A retired Michigan autoworker, Richard Guilford, was stunned to receive a Facebook message after midnight asking if he’d lost his wallet years ago—and informing him that it had been found in a car’s engine bay. The discovery solved a decade-long mystery.
The tri-fold leather wallet, packed with $15, a driver’s license, a work ID, expired lottery tickets, and gift cards totaling $275, resurfaced in the engine compartment of a 2015 Ford Edge at a repair shop in Lake Crystal, Minnesota. Remarkably, the vehicle had accumulated 151,000 miles and passed through many owners before the find.
Mechanic Chad Volk, working to reseat the air filter box, stumbled upon the wallet wedged between the transmission and the filter housing. He took a photo, recognized the owner from his Ford ID, and reached out via Facebook.
Guilford, affectionately nicknamed “Big Red,” had lost the wallet during a Christmas-season shift back in 2014 at a Ford plant. It likely slipped from his shirt pocket while working on the same vehicle line, but despite searching dozens of cars—and enlisting coworkers—it remained lost, and he eventually moved on. Now retired in 2024 after nearly 35 years with Ford, he never expected to see it again.
What surprised him most was how well the wallet had endured years of exposure to weather, road conditions, and temperature extremes. Even more amazing: some gift cards were still valid, and retailers—even outdoors retailer Cabela’s—offered to reissue them, though one smaller card’s status remains uncertain.
Guilford plans to preserve the wallet as-is in a china cabinet, turning it into a family heirloom. As a part-time auctioneer and dedicated storyteller, he’s excited to share the extraordinary journey of this simple object with his children and future generations.
Source: OREGONLIVE
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