Bored and lonely after a divorce, Steven D'Elia decided that the two hotrods in his garage could be put to better use.

He called the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which soon found Hurstbridge youngster Blake Karakaltchev was another avid car buff.

Blake, 6, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in November 2005 and finished 3? years of chemotherapy last January.

The pair met last weekend and Mr D'Elia took Blake and his brother, Liam, 4, on some joy rides in one of the hot rods.

"The Make-A-Wish Foundation contacted me because they knew this little boy was car mad," Mr D'Elia said.

Later, Mr D'Elia presented Blake and his family with a voucher for an all-expenses-paid trip to the Gold Coast, thanks to the foundation.

Blake's mum Bianca said the family would make the trip this week.

"After everything that we went through with Blake being so sick it's so nice now for him to be able to experience such a thing," she said.

The foundation has granted over 5700 wishes to children and young people with life-threatening medical conditions since 1985.

Details: visit www.makeawish.org.au