Student nets a classic catch

By Marc McGowan
BERWICK car nut Stuart Pearson is definitely a product of modern society.
Stuart, 16, as with most people his age, was on the hunt for his first set of wheels last year, so one would expect him to venture to every car yard this side of town in his pursuit.
So what did he do?
He hit the internet and addictive webbased auction site eBay – a pastime that has already claimed his father, Michael, who buys motorbike parts from the website on a regular basis.
“It’s a good outlet. Looking around at swap meets is pretty hard,” Stuart said.
“If you look on eBay, there are so many options; you can see cars from all over Australia.”
He found a Victorian model he loved and, after making his successful $1800 bid, travelled to the other side of Melbourne to pick up his 1969 Toyota Corolla Ke10.
“I was looking for classic cars. I definitely wanted something classic,” the Year 11 Beaconhills College student said.
“I was looking for either a Celica or a Corolla, something really original that stands out and is unique.”
It was with a heavy heart that the vehicle’s previous and only other owner, May Leitch, relinquished the vintage machine.
“She had owned it for 37 years and had bought it with her husband’s insurance money. She cleaned it every Sunday for those 37 years,” Stuart laughed.
“She was a bit sad to let it go, but I just told her that I’d give it a good home.”
It has all been achieved through his parttime job at a fishandchip shop in Timbarra, where he has been working for just over a year.
Despite the Corolla not being in immaculate condition, Stuart intends restoring it to its former glory.
“Me and my dad are working on it at the moment. We’re probably going to work on it pretty slow to get rid of the rust,” he said.
“We’ve taken the angle grinder to it, got all the surface rust off, put the primer on, cleaned it up on the outside and painted over it.”
Stuart is likely to get the car registered when he turns 17, but may be heading back to eBay once he gets some more money behind him.
“If I earn a bit, I’ll get an early ‘66 or ‘69 Mustang,” he said.
“I just love the look of them. It’s a great style, great engine and it’s my favourite old car.”