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Son surprises his dad by restoring his 1949 pickup for Christmas

Norman Meal, an 83-year-old retired farmer from Rushville, IN, nearly missed his big Christmas gift when his son, Kyle, first presented it to him. Norman was oblivious and was looking all over the garage floor until Kyle pointed out a satin black pickup with a bow on it parked inside. This wasn't just another case of a child buying a parent a dream vehicle; the '49 GMC sitting there was Norman's very first truck that was restored and ready to drive. According to Fox 59 WXIN, Norman's father purchased the GMC in 1949, and Norman bought it from him in the mid '50s to use on the farm. However, for about the past 13 years, the truck had been rotting away in the garage of one of Kyle's friends. As a perfect gift to his dad, Kyle took the pickup to a restoration shop to make the old vehicle roadworthy again. Practically everything was replaced – except for the horn. Thankfully, Kyle filmed his dad's reaction to getting the GMC. Check it out and watch them take a drive in the heartwarming video above.

2024 GMC Canyon AT4X AEV Edition pushes the limits even higher

The GMC Canyon AT4X is already a formidable off-road pickup truck, but now it’s getting even more capable with the addition of the 2024 GMC Canyon AT4X AEV Edition. If youÂ’re familiar with the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 Bison, then by proxy youÂ’re familiar with GMCÂ’s version of it already. Like the bow-tie version of the pickup, the AT4X AEV Edition is lifted an additional 1.5 inches beyond the regular AT4X, giving it 12.2 inches of ground clearance, which is identical to the ZR2 Bison. You also get to work with a 38.2-degree approach, 26.0-degree departure, and 26.9-degree breakover angle. ItÂ’s fitted with AEV beadlock wheels wrapping 35-inch Goodyear Wrangler Territory mud-terrrain tires and uses hot-stamped boron steel skid plates for the radiator, steering gear, transmission, transfer case, fuel tank and rear differential. Appearance-wise, the AEV Edition sports a new front fascia with integrated fog lights and larger fender flares that facilitate the bigger tires. It uses AEV stamped-steel front and rear bumpers that include heavy-duty recover points, and the front bumper is compatible with a winch. The rear bumper (below) is particularly clever, as it has easily removable plastic corners that can be replaced with 10 millimeter-thick steel skid plates for a little extra protection on the trail. YouÂ’ll find an AEV in-bed mount for the spare tire, too, as the big 35-inch tire doesnÂ’t fit in the usual under-bed storage spot. GMC wasnÂ’t ready to provide hard numbers for payload or towing, but expect the Canyon AT4XÂ’s specs to go down in a similar manner as the ZR2 Bison that lost 230 pounds of payload capacity and 500 pounds of towing. And yes, the AEV Edition retains the AT4XÂ’s high-output four-cylidner that produces 310 horsepower and 430 pound-feet of torque. You get all the other AT4X goodies, too, including things like the Multimatic spool valve shocks and electronic-locking front and rear differentials. It also gets the sweet off-road launch control system that initially debuted on the Bison that can adjust power in real-time based on the traction available off-road. On the inside, the AEV Edition adds three standard auxiliary switches that you can hook up off-road or overlanding accessories to. The truck is also fitted with AEV-embroidered headrests and AEV all-weather floor liners. Pricing for the AT4X AEV Edition isnÂ’t available quite yet, but GMC says itÂ’s expected to be available for customer orders later this year.

2022 GMC Hummer EV voluntarily recalled for battery connector issue

When vehicles from certain automakers need to return to dealers for fixes but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration isn't involved, these situations might be called "Customer Satisfaction Programs." It is, effectively, a voluntary recall. GM Authority notes that GM has issued one such program for the GMC Hummer EV and the Brightdrop Zevo 600 van (formerly the EV 600) to deal with a battery issue. In roughly 424 total units across both populations, the high-voltage connector might prematurely corrode. If this happens, water can leak through the connector into the pack. A warning light in the gauge cluster will alert owners to the condition. GM doesn't outline the possible results of water getting into the pack, but the outcome wouldn't be ideal.    The fix is a trip to the service bay to have a technician apply sealant to the high-voltage connector.   GM says it will get in touch with Hummer EV and Brightdrop owners about making appoints with dealers. Meanwhile, owners can contact GM Customer Service at 800-462-8782 and refer to Satisfaction Program No. N222362090. Owners can also visit the GM Recall Center page and insert their VINs to find out if their vehicles are affected. Since this isn't a recall overseen by the NHTSA, the issue isn't covered on the NHTSA's site. However, there are Manufacturer Communications between GM and the NHTSA related to other H2 issues such as a calibration issue with the Hummer EV's Extract Mode and the HVAC, so owners might want to visit SaferCar.gov for the whole picture.