Turning a wreck of a Chevy into a dream car.

Getting your first car is a high point of any 16-year-old's life. It was a cold day in January 2000 when my father told me that nay cousin, who is a mechanic at a local dealership, had a car that might interest me: a 1991 Chevrolet Beretta GTZ. I didn't even have a license yet. Still, I was ecstatic.

When we got to the dealership, the car was covered in snow. Perhaps it was that, or my youthful excitement, that blinded me to all its flaws. I loved it. After a few days of paperwork, the car was mine, and we drove it home. Then reality set in.

There were many problems: a broken windshield, rusty fenders, ugly wheels. I ran to my computer to learn everything I could. For that first week, I lived and breathed information about nay car. I soon decided that I needed to make a list of repairs the car needed.

The engine was the first major problem. About a month later, the head gasket, a crucial engine part that seals in fluids, burst, making the car undrivable. Although it was a hefty job for a talented mechanic, I wanted the experience of fixing it myself. Besides, the estimate was $2,000--more than the car cost. The parts were less than $100, so the real cost was the labor. I spent three hours every day after school staring at the shop manual and taking out one part at a time. My father offered help whenever he could, and in two months we had the engine working.

Next, I was ready to shape up the exterior. With the help of my dad and one of his friends, we first removed the windshield and began to repair the body. We applied a new coat of bright-red paint. The car sparkled.

I learned what function each piece served. By researching prices and comparing products, I managed to save several hundred dollars--although my parents were not happy with the car parts scattered throughout the garage! From start to finish, the restoration project took a year and five months, and most of that time the car wasn't drivable.

I didn't take the Beretta with me to college, but it's still my one and only car. Actually, it's the thing from home I miss most, and I'm excited about being able to drive it again when I'm back for Thanksgiving. My car may not be the most glamorous piece of mechanical excellence, but my pride and persistence have made it shine brighter than any new model off the assembly line.

Dan Rudolph, 18, is from Denver, Pennsylvania. He's currently a freshman at Pennsylvania State University in State College.