This is a great reason why kids should learn to fix vehicles.
The video below tells the interesting story of how Juan Ramirez was able to stay on the straight and narrow by focusing on his goal of restoring his dream car. We all have that one car which fascinated us as a child or teenager, maybe for reasons we can’t quite explain. For Ramirez it was his friend’s older brother’s black convertible Chevy Impala. It was a beautiful vehicle that made the young Ramirez want to work hard and get one of his own.
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Finally, Ramirez acquired a 1963 Chevy Impala. It needed work, and as car projects go, as he dug into the vehicle he found it would take more than he originally thought to bring the convertible back to its former glory. The time spent laboring on his ride kept Ramirez and his brother busy and away from the gangs in their area. It’s like the old saying, “teach your child a love of cars, then he’ll never have enough money for drugs.”
Everyone knows the frustration of uncovering weird “hacks” or strange fixes previous owners used on a car you cherish, but they obviously treated somewhat dismissively. Ramirez had to overcome those challenges, like finding out the floor had rusted through and someone scrap metal to patch it up, including an actual stop sign.
Ramirez didn’t have money to pay a shop for repairs, so he had to learn how to tackle these issues himself. It was a stressful learning process, but anyone who’s taken on a big project knows the satisfaction of finally completing it.
Instead of doing something flashy, Ramirez settled on a restoration that’s more understated, and the car looks fantastic. He says he takes the Chevy Impala out on the open road to relax. Considering how comfortable and solid of a cruiser classic Impalas are, it’s a good choice for those kinds of drives.
Photo credit: YouTube
