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Lost & Found

I’d like to preface this with I met Mike back in March of 2022 in Cleveland when I recorded the Boris Maryanovsky at Street Machinery episode. Mike was picking up some parts from Boris and we struck up a conversation and immediately linked up on social media. He’s one of the most humble and genuine car guys you will meet and has only the upmost passion for the entire industry. My initial plan was to interview Mike regarding his love for C10s and his incredible work behind the camera. When I caught news of the story that follows I was devastated for him. I have been invested in the story since day one and knew one day I needed to hear it in entirety

Mike Brooks never imagined he’d see his truck again. He had accepted it, moved on. But sometimes, fate works in mysterious ways. It all started on what should have been an ordinary weekend at the Good Guys show in Columbus. Mike had parked his beloved 1986 Chevy C10 outside his hotel, never thinking twice about it. The truck had been with him for years, a labor of love, meticulously maintained and customized to perfection. It wasn’t just a vehicle—it was part of his identity…then, it vanished.

Mike Brooks isn’t a man of endless means. He isn’t the guy with a fully equipped shop, a fleet of cars, or a team of mechanics at his disposal. But what he did have was determination, ingenuity, and a love for classic trucks. That’s what made his truck so special. Back in March 2008, he bought a six-cylinder 1986 C10, it was rough, but it was his. He didn’t have a fancy garage, just a single-car space and a driveway, but that didn’t stop him. For six years, the truck sat waiting while Mike slowly pieced it together. The heart of the project came from a Cadillac 500 engine he had pulled from an old Caddy he once owned. He had sold the car but kept the engine, knowing that one day, it would find its home. It was a classic hot rodder move—building what you can with what you have. And that’s exactly what he did. Once it was roadworthy, he took it to local cruise-ins, living the dream he had once only watched the older guys enjoy. The truck wasn’t the prettiest or the fastest, but it was his Swiss Army knife—he could take it to the drag strip, hit up a car show, or embark on long-haul journeys. Mike named the truck Damnson and even completed the entire 2018 Power Tour, a grueling 2,500-mile trip over seven days, proving the truck's mettle.

But then, in 2022, his world shattered. While attending a show in Columbus, Ohio, he parked his truck outside a well-known car meet spot. It was a safe area, filled with fellow enthusiasts. Yet, when he stepped outside Sunday morning, the truck was gone. Just like that, a decade of work vanished. The next days were a whirlwind of frustration, grief, and unwanted opinions. The internet, as helpful as it could be, also brought out the critics. “You should have locked it better. It’s probably chopped up already.” The car community—tight-knit and passionate—spread the word like wildfire. Boris, a well-known figure in the scene, pushed it out to his contacts. Hot Rod Magazine’s John McGann shared it. Within hours, the post had been shared over 400,000 times. If you’ve been a fan of the podcast you’ll know that I posted up his story hoping that someone in the area would be able to put eyes on it. It felt like the whole world was looking for his truck.

But as days turned into weeks, and weeks into months, the hope dimmed. Mike tried to keep his spirits up, but he knew the reality. Stolen cars rarely make it home. Eventually, he did what anyone would do—moved on. The reality of the theft sank in though, and Mike had to make peace with the loss. It was just a truck, they’d say. A machine. Metal, rubber, and glass. But car people know better. Trucks have souls, especially the ones you pour yourself into. And when that soul is ripped away from you, it leaves an emptiness that’s impossible to describe. You don’t just lose a vehicle—you lose the memories, the work, the late nights spent. Mike however dealt with insurance, took his payout, and instead of wallowing in defeat, he did what he loved most—he built again.

I should mention that Mike is the President of the C10 Club in New York. It was a 1997 OBS extended cab named “LOWNER. “My friends in the C10 community refused to let me disappear. Three weeks after losing my truck, they pieced together another one for me—a loaner, a gift, a symbol that I wasn’t alone in this. Twenty days of wrenching, late nights, and countless beers later, they had something for me to drive. Something to keep me in the game.” He drive that truck for the rest of the summer/fall of 2022 but still had the itch for a square body. He then purchased a 1986 square body with dreams of making it exactly like his original truck. Aptly named Damnson2, he started rolling into shows with a nearly identical truck, determined to reclaim his joy. But fate wasn’t done with Mike Brooks.

Mike however had not given up on the potential of his original truck being found somewhere around the US. For months he scoured the internet for any traces of known parts, wheels or trucks that would lead him in the right direction. But on a random night, scrolling through online listings, there it was. September 2023, a year and a half after his truck had been stolen, he saw a Facebook post that made his heart stop…his truck, albeit with a different VIN. “When I found the truck, I told only my wife and a few close friends. I didn’t want to deal with the endless questions, the speculation, or the overwhelming emotions that came with the process. I wanted to make sure I had a clear path forward before sharing the news.” So, in secret, Mike reached out to a trusted connection who could help him navigate the complex process of reclaiming what was rightfully his. The seller claimed did not know it was stolen property, however neither him or the detectives he would eventually work with bought the story. Mike immediately contacted the police and his insurance company, determined to get his truck back. The police were initially skeptical—the VIN didn’t match, and the seller had a legitimate title. But Mike knew every detail of that truck. With the help of a detective who was also a hot rod enthusiast, they found enough evidence to seize the vehicle.

But getting it back wasn’t that simple. Legally, the insurance company owned it now, and it was slated for an auto auction. Mike wasn’t about to let it slip away again. He fought to get the first shot at buying it back. After some negotiations and bureaucratic hurdles, he finally got his chance. It wasn’t until December 2023, after months of paperwork and red tape, that he was able to bring it home. Once it was back, the next hurdle was the title. The truck was now considered a salvage vehicle, having been declared a total loss after the theft. Worse yet, the VIN was missing, and in New York State, that essentially meant the truck was just a hunk of metal. No longer a vehicle, just a shell of what it once was. The only way forward was to have it inspected and issued a new VIN, just as if it had been completely rebuilt. That meant towing it all the way to Buffalo, where state inspectors examined it, verified it, and eventually, months later, granted it a new identity.

By August, Mike was finally able to register it, insure it, and drive it legally once more. “It was a surreal moment—sitting behind the wheel of a truck that had been taken from me, now officially mine again. The road back had been long, filled with obstacles, doubts, and moments where I questioned whether it was all worth it. But when I turned the key and felt the engine roar to life, I knew it was.” The truck wasn’t the same as before. The paint had faded, oxidized from neglect. Black had turned almost blue in some places. The trim was missing, the wheels pitted from exposure. But Mike wasn’t about to cut corners. He wanted to restore it the right way. He reached out to companies who had supported me when the truck was first stolen, places like Auto Metal Direct, who had shared the story on social media and helped spread the word. Now, they stepped up in another way, offering replacement parts—trim, dashboard components, door panels, window cranks—everything needed to bring the truck back to its former glory.

With their help and the support of friends in the industry, Mike methodically restored the truck piece by piece. His local seat cover guy recreated the Volkswagen Plaid interior, a small but crucial detail that made the truck feel like Mikes again. A buddy who worked with US Mags helped get a new set of wheels to replace the neglected ones, and in return, he sold the old ones to fund the tires. Now, both Mikes trucks are equipped with every theft deterrent he could think of—GPS trackers, fuel cutoffs, alarms, and even a removable steering wheel. If someone wants to take it again, they’ll have to work a hell of a lot harder.

Through it all, Mike kept testing it, driving it around town to ensure it was mechanically sound. He didn’t just want it to look good—he needed to know it could handle a 1,300-mile round trip to the C10 Fall Revival in October. Every drive was a test, every errand a way to push it a little further, to see if anything would fail. But remarkably, it held up. The final moment of triumph came at a New York truck meet, where Mike pulled off one last surprise. “I arranged to have my old replacement truck parked in my usual spot, telling a friend that another truck guy would be arriving soon to take the space next to it. Nobody knew it was me. When I finally rolled in, the look on their faces said it all—shock, joy, disbelief.”

Fast forward to 2024, back in Columbus, he rolled into the show, feeling the familiar sense of belonging. People recognized the truck, recognized Mike. “Hey, you’re the guy who lost his C10 and got it back, right?” It had become a story, a legend within the community. “I never wanted fame, but this truck had earned its own kind of notoriety. And honestly? I was okay with that.” To commemorate the journey, he got a new plate—UNSTOLEN—a badge of honor, a testament to the rollercoaster that was his life for the past two years. Mike often jokes about the irony of the situation. He tells the story at car meets, watching jaws drop. The replacement truck and his original looked so identical that people often mixed them up. The UNSTOLEN plate became the only surefire way to tell them apart.

Life has a funny way of working out. The worst moment of his automotive life led to some of the best connections he’s ever made. “I met people I never would have otherwise. I saw a side of the community that goes beyond cars and trucks—it’s about people, about loyalty, about stepping up when one of your own is down.” So, what’s next? “More road trips. More stories. Maybe another Power Tour. But for now, I’m just going to enjoy the ride.” If you want to follow Mike and his journey you can follow him on Instagram @gasoline_images or on Facebook Gasoline Images where he takes some killer pictures and covers many shows for Bangshift and CK Truck magazine. If you’d like to hear more on the story Mike did a great interview on the C10 Talk Podcast where he went into depth about the finding and recovery of the truck and is a great listen!