Jacob MacDonald wanted to build his own “mud truck.” So that’s what he did. He saved up and bought an old 1985 Chevy Truck rolling shell. (A rolling shell is essentially, a vehicle body on a frame with tires. There’s no engine or anything else in it.) From here, he rebuilt the truck – everything from engine work, wiring, body work and more – turning it into a brand-new California Orange, painted, Chevrolet. On Tuesday, October 2nd, Jacob described how he achieved his dream through family support and encouragement from the school he attends, the Bracebridge AETC.

Jacob’s “rolling shell,” was originally from South Carolina. Shipped to Canada, a little over four years ago, Jacob’s journey began. The first step was to take off the shell to get down to the bare frame. The frame was soon after covered in a rust-protecting paint. Body panels, added next, were sandblasted to the bare metal, then painted inside and out.

Jacob acknowledged his cousin, Richard, did the painting and expressed gratitude for his help. Jacob expressed thanks for his father’s help, Sean, too. Jacob’s favorite part was working with his dad throughout the build process. His dad also helped him with the final touches such as adding logos and lettering onto the exterior of the truck.

What inspired him to do this? Growing up, he lived in an area where mud racing was popular, and his family would travel all over, such as to Michigan, for races. His parents used to race. Plus, when he was a child, his dad, grandpa, and uncle custom-built an old truck from the ground up and even had their own racing team. Jacob wanted to take his childhood memories of seeing them race, and do it on his own. Now he can. This past weekend, he attended a motorsport event, Wheels-A-Churnin in North Augusta.

Motivating him along the way, was Administrative Head, Doug Ronson. Mr. Ronson saw the truck before it was painted and saw the progression. “He’s just as excited as I am to see it on the road, “Jacob shared. Mr. Ronson sees the energy and skill Jacob has, and encourages Jacob’s interest. Jacob is interested in pursuing a career in the automotive field. He’s already worked in a couple of local shops. Ideally, he’d love to get into the mechanics side of things, but he’s also content changing tires and doing oil changes, because it involves his life-long passion: vehicles!