Saving My Grandfather’s 1951 Chevrolet Deluxe — The Only Car to Drive Out After the Flood

After a major water main break flooded our underground parkade with approximately 36 inches of water, 94 vehicles were written off. My grandfather’s 1951 Chevrolet Deluxe was one of them sitting submerged in standing water, with the engine fully underwater — but I knew I couldn’t let it be lost.

This car was his retirement project that he fully restored in the early 1990s and always considered his pride and joy. I grew up around this car and remember being in the garage as a kid while the engine was being rebuilt. My grandfather has since passed away, which made saving the car even more important to me.

As soon as the water receded, my cousins and I worked in near-dark conditions to protect the engine and drivetrain from permanent damage. We drained contaminated fuel and engine fluids immediately and used WD-40 throughout the engine bay and mechanical components to remove moisture and prevent rust from forming on original parts after the engine had been submerged.

Within a week I was able to safely start the car and move it to a heated shop for recovery work.

During the repair process I continued using WD-40 to free seized fasteners, protect electrical connections, and loosen rusted hardware so I could remove damaged components without breaking original parts that are difficult to replace on a 1951 vehicle.

Out of 94 flooded vehicles in the parkade, this was the only one that drove out under its own power.

The car is now close to being fully back on the road again and just needs the upholstery reinstalled. I still keep a can of WD-40 in the trunk today as part of keeping the car protected and maintained.

Saving this car meant preserving something my grandfather built with his own hands so it could stay in our family for the next generation.