Many St. Francis High School students dream about and are actively working towards obtaining their driver’s license and first car. For some lucky students, obtaining a license and vehicle is a walk in the park. But for some, it can become a grueling task that takes a lot of time, money, and love (all things that a teenage student has very little of) to turn this dream into a reality.

One such student endured the hardships of finding a vehicle and maintaining it in a usable state. Although it is not the prettiest ride in the parking lot, it is a set of wheels that can get from points A to B.

“This is a 1981 Ford F-100. It has a 300 inline-six and a four-speed manual transmission,” said senior Nick Braski.

Nick bought his Ford truck as a sophomore and over the last three years he has made many big changes to it, such as replacing the motor, transmission, and drivetrain.

“The ones that were in it were old and shot,” Nick said. “I also put this brush guard on after I hit a snowbank in the lower lot.”

Nick then explained the changes he has made to the back of his truck.

“This headache rack is custom fabricated,” he said. “The light above is wired up to a separate switch panel that I installed.”.

Nick then explained the starting process of his truck, however, things took a turn for the worse.

“You put your foot to the floor, you pull this choke out. Let off the gas and make sure she’s out of gear, no clutch because there’s no neutral safety,” Nick said, but as he turned the keys to start the truck, it died and wouldn’t start.  Luckily, Nick has been in this situation before and knew what to do.

“When that happens I pull out my pliers, pop the hood, and go out there,” he said. “The pliers go right here,” he pointed to the starter in his truck. He took his pliers and used them to start the engine.

He has made many changes and has spent hours working on his truck. However, it is old and can have trouble running. It is also prone to breaking down and can leave Nick stranded, which is why he keeps a small bike in the bed of his truck.

“When you have something this old, it’s not very reliable.” he said. ” If I break down, I at least have some mode of transportation to get somewhere.”