By LINDSAY ALEXANDER
Grease covered pants, the smell of gasoline and a steady rock beat pulsing make up the atmosphere where junior Nicholas Hayes works.
Hayes has always had an uncanny interest in cars and thought the best way to learn about them would be to volunteer at an automotive shop. About a year ago, Hayes visited Advanced Automotive Works in Winter Park and asked if he could help.
“He took initiative to come in on his own and was willing to work [for free] in exchange for learning. You can’t say no to someone that motivated,” Advanced Automotive Works owner Scott Nemiro said.
Though at first Hayes worked for free, now he is paid to work four days a week. Hayes performs inspections on vehicles, mounts tires and changes oil.
Besides servicing cars, Hayes also restores them in his spare time. With help from fellow employees Hayes restored a vintage 1978 Buick Regal and is currently working on a car he believes has potential, a 1982 Chevrolet Caprise.
The first step Hayes took in restoring the Caprise was fixing the air bags. Not those used as safety devices but ones that make a car ride lower or higher. Putting these in gives the car a very classic low-rider look.
Next Hayes plans on changing the tires, he wants them to be all black with no hubcaps. He then intends to work on the paint and body. Hayes wants to paint his Caprise a satin graphite, a stark contrast to the clay color it is now.
The final step is to perfect the drivetrain and drop in a new engine. The drivetrain is the group of components that give the vehicle power. For the engine, Hayes is going to put in a Chevrolet 350. This V8 delivers good performance and can be modified for the track with relative ease.
“I like hearing it the first time you start it up, when it’s done,” Hayes said.
Hayes’s largest set back is finding the money to complete his project, which costs approximately $7,000.
When one has an interest in cars, future careers range from army mechanic to engineer. When it comes to Hayes’ future, Nemiro sees him working in corporate sales because he is always coming up with new ways to make money and trying to sell people on ideas. However, Hayes aspires to have his own automotive shop where he will do custom restorations. To make this dream a reality, Hayes plans to go to college and see what happens after obtaining a degree, possibly in business.
In the less-distant future Hayes hopes to get a 1940’s vehicle and turn it into a rat-rod. A rat-rod is an old, ratty car that one restores to look new.
“Cars are a piece of history, people don’t realize how powerful a car is,” Hayes said.
Hayes’ mother, Suzanne Washburn, says Hayes is always busy, but she loves that he has a passion.
“When you have a real interest, a passion, your whole life is going to be fuller. He’s investigated [his interests] instead of just thinking about them,” Washburn said.