FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - Christmas came early for a South Florida teen after his family won a contest that gave his Jeep a complete makeover.
Cellphone video captured the moment Ryan Hauser first saw his Wrangler, fully transformed, in the driveway of his Fort Lauderdale home, Thursday.
“Thank you so much,” Hauser, an honors student at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, said as he hugged his dad.
7News cameras captured the teen moments later, still in shock, as he walked toward his Jeep.
The holiday surprise happened after Hauser’s father entered South Florida Jeeps’ quarterly makeover contest a couple of months ago and won.
South Florida Jeeps specializes in customizing these vehicles to the owners’ specifications.
Thursday morning, South Florida Jeeps owner Joe Ghattas and his crew rolled up to the Hausers’ home and got to work on the high school junior’s Jeep right in the driveway.
“Fort Lauderdale has been so awesome to us. It’s awesome to be able to go out there and blow somebody’s mind with it,” said Ghattas.
While Hauser was in school, his Jeep got a thorough makeover, including a 2-and-a-half-inch lift, 38-inch wheels, a new winch and new lights.
“The best part is, hands down, when they see it,” said Ghattas.
That’s why this business owner does it.
“They walk up, and they’re like this, ‘Oh, this is my car? It’s done? Oh, my God!'” he said,
The makeover, with a price tag of about $8,000, would take most of one day in the shop, but with the full crew jamming away, they were able to finish Hauser’s Jeep in about 90 minutes, just in time for Hauser’s father to bring him home for the surprise.
“When we rolled down the street, and I saw it I thought I was seeing things. I thought I was going crazy,” said Hauser.
“This is a huge surprise. This is just enormous,” said his father, Patrick Hauser.
When asked if he has a girlfriend, Hauser replied, “No,” but that’s something that could change with his refurbished ride.
“Potentially, potentially,” said Hauser.
South Florida Jeeps is already taking entries for their next makeover. For more information, click here.
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