy.
Can't wait to follow AJ's build journey and see this family project come together!
SPONSORS:
Apex Auto Leather
Restomod Air
Flaming River
Sparc Industries
ORCA
Seatbelt Planet
SoundShield
Garage Experts
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