Lotus Elite reunited with original owner | Full Restoration | Classic Obsession | Episode 87

[@seang7012]

Gary, while we don't know one another at all, from this video I do know that you are a great human being. Beyond wonderful for you to go back to the original owner and his wife and make them happy.

[@dellhell8842]

One of the most heartwarming videos on KZbin. You gave Tom the reward he deserves, and your content deserves more views and subs.

[@4NK8A]

I never thought at 59 I would shed a tear over two blokes and a car. Thank you.

[@Simon-ry1lw]

Two gentlemen meeting again

[@charangohabsburg1]

It literally could have been me writing your comment!

[@alanmcclelland5245]

I was darn close. Tom should have been at the 'meet' when most original was awarded.

[@wolfganghobelsberger6720]

Same happened to me as well. A very emotional episode, which makes you start to think about life.

[@Lord-Brett-Sinclair]

Must be your most emotional episode to date. Well done Gary, making dreams come true.

[@GaryCoppell-i3s]

Just super seeded my favorite episode!! Thats what the car community is about beyond kind taking it to see Tom the look on his face was priceless💙👌👍 On a separate issue on a previous episode u used a leather cleaner i think on the Porsche what was the name of it ? For the life of me scat viewing previous episodes i can’t seem to find it .

[@classic.obsession]

Hi Ga. I’m afraid it’s one of those mind blowingly amazing products that these manufacturers make obsolete and put a substandard product in their place. Like what they’ve done to ‘quality street’ sweets!! I’m down to my last dregs but it was called ‘perfection’. Best stuff I’ve ever used. Regards.

[@marts500]

Bless you Gary...that was a lovely thing you did.I can't think of anything that evokes memories past passions and brings people together at the same time more than our cars.Thank You.

[@Vince_uk]

A delightful video and Tom is a true gentleman. Hats off to you Gary.

[@Shane-zx4ps]

I’ve just lost my father 4 weeks ago who was 90 and car mad all his life, this video really pulled at my heart strings. Thanks Gary 🙏

[@lukemallory7832]

My condolences Shane. 90 was a great age for your father - sounds like you were great pals and I reckon a lot of us here can relate. All the best to you during this hard old time.. but brighter times will come again.

[@simonelliott5956]

I lost my Dad a year ago, so I know how you must be feeling, he was a car nut too and is responsible for my love of cars. I’ve done a few shows this year, but used to go to them with my dad, it almost feels like a pilgrimage in his memory each time I go.

[@Shane-zx4ps]

@@lukemallory7832. Thank you for the kind words and happy Christmas to you and your family.

[@Shane-zx4ps]

@@simonelliott5956. Peace and love to you and you’re family.

[@Shane-zx4ps]

@@simonelliott5956. Happy Christmas fella and good wishes to you and your family

[@rogerpritchard]

Well done Gary. Nice one. My father used to say an old phrase when I did something well, which was " Another feather in your bow". You certainly earned that feather. I had a silver 79 Lotus 524 and a blue 79 928 manual. Couldn't afford them really but glad I did. Both different, both super cars. My regards to Tom and his wife.

[@Thereishope664]

When people say a car is just about getting from A to B should see the emotions on the faces of this lovely couple. Precious.

[@gmac7947]

Well done Gary ……..this made an old Scotsman cry 😢 …….One of the best things I’ve ever seen on You Tube ❤

[@johnjoseph911]

Gary both you and Tom are what I think of as the definition of a true Gentle Man

[@stevepitts7998]

Thanks for saving Tom's Lotus When he opened the bonnet for Jan to see the engine bay, the years just melted away and for a few moments they were back to being 50 again.

[@johnmontague4245]

Outstanding Gary…what a wonderful, heartwarming video. Well done sir…a lovely thoughtful gesture .

[@BullyBoxer]

what a lovely old man , could speak to him all day , great content Gary , one of the best channels on KZbin .

[@davidthegolfer]

Gary, it was meant to be that you met Tom. He needed to know his precious cars would be going to a good home. It was important to him that you looked after those precious Lotus memories. Well done. You are a good man. Merry Christmas and many happy miles in your cars. Kindest regards David, Cheshire

[@classic.obsession]

All the best David!

[@indyzed9897]

Such a sweet couple. Older folks are such a joy. I hope I’m as active and kind as he is when I’m his age,

[@tomm8588]

Dear Gary, What a kind and considerate gentleman you are, the world is a better place for your presence. Keep well, Tom

[@ronniewilson6597]

Bloody hell Gary, got a tear in my eye watching Tom. Memories coming back to him and Jan. 🥲👍🏻😀

[@earthstick]

'I remember him lifting the bonnet up all the time', that must be the old Lotus style. Really nice that Tom and his wife are still alive to see it in top condition.

[@jammy_rex3038]

That was beyond heartwarming ❤ The last ten minutes or so when Tom (and his wife) were reunited with his old car, and him getting to have a ride out in it again, were truly sweet, beautiful moments that bring a tear to the eye.

[@paulyandle6081]

I'll wager you got just as much Joy from sharing your resurection of his Lotus as you gave Dr and Mrs Tom. Such lovely people. Will look forward to your reuniting him with his Porsche.

[@f1kwa399]

You really made Tom’s day Gary, please take us back with you when you next visit him, that was a lovely video, thank you.

[@seanharvey3370]

That’s great to see Tom and how pleased you made his day Gary

[@neilharrison7555]

I reckon Tom and his wife were over the moon, seeing what had become of his beloved Lotus. The memories that car held for them....! Thank you for showing them the car, looking "just like new"..

[@RichardMichaelOwen]

From the serenity of working on a car in the garden to the gift of time and sharing with to Tom; Well done Gary. You are a master.

[@BMan100]

Terrific to see his reaction, Wonder how the 928 GT visit will go down. Brightens the soul in a way knowing something their cherished for so long is being put back to use.

[@E92M3Guy]

We are just caretakers, passing vehicles from one generation to the next. The joy and excitement on his face said it all. Top job Gary. 👍👍👏👏

[@senta2431]

Gary that was a great jester! I had tears in my eyes. You made Toms day ,well done. All the best Steve from Germany.

[@MariosEngineeringCave]

Why this channel doesn't have a MILLION SUBSCRIBERS already??? Gary, You're great and BBC should come up on you for making a show!!!

[@classic.obsession]

Thankyou. I’ll never understand KZbin algorithms so I just keep doing what I enjoy! Regards.

[@JonTheComputerDoctor]

Had a bit of a difficult time over the last couple of months so seeing Mr & Mrs Tom plus of course Gary made my day today, thanks for the update on a truly stunning car and stunning previous owners.

[@neilperry2224]

Im not crying. I just poked myself in the eyes. Both, at the same time. Beauty of a car now, Gary, you did an absolutely wonderful job, and the car sounds like half a V8.

[@alexander2427]

When the world is full of selfish doom and gloom or self obsessed videos, it is refreshing to see Gary kept his word restored the Lotus and re united it with Tom who clearly cherished the car and seeing it back at his home again. Rather an emotional video to watch with all credit and humanity to Gary and Mr Tom

[@malcolmheskins3522]

Utter joy and emotion, this will never happen in a million years with an electric vehicle, Gary's joy at the car starting and Tom's joy at seeing the car again absolutely made my day, well done Gary that was an amazing video.

[@steelcityporsche]

What a fabulous heart warming episode Gary. The world needs more Tom & Jan big love to you all ❤❤ Wendy and I were holding back the tears towards the end.

[@mlgboy1]

That was so lovely to see Tom's reaction to the car and I am sure gave him huge comfort to know that his former pride & joy is in such good hands.

[@lukemallory7832]

I've watched this a few times now. If ever there was a video that deserved to go viral in the car - and wider - community, surely it's this one. Just brilliant.

[@classic.obsession]

Thanks Luke!

[@nerdalert4444]

When they were waving you goodbye. Got me!

[@goodfest007]

What a gent ‘Old Tom’ is, they don’t make them like that anymore…great to bring this joyous experience for us to share - Merry Xmas to Tom and your self 🎄🎅

[@jeffdavies688]

To see Tom react to seeing his old car again was priceless....lovely gesture......I cannot wait to see it when you visit him with the Porsche. One of my favourite episodes so far!

[@PeterCox-k1w]

Tom and Jan are an inspiring couple and you are very kind to give them a happy day all together😂

[@lgriestra]

Thank you for giving them such a nice day. You are a good man, Gary.

[@spencerbrowning4126]

Absbolutely wonderful Gary, brought a tear to my eye. Can't wait for you to take the 928 GT to Tom very soon

[@hefellump1]

Poor Tom has really gone down hill. What a lovely gentleman. Well done young Gary you have done a Stirling job .

[@malcolmclenton1663]

What a wonderful thing to watch. Made the "old fella" very happy. Great job!

[@markw4263]

A wonderful video, Gary - I just celebrated a “milestone” birthday myself and we never really understand when we’re young what getting old will be like. If I could see something from my youth renewed like this, it would warm the cockles of my now old heart. Peace.

[@herridge819]

I worked at a Surrey dealer Lotus from 74 until 87 and spent many hours working on Elites', lovely to watch this video

[@almathias6538]

Gary is the quintessential car guy, and quite the humanitarian as well. Well done sir…greetings from NY USA

[@MrFanBax]

What a lovely gesture to take the car back to see Tom. Tom is such a gent. The original petrolhead!!

[@chriskennard5920]

Wow, what a fantastic episode. You really made Tom's day and of course his previous skill and dilgence allowed you to put your innate skills into this project. Brilliant stuff Gary - very very impressed all round!

[@Peter-tk6rm]

Your are a rare gentleman, Garry. It's clear that you care for Tom. Your connections through the love of rare classic cars is a joy to observe,especially in this mindless Celebrity driven Dystopia.

[@gregharvie3896]

Hi Gary, from Sydney, Australia, I've just retired at almost 70, like Tom a doctor as well. I know how Tom must feel seeing his beloved set of wheels again, give or take a year he must have been 49 or 50 when he bought it, then owned it for the best part of 50 years since it's a '77 model. I have owned one of my cars now also for near 43 years, and is a 1974 model car so was 50 years old this year, it's been my primary car for all those years, i used it as my "business" vehicle so I could back charge all of the costs to MR. taxman and as such it's been maintained flawlessly and still looks and drives like new as it has almost been a rolling restoration in a way. Like Tom, I will drive it until I can no longer drive, OR, until the powers that be stop you driving petrol powered cars. Sone cars are special, and you just know you will never get another one the way it was made or ordered, that's why I have looked after mine, I bought it as a young man as a almost 8 yr old car, it had 102,000 kilometres on it, now near 43 years later it has just hit 710,000 kilomrtres, yes near 450,000 miles, and if you are really careful and really love it , they can still look like new , I have used it on the daily commute, used it visiting people through the working day in all weathers, taken it on many happy holidays and so far I haven't scratched its lovely black paintwork. To people that know me it's almost like my trademark or calling card. I do noy own a modern car, my only & last new car I bought in 1980 and I still own that too, plus there are 4 classic cars. Some people ask don't you get bored driving the same vehicles for near 4 decades or more, and I tell them NO, whenever I use them I get the same happy little smile and kick out of driving them as I did the day I bought them, same as the smile Tom had when he saw his Lotus again. Wonderful episode Gary, really wonderful.

[@classic.obsession]

Thankyou for your lovely story!

[@nickargi]

My hat off to you Gary! Not only have you done an amazing job with the Lotus but you are true to your word and the fact that you took the time to head back to Tom to show him the car is truly an awesome gesture and it just shows what a true gentleman you are. Thank you for sharing 👍

[@martinclapton2724]

Hats off to you Gary . You made the old fella happy , happy memories fairly obviously, came flooding back for him, wonderful stuff.

[@johndavies1760]

Lovely to see Tom and Jan again, and what a great job you've done keeping your promise to take it back when it was back on the road.

[@CTFBOYS1993]

That was a heartwarming episode. It meant so much to him. You kept your promise which is the mark of a true man. Keep up the great work.

[@drumtochtyglen]

Great of you Gary to take the car back to Tom and make his day. Thank You for that!

[@salsolo2403]

brought a tear to my eye thanks gary x

[@richardgreene3460]

Every minute, every second, every frustration restoring the car was worth it just to see Tom's expression! It was indeed a magical day! Gary, you are a good man, reared I bet, in a good home?

[@michaelpeacock6360]

Best thing I've seen all year...Gary is a wonderful human being and Tom is lovely old chap..

[@pauldann4616]

Great that you got back to him, keep the story going with the Porche. Well done keeping old Tom Happy 😊

[@scottwebster9101]

Class act Gary, this is what car culture is all about, gets under our skin and we get very attached to them, imagine having a car for nearly 50 years, wow!

[@DavidLittle-sn4bb]

What a lovely old boy Tom is.

[@carlito3859]

What a lovely man can genuinely see how happy he is to get out in his cars again hope you get the chance to take him out on a day trip

[@philipmoores5202]

Well done Gary, you made an elderly gentleman very happy in reliving his memories

[@KellerEdward]

Gary can’t say how touched I was by this video. You are a special human being.

[@sdry1688]

What a fantastic story - lovely couple - and a beautiful car - well done Gary

[@TriumphRascal]

Wow, well done Gary, what a lovely thing to do. Good on you, you really made an old chap happy.

[@AG8V12]

Really nice to see Tom enjoy his trip in the restored Lotus. Hope he gets to see the Porsche 928 soon it would really make his day.

[@JohnClee-b8z]

Absolutely heartbreaking Gary. By far the very best video you have ever published. To see him wave goodbye, I’m a tough cookie but that made me cry. Well done for making an old gentleman very happy. Never sell that car.

[@denseljosephs9500]

Brought back memories of my late big brother he had an Elite sat on his driveway for years and he wasn't able to recommission it due to his health. Thanks for the uploads. Subbed .

[@Motormad2510]

That was very decent of you to show it to Tom and his wife. Top man ! Car looks great Gary.

[@OB928]

What an awesome thing to do. You let him relive some of his memories in his prized possession.

[@malfunction8165]

Well you wouldn't get that much love and joy from a fifty year old barn find Tesla. It's wonderful to see how happy Tom was with the restoration.

[@jeffg1961]

Fair play to you Gary. Bought a tear to my eye seeing the old fella reunited with the Lotus.

[@garymark5152]

Hello Gary from Australia, 60 year old Aussie here, I would like say what a heart warming video you have presented here. You showed utter respect, kindness, appreciation, courtesy and gratitude to Tom and his lovely wife. I have to say watching brought a tear to my eye. Thank you and I appreciate your video content. Cheers

[@k100resto_uk]

As an ex-owner of one of the last Esprit GT3's and still a BIG Lotus fan this is great!! The Elite is certainly under appreciated and far lower and wider as it would appear on a photo. A wonderful video! Thanks!

[@stephenelder2783]

Heartwarming that Top man Gary Tom chose well

[@ralphbillick1210]

You’re the best Gary. What you did for the couple on the first day and coming back to show them the car done was outstanding. Karma will come back to you in spades. It doesn’t take a lot to make someone’s day . Thank you Gary ❗️🇺🇸

[@thepansthisthatandtheother7766]

Wow! Cried a lot. It makes me more determined for Hubby & I to restore our old Japanese Turbo car of 37 years and we don't have a garage to do this in.

[@martinboulden4388]

Two fabulous Gentlemen. What a lovely video, quite emotional. ❤

[@caterhamsuperlightr81]

Really well done on taking it back for Tom to see… it was clear to all it made his day, week… year probably! What a lovely chap he is. Nice one Gary 👏

[@russellaycock3703]

Nice to see Tom and his wife looking very good indeed considering their ages. If only we had a video glimpse of their holiday trips in the Lotus in the 70’s and 80’s - a remarkable couple! The Lotus, by the way, sounds like a Swiss watch.

[@klwthe3rd]

This specific video was the long awaited climax of this channel. I smiles through this entire video from beginning to end. The car is amazing but Tom's reaction is just completely priceless. You could hear in his voice and see in his face the complete euphoria he was feeling when reliving his experience with his faithful car. To all those out there that say cars are just metal objects to get you from point A to point B, have not really understood what us car guys and girls really love about owning these cars. It brings you back to a time when you were younger, drove what you loved and it became a part of your life. Back in 1977, Tom walked into a Lotus dealer and purchased that car brand new. And it's how many years later? 47 years to be exact and he's gleaming at it like the day he saw it on the dealer lot. Very emotional. And to you Gary Mavers - you have accomplished something that very very few restorers care to do. Which is not only bring a priceless car back to life, but you kept your word about bringing it back to the original owner for his approval. I have been around alot of collectors, restorers and other intensely loving car people, but in my lifetime, i can only count maybe 2 times when someone has done what you have done for Tom. This video will mark your channel in a way that very few every do since it reflects on how you are as a true gentleman. I applaud you for what you have achieved and give you the highest level of respect. Cheers.

[@skidsolo8140]

Wonderful episode. Tom is exactly the same type of man as my deceased father in law Arthur who had a lifelong passion for cars & motorbikes. I remember him crying when he let his owned from new 1980 Golf GTI go due to not being able to drive anymore.

[@pauljeffries]

What a fantastic episode, and Tom was overjoyed with seeing the lotus again, top marks Gary for making tom and his wife so happy, you'll have to do a similar episode with the porsche, fantastic work 👍

[@RobertMoseley]

That was heartwarming Gary, splendid job mate!

[@classic.obsession]

Thanks Bob. All the very best for Christmas and the New Year.

[@spencereagle1118]

Good on you, Gary.

[@sdgough2912]

Outstanding Gary, that was a truly noble and heartwarming thing to do and I'd just like to say thank you for doing it.

[@johnhrichak]

I hope you are happy, you made an old man cry, me! Excellent.

[@Dave-in-France]

Hi Gary, as well as being a great restorer of classic cars, you sir are a very kind man. Tom's face and voice as you took him on a drive and then let him fire up the beast was very moving. You deserve many, many more subscribers. Good luck to you Gary,

[@FastAsFunk]

So heartwarming. Kudos Gary for taking it back to Tom and Jan. You're a good man.

[@mickparry703]

I’d love to go out in it again, possibly Wales? Great guy is Tom, proper petrolhead. Great stuff Gary, keep posting ‘em and I’ll keep watching’em!

[@geoffhann4109]

What a wonderful experience for Tom and Jan, very thoughtful.

[@sailingman71]

Fantastic work there Gary and nice to see Tom admiring your handy work.

[@chocolatepastelgachamaker3842]

Bless them. So glad you took it back. Really enjoyed that.

[@andyplage6590]

Awesome to see how delighted Tom was seeing his old car love to see his face when you take him out in the 928 !! He will look like a Cheshire Cat !! Great video as always keep up the good work

[@JulianPhilipNicolls]

KZbin video of the year right here

[@gravydavy4188]

Gary thank you for doing the work on the lotus, Tom thank you for keeping it so well over the years. ❤

[@alanelder3259]

So pleased you went back to see Tom. You made another memory for Tom and Jan. Great to see their reaction. Super video Gary.

[@mikevanblommestein5726]

That is the most accessible cam belt that I’ve seen ! Great episode , thanks for caring , and sharing