When getting a car, most people would prefer to have a new one. That’s not the case for junior Zach Hoffman, whose car is 43 years older than him. In March 2015, when Zach turned 16, he began the search for his car.

When he was looking for a car he knew that he wanted an older one rather than a newer one. He had his mind set on an older car because he has had an interest in them since he was a little kid. His dad knew someone who had a green 1956 Ford Fairlane that was sitting in his shed for the past several years.

After talking to him about selling the car they decided that they would buy it for $2,500. To get the car home they had to put the car on a trailer and drive it back.

“He was very excited to get the car,” Zach’s mother Lynette Hoffman said. ”The first thing he did when he got it was go look under the car. He was under there for so long it was like he fell asleep.”

They didn’t have time to start fixing the car until later that year in May. The car needed a new gas tank, brake lines and white wall tires. To get the parts they went to AutoZone and ordered parts from a catalog called Concours Parts. When the parts came in Zach brought them into his garage where the car was kept. Zach and his dad worked on the car about once a month or whenever they got the chance to in their garage.

“He’s pretty sharp, you tell him one thing and he learns it, so it’s a lot of fun working on it with him,”  Zach’s father Craig Hoffman said.

They’ve spent about a total of 30 hours repairing the car. The car is now drivable, but it’s still in need of a few minor repairs. Zach plans to drive it as his own when it’s fully complete.

“I knew a little about cars before but not as much as I do now, and I learned about how the brakes go together and how the engine works,”  Zach said.