Picture this: You stumble upon your beloved classic car from high school—the one you fixed up with your dad, who has since passed away, and you’ve always regretted selling. Would you buy it back, no matter the cost? One dad did just that… using money intended for his infant daughter’s college fund. Let’s just say the internet wasn’t impressed.
A classic 1972 Bronco and a very rushed decision
Imagine stumbling upon your dream car—the one you built with your dad, then sold, then regretted ever since. Now imagine it’s the exact same car, down to the penny your dad taped under the dash for good luck. Would you do whatever it took to get it back?
That’s the dilemma one dad faced when he found his old 1972 Ford Bronco for sale. The truck he and his late father had restored together. The truck he sold months before his dad’s sudden heart attack. “While not logical, I’ve always felt a karmic connection between the two events,” he admitted.
The catch? He had hours to act before another buyer arrived to pay $21k for the car. And money was tight—because he and his wife had a six-month-old baby. He made a split-second decision: He raided his daughter’s college fund for the $12k his in-laws had contributed, maxed out his credit cards, and asked for his mom to cover the remainder.
Later, he recounted the story on Reddit’s Am I the A——? forum to ask if he was in the wrong. Let’s just say the internet didn’t hold back.
“He’s an a——”
Reddit was swift with judgment. Not only did he spend money earmarked by his in-laws for his daughter’s future, but he also never even checked with his wife before making the purchase. He did, however, call his mom—who contributed $4,000 to help. Commenters were livid:
- “Who spends $23K without so much as speaking to their spouse first?”
- ” I’m heartbroken for your wife and daughter.”
- “Wife needs a divorce. Shouldn’t even have to fight for custody.”
- “I want to punch the wall thinking about those grandparents wanting to give their granddaughter such a wonderful gift, and have it taken from her by her own father.”
The truth is that while classic SUVs are great, first-gen Broncos aren’t exactly cheap these days. There are much more reasonable ways to get into a project car. But I can see why the OP felt so sentimental.
“He’s not an a——”
But not everyone was against him. Some saw the sentimental value and backed his decision:
- ” He wants it to stay in the family.”
- ” I understand how much this truck means to you, and what a beautiful story this could have been.”
- “1972 Bronco can sell anywhere from 40K-200k, sooooo maybe it wasn’t such a bad investment.”
As a classic car enthusiast, I get it. I grew up fixing up old beaters with my dad, and there’s nothing like the bond it creates. If I found my dad’s old car, I’d be tempted to do something reckless, too. But here’s the thing—if you’re married with kids, these are team decisions.
The fate of the heirloom 1972 Ford Bronco
In the end, Reddit’s verdict was clear: “A——.” Even a moderator chimed in to say, “OP has been banned for failing to accept his judgment.” And the rest of the family? Furious. “My wife and her parents are livid. They feel I was deceptive, that a ‘real man’ would sacrifice anything so his wife could stay home with the baby.”
As for what happened to the Bronco? The Redditor revealed, “I talked with my mom and she is basically going to buy the bronco from me in order to refill the college fund and pay off the credit card.”
But this was all years ago. Is it still in the family? We’ll probably never know—because his account was suspended. His daughter would be around six now. Maybe, just maybe, she’s out there right now, riding in the passenger seat of the truck with no clue it once caused the internet to explode. And almost gutted her college fund.
You can see the original Reddit post embedded below:
AITA for using money we “earmarked” for our 6 month old’s college fund to buy back the exact 1972 Ford Bronco I owned as a teenager?
byu/my1972pony inAmItheAsshole
