A great car does not get old, it becomes a classic. This is the story of one such great classic that roared back to life after being declared unusable. Passed down from one generation to another, the star of our story served her family with much glamour for years. However, after almost two decades of gliding through the sandy roads of Saudi Arabia, this beauty on wheels could not carry on much longer. She was finally put to rest, but not left to be forgotten.
The 1986 Chevrolet Caprice Landau needed a savior and she found one in the form of Sam. Also known as “The Candy Man”, the savior was no stranger to our snow-white Caprice. He had ridden around in this car numerous times with the owner, one of his closest friends. It was during these times that Sam fell in love with American classic cars. The ‘86 Caprice was nearing her end when Sam was requested by his friend to find a buyer. That’s when things started to get interesting.
Although short on money and resources to bring her back to life, Sam negotiated with his friend to take the Chevy Caprice home with him over a barbeque. Sam saw his goals become clearer with this car. He decided to fix up this ride and resell it. With the profits, he wanted to buy his dream car, the Chevrolet Impala 67’ fastback.
After months of cutting costs and saving money, this American muscle enthusiast managed to bring the Caprice back to life. With the basic mechanical jobs, interiors, and bodywork completed, Sam skimmed through innumerable websites for months trying to figure out the perfect color for his Chevy’s new coat.
The ruined 1986 Chevrolet Caprice Landau that had to be towed into the garage, emerged from it shining like a raindrop and looking like a beautiful sunset. The vibrant orange color instantly caught the eyes of many and earned her the nickname “Candy”. She looked so gorgeous that Sam could not think of parting ways with her anymore. The new engine rumbled as this captivating machine stepped on the highway, that was merely the start of a spectacular journey.
Just like how all good stories have an antagonist, the villain in Candy’s life was the outdated electrical wiring system. After a year of her rebirth, Candy met with an accident because of an electrical malfunction. The following few months proved to be life-altering for both Sam and his charming Candy. The accident motivated Sam to overhaul the specs of his car from the front to the rear. “I wanted her to have all the features of a modern car but with the classic look and feel”, says Sam.
Candy and Sam can usually be found hanging out with their group, Cars and Coffee in Riyadh, Khobar and Bahrain. Rewired and sassed up from scratch with power side mirrors, rearview camera, and thermal insulation, Candy also flaunts an LS1 Engine from a 1997 Corvette with a Comp Cams Camshaft and much more for extra power. There’s no wonder that even her supercar friends make way for her.
With that said, Candy is as social as she is exotic and powerful. Go check her out on Instagram @chevycandy86 for a daily dose of eye-pleasing content.