A 15-year-old boy built a DIY car for $3,000 out of scrap metal and named it after himself
- A teen from Ghana built his own DIY car
- He used scrap metal and salvaged parts
- It cost him $3,000
Published on Apr 18, 2025 at 5:36 AM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Mar 27, 2025 at 1:08 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Emma Matthews
A now-19-year-old teen from Accra, Ghana, built his own DIY car from scrap metal and salvaged parts for $3,000.
The inventor, Kelvin Odartei Cruickshank, developed a love for building vehicles at a young age.
He started with remote-control prototypes at the age of just seven years old.
Over the years he gained confidence and skills and started working on his automobile project at the age of 15.
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The DIY car this teen built from scrap metal
Among other hurdles, one of the biggest issues Cruickshank faced building his ‘Kelvin Mobile‘ was skepticism from those who doubted his abilities.
These doubts were largely put down to the talented teen’s age and background.
“Many people first believed I was crazy when I began the project. They said that it was absurd that a little Ghanaian boy could build a car, as ‘Cruickshank’,” he said.
Including its 300HP engine, the materials from junkyards and scrap came to a total of just under $3,000.
In order to raise funds for parts, Cruickshank worked various jobs, including street hawking.
“The frame, the chassis, and the engine seat were the hardest aspects of the automobile [to create],” Cruickshank said.
He fashioned them from round and square pipes and iron rods.
His fame and future plans
His DIY achievement gained both local and wider recognition, with people congratulating him on the streets and comparing him to giants of the automotive world.
Cruickshank aims to inspire other young people, especially those from low-income backgrounds, to pursue their passions despite the challenges they face.
His next steps involve building a more advanced vehicle and creating a garage for working on new projects and training others.
Through an Airfunding campaign, he has raised $1,193 of his $2,000 goal to support his future projects and share his knowledge with others via his YouTube channel, Kelvincars_Gh.
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London-based Amelia cut her journalistic teeth covering all things lifestyle, wellness, and luxury in the UK capital. Fast-forward a decade and the senior content writer and editor has put pen to paper for glossy magazines, busy newsrooms, and coveted brands. When her OOO is on from writing about cars and heading up on-site SEO you can find her spending quality time with her young family, in the gym, or exploring the city she loves.
