In a quiet corner of Sreekandapuram municipality in Kannur district, an extraordinary feat by a Class 8 student has turned the spotlight on a budding engineering genius. Abel, son of Shibu, an autorickshaw driver, and Beena, has built a functioning car using discarded materials, earning admiration from local people, teachers and others alike.
The 13-year-old student of Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School, Payyavoor, pieced together the vehicle from scrap metals, parts salvaged from old engines, and materials collected from local hardware and scrap shops.
Repairing things
“When he was studying in Class IV, he started repairing broken things like fans, torch lights and bicycle parts. We used to joke about it. But now, it’s clear he was dreaming far beyond our imagination,” says his father.
At the age of eight, he made an earth moving machine from coconut shells and a shovel. What began as a childhood curiosity gradually evolved into more complex endeavours. From fixing torches and mixer grinders at home to repairing and redesigning bicycles, Abel’s skills grew quickly.
He modified a new cycle gifted to him and even repaired the bicycles of friends who came seeking his help.
When his father’s motorbike broke down, Abel closely observed the repair works done at a local mechanic shop at Madambam. Eventually he began understanding engine systems on his own. Much of his technical knowledge is self acquired, gained from watching videos and tutorials online.
Got ‘A’ grade
Mr. Shibu said while Abel was studying in Class V, he demanded an old and unused bike to understand the working of engine. Luckily for him, he managed to get a discarded motorbike from a scrap shop. “To my surprise, in a few weeks, he not just learned the functioning of the motorbike, but even repaired the vehicle and made it operational,” Mr. Shibu said. For this, he got an ‘A’ grade during the Irrikur subdistrict Sasthrolsavam in the working model category.
He received a lot of appreciation from people and during a felicitation function, when a Vicar asked him what he planned to make next, he immediately said that he wished to make a car. Soon, he bought the engine of a motorbike, scooty tyres and other parts required to make his own car. He took the help of a welder to shape the car. Collecting each part from a scrap shop, Abel assembled his first four wheeler. The prototype vehicle, simple yet functional, can be driven around their compound.
Abel said that he wants to become a mechanical engineer. “There’s so much to learn. I just don’t want to stop building things,” he said.
Buzzing workshop
Post-school hours, the family courtyard transforms into a buzzing workshop. There’s always something being built or dismantled, say his siblings Angel and Ajal who are his constant support.
The modified car, now complete with a functioning engine, regularly draws friends, local people and onlookers who come to marvel at what a boy with a toolbox and a dream can build.
For Abel, this is only the beginning. As his father watches him test drive the hand-built vehicle around their yard, he smiles with pride. “He is not just building a machine, but his future,” Mr. Shibu says.
Published – July 24, 2025 04:27 pm IST
