When Eddie Bravenec’s grandfather bought a brand-new golden Chevrolet C10 truck in 1968 from a Houston, Texas, dealership, he had no idea how much it would end up meaning to his family. He kept it in showroom condition, tending to the original engine and transmission meticulously, before it was passed down to Eddie’s father.

But, Eddie’s father wasn’t the only one in the family who put the Chevy through its paces. Eddie’s uncles each had their turn with the truck, passing it down to one another as they each passed away. Finally, after his remaining uncle became unable to drive the truck, it was passed down to Eddie.

The odometer read 116,000 miles, but Eddie planned to drive it for many more.

“This was my grandpa’s truck,” he told KENS. “I played in it as a kid; my uncles and my dad drove this truck. My one uncle that’s alive gave it to me, so it’s like I’m driving around with my grandpa, my dad, and my dead uncles. It means a lot to me.”

In less than a minute, the vintage Chevy truck was gone

Earlier this month, construction near Eddie’s home forced him to park the truck somewhere else. A thief saw the perfect opportunity to steal the family’s truck. Eddie’s stomach dropped when he made the discovery.

“I thought I was losing my mind,” he said. “I looked around, and I realized I wasn’t losing my mind because someone came up to me and said they found some broken glass.”

Bravenec was heartbroken, as he planned to pass it down to a fifth generation.

“I selfishly wanted my son to drive this truck one day,” he said.

Security camera footage he recovered showed the man breaking a window, sneaking under the truck, securing a tow strap to the old Chevy, and towing it away with another truck. The entire incident happened in less than one minute.

Bravenec explained that the original color and custom bumper made it special, as well as the original engine and transmission. The bumper read, “Joe Conte’s Mike Persia in Houston, Texas.”

The truck was recovered, but it’s not the same

As of March 9, the family’s truck was recovered, but the outlet reported the bumper had been removed. Thieves also repainted it, so the original gold paint is tarnished, according to his wife.

Police say they’re investigating the case.