South African teen builds his own car from scrap metal and spare parts.mp4

Published on 19-Jan-2021
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When his father told him he would have to save up and wait to finish school to get his own car, 17-year-old boy Obakeng Thetele from the South African city of Bloemfontein didn't think twice about it. He started collecting scrap metal with one goal: building his own car.

Inspired by his father's love for mechanics as a mechanical and welding school teacher, the teenager started building his first metal vehicle as early as 2015, although he wasn't able to finish it due to a lack of materials.

"What made me love cars is that I grew up watching my dad fixing them. He taught me while he was working," Obakeng said.

His second attempt was more successful, after his father bought him a motorbike, combined with the coronavirus lockdown, which provided him with enough free time to achieve his goal.

"My encouragement to him is that he must never give up on what he wants to achieve. 'Never give up,' so he must not despair, until he overcomes or wins," Obakeng's father Leepile Thetele said.

The teen drove by his town, showing his own petrol-fuelled motor vehicle with its engine and a four-speed gear system reaching up to 80 km/h (50 mph).

C/U Thetele showing scrap metal car *UPSOUND* (Tswana): "What you see here is a 110cc engine. It uses an automatic carburettor. Here is the scooter battery, this is the petrol tank. This engine uses a chain, it pulls the back wheels. Then here is the mud guard, to protect me."

C/U Thetele showing scrap metal car *UPSOUND* (Tswana): "I made a door here, with zinc material and square tubes."

C/U Thetele showing scrap metal car *UPSOUND* (Tswana): "Here is the Mercedes Benz part that I have joined together [with the Mazda steering wheel]. As you can see I have joined them together."

C/U Thetele showing scrap metal car *UPSOUND* (Tswana): "I tried to make a dash board here, I am not done with it yet. These here are lights switches."

M/S Thetele showing scrap metal car *UPSOUND* (Tswana): "The front are automatic motobikes wheels."

M/S Thetele showing scrap metal car *UPSOUND* (Tswana): "In front here is the mk1 golf grille. Down here is a self made bumper made from zinc material. On top is the remote control LED lights. In the middle I didn't have an emblem, so put a light instead."

M/S Thetele showing scrap metal car *UPSOUND* (Tswana): "This is a gear lever, I used this one first when, after changing my engine, I realised it was not working the way I wanted. Inside here is the proper car steering rack, so that the car can be able to turn."

W/S Man strolling behind scrap metal car

M/S Thetele showing scrap metal car *UPSOUND* (Tswana): "Here is the back window, I am also intending to put a mirror in order to see what's happening behind me, I must also put in indicators and break lights switch."

SOT, Obakeng Thetele, Scrap metal car inventor (Tswana): "What made me love cars is that I grew up watching my dad fixing them. He taught me while he was working. At the age of 13 years, I thought about creating my own car, but I lacked the materials to build it."

SOT, Obakeng Thetele, Scrap metal car inventor (Tswana): "From 2015 that's when I attempted building my own car, I failed because of shortage of material."

SOT, Obakeng Thetele, Scrap metal car inventor (Tswana): "Papa bought me a motorbike to encourage me to finish what I started."

SOT, Obakeng Thetele, Scrap metal car inventor (Tswana): "[The COVID-19] Lockdown gave me a perfect opportunity to finish my project."

SOT, Leepile Thetele, Obakeng's father (Tswana): "Since he was a child, Obakeng used to dismantle car toys that I used to buy for him. He used to pay detailed attention while I was working fixing cars, also he enjoyed while I send him for spanners."

SOT, Leepile Thetele, Obakeng's father (Tswana): "My encouragement to him is that he must never give up on what he wants to achieve. 'Never give up,' so he must not despair, until he overcomes or wins and he must stay far from bad company, especially he must stay away from girls as he is still too young for that.