Man builds car out of junk

No, not me. I'm talking about this guy. He was homeless, but built a little cycle-powered two seater that enabled him to become mobile enough to have a steady job working in the sugar cane fields. It may not be the most stylish thing in the world, and it is naturally kind of slow, but I don't care. It's impressive when one of us builds a recreational car, but this guy built his daily driver and used it to better is lot in life. I say hats off to anyone with enough resilience. to pull that off.

Formerly homeless guy said: "Nobody believed, everybody laughed at me," Souza told Globo.com. "I was very humbled by this, but I won and I built my car alone with my own hands. "

That's cool. I've driven worse looking cars than that.

...and then he MegaSquirted it and added a turbo...

Woody wrote: *...and then he MegaSquirted it and added a turbo...*

Only GRM

Cool story, but how long 'til the police stop him, seize it, and indenture him to the state for hundreds of BR$ because he's missing a piece of metal with some letters and numbers on it? All in the interests of "safety" of course.

Oh. I thought this was gonna be the biography of a lifelong UAW worker. Probably worked at the GM Detroit Assembly plant (making Cadillacs) until the plant closed in '87, then transfered to the Buick City plant in Flint making (what else?) Buicks. Retired in '92, then began assembling all the parts he stole while working, trying to live out his favorite song, as sung by The Man In Black. As opposed to the Men In Black. Who wants to help me flesh out this story?

"...Its a '49, '50, '51, '52......"

"Man builds car out of junk"...

Yeah, so??

Most of the Challengers have done that. \

Cool story.

pstrbrc wrote: Oh. I thought this was gonna be the biography of a lifelong UAW worker. Probably worked at the GM Detroit Assembly plant (making Cadillacs) until the plant closed in '87, then transfered to the Buick City plant in Flint making (what else?) Buicks. Retired in '92, then began assembling all the parts he stole while working, trying to live out his favorite song, as sung by The Man In Black. As opposed to the Men In Black. Who wants to help me flesh out this story?

I couldn't find that one, but did stumble across this:

http://www.assemblymag.com/Articles/Blog/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000647676

SVreX wrote: "Man builds car out of junk"... Yeah, so?? Most of the Challengers have done that. \ Cool story.

He fabricated the body himself. I know that many locost guys do this, so I'm not claiming it is unique...just heartwarming/inspiring.

JoeyM wrote:

SVreX wrote: "Man builds car out of junk"... Yeah, so?? Most of the Challengers have done that. \ Cool story.

He fabricated the body himself. I know that many locost guys do this, so I'm not claiming it is unique...just heartwarming/inspiring.

Especially for somebody doing the same thing, eh?

Seriously cool project, Joey.

friedgreencorrado wrote:

JoeyM wrote: He fabricated the body himself. I know that many locost guys do this, so I'm not claiming it is unique...just heartwarming/inspiring.

Seriously cool project, Joey.

Thanks, I appreciate the thought. This thread was less about my attempts, however, and more about a build that reminds me it is possible. There are others that I've commented about here and on my website:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1284692/Fancy-ride-Lambor-teeny-Chinese-lorry-driver-spends-year-building-80mph-dream-machine.html

http://rodcustom.automotive.com/69119/0610rc-1923-ford-roadster-coupe/index.html

http://wot.motortrend.com/chinese-farming-brothers-build-f1-car-from-scavenged-junk-2258.html http://www.jorymon.com/vehicle/f1-replica-by-zhao-brothers/

The reason I was so impressed with the build at the top of this thread was the quality of the metal work using really basic hand tools. Considering his equipment and budget limitations, the guy did a fabulous job.

BTW - One of the things I love about GRM is that there's more praise for DIY automotive projects and less snarkiness about them here than on some other automotive sites. Jalopnik was really bad about the F1 replica....lots of derogatory comments from people who will never even attempt to build a car.

Hey. Don't get me wrong. I am impressed with the guy in post #1. Didn't mean to make anybody think I didn't, just 'cause I was flip. And that F-1 replica, that's as GRM as you can get. Yeah, what I do best is making stuff out of junk. Then TOWMBO says, "That's not coming in MY house!" Her house? Huh?

he just copied the Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust: http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/245241/

Whatever happened to the other three Chinese brothers?

http://wot.motortrend.com/chinese-farming-brothers-build-f1-car-from-scavenged-junk-2258.html http://www.jorymon.com/vehicle/f1-replica-by-zhao-brothers/