SALISBURY, N.C. -- It's been weeks of intense work, long hours and unprecedented anticipation. It all revolves around a car, a teenager and the father he lost in a tragic Salisbury fire just weeks ago.

Vic Isler loved Corvettes, and when the firefighter died, so did a dream.

His wife, Tracy, had bought one on eBay for $1,500. It was to be a father-son labor of love to restore it.

"My husband always wanted a Corvette, something he thought was out of reach, and when it was finally in reach, I grabbed it,” said Tracy Isler.

"The Corvette, he used to tease me a lot with it, and we had a lot of fun over it. We used to wash it," said Vic Isler Jr.

Producers with the TV show "NASCAR Angels" heard about the restoration plans cut short by the March 7 warehouse fire that killed Vic Isler and fellow firefighter Justin Monroe, and they moved in.

In the show, experts restore cars for deserving people around the country. Shana Fischer said she and other producers really wanted to help the Islers.

“To be a firefighter's wife or to be in a firefighter's family has got to be an extraordinary life of ups and downs. You never know when they're going out the door if they're going to come back,” she said.

With Tracy Isler's help, producers were able to get the car away from her son for some alleged repair work. Then they assembled a team of mechanics to turn the '79 Corvette into the dream car Vic Isler envisioned.

They videotaped every step, and crew members, including host Rusty Wallace, were continually amazed.

“I mean, my gosh, look at that sway bar and brakes,” Wallace said.

"It looked like a car that was, I won't say pulled out of a junk yard, but real close to it,” said mechanic Bob Stauffer.

Stauffer worked long hours on the car and said he isn't afraid to admit it's been heart-wrenching.

“You only get to be part of stuff like this once in a lifetime,” he said. “I feel like I could cry right now. I know I'm a grown man but stuff like that really touches your heart.”

Vic Isler's boss, Salisbury Fire Chief David Morris, has been in on the secret, too.

“I think it helps all of us heal somewhat to see this project come to fruition,” he said.

He added his own special touch: a customized plate bearing the names of Vic Isler and Monroe.

“This is a part of him that will live on with Vic Jr. forever,” Morris said.

All involved said the waiting was the excruciating part.

“It's an honor. I can't wait, I cannot wait to give this car to them,” Stauffer said.

On Friday morning, as hundreds watched at the Salisbury Fire Department, the dream came true for the Islers. NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick drove the Corvette up with its showroom-quality makeover, leaving many speechless, including Vic Isler Jr.

"I don't even know what to say right now," the teen said.

After his first sit-down in the car and the dramatic engine start, there were hugs from those whose hard work made it all possible.

It was about the car, yes, but also about the father, who couldn't be there to see it.

"It's the biggest honor that anybody can give my husband," said Tracy Isler.

“What do you think your dad would be saying to you now about this car and about you getting ready to turn 16?” asked Eyewitness News anchor Blair Miller.

“’Don't drive stupid,’ that's what he would say to me,” Vic Isler Jr. said.