When Air Force Lt. Col. Jason Ginn and his wife Michelle celebrated the birth of their third child, now 2-year-old Mary, they didn't know there would be a fourth. This one, however, sleeps in the garage.

As a kid, Ginn dreamed about flying planes. Later, that dream turned into owning a classic muscle car.

Both have come true.

Stationed at McChord Field in October 2010, Ginn, 38, was on the hunt for a 1967 Pontiac GTO with a 4-speed manual transmission. Eighteen months passed without any luck.

But on a random Craigslist search one night around 2 a.m. about a year ago, Ginn seized a rare opportunity. There was a man in Kent selling the exact car in nearly the exact dark blue color he was looking for.

"As soon as I saw it, I thought, ‘that's my car,'" he said.

Michelle gave him the green light, and Ginn purchased the Fathom blue 1967 GTO classic.

It didn't take long for others to take notice. The vehicle won an award for best car and best interior recently at a show on Joint Base Lewis-McChord. It was just the second contest he'd entered the vehicle in.

"I was completely surprised and humbled," Ginn said.

The area's rainy climate keeps the GTO parked in the garage most of the time. His fellow Airmen in the 4th Airlift Squadron rarely see him pulling up in it at work.

The soon-to-be-named vehicle became an instant hit with the family, Ginn said. They enjoy taking small trips together, and the crank window and ashtray that clicks open and closed in the back seat amazes his kids.

But most of all, the cruising and tinkering in his garage allows him to disconnect from what can be a stressful job.

"It's a way to relax and escape," he said.

Ginn said he's planning on making a few small modifications to the vehicle, like adding chrome to the wheels, while maintaining its classic appeal. He just finished installing a new stereo and speakers.

But for the most part, he's keeping it just the way he bought it, and he's not planning on selling it - ever.

"It's a part of the family now," he said.