Ever wonder why a vintage vehicle simply sits in a neighbor’s driveway day after day, month after month and year after year without a “For Sale!” sign?
Naperville teens Tristan Hanford and Will Fiedler did.
Hanford, age 18, is a senior at Naperville Central High School. Fiedler, age 17, is a senior at Naperville North. The duo grew up together in the same neighborhood where they attended East Highlands Elementary, then Kennedy Junior High School before boundary lines sent them to different high schools in School District 203.
As Hanford explained, “Over the course of the last two years, a buddy of mine, named Will Fiedler, and myself, have both restored and rebuilt this truck from the ground up. We’ve encountered every issue you could possibly conjure up, and then some, many of which are simply entertaining stories looking back.”
During a subsequent chat and emails, the teens told their story, saying they never expected to reach the heights of accomplishment that they have. Their combined motivation and strong passion created an exceptional experience that is featured here with a gallery of photos from beginning to end.
The adventure that drove them to enter their refurbished 1974 CJ5 Jeep in the 59th annual Chicago World of Wheels at the Donald E Stephens Convention Center, March 11-13, 2022, is sure to delight and surprise readers. The teens were awarded “Second in Class” in a category featuring “Mini 4×4 Utility Wagons” and including any truck or vehicle that has 4-wheel drive, and two doors.
An awards ceremony was held to announce best in show; however, an opportunity with time to give an acceptance speech was not provided, they explained.
“But I remember Will excitedly slapping me on the arm as we shuffled out of our seats to get on stage and accept the award!” Hanford added.
Hanford provided a stash of photos representing stages of the project.
Two Years of Surprises
The dedicated duo were passionate about every decision they made along the way. They talked about discovering what appeared to be a deserted old Jeep on neighbor’s driveway and how they’d researched its ownership, eventually figuring out how to purchase it.
At first glance in 2020, they thought restoring it would be “a new project for the summer.”
They talked about after-school jobs that helped raise $12,000 to cover costs, including $3,200 for a new engine and $2,800 for the tub.
They explained “alfa rosso,” the color they chose to paint their Jeep which is “a standard red, a little dark.”
The teens kept referring to their Jeep as a “truck.” Hanford explained that any vehicle that can haul cargo is considered a truck.
They purchased parts at local hardware stores and specialty automotive shops. Parts not available locally were ordered online and waiting for the parts to arrive sometimes held up their progress.
Other times when a package arrived, they played a guessing game about the contents.
“Our biggest purchase was the tub or body that we thought had to be made to order,” Hanford said. “We were told it might take a month or more, coming all the way from California.”
They explained their surprise when a huge package arrived in just three shipping days after they’d placed the order. Inside they were pleased to find the tub, already painted with black primer.
Outside Help?
“We had no outside help,” said Fiedler, noting Hanford and he were both mechanically inclined. “Putting all the time into it comes with a lot of pride. And that we built the old Jeep to be ‘show-ready’ and were encouraged by Mr. Ditch to enter it in the show makes me extremely proud that we got it done.”
(Greg Ditch is an auto tech and engineering teacher at Naperville North High School.)
Fiedler went on, “I also want to say how generous it was for Mr. Hanford to let us use their garage and driveway all that time.”
“The one photo at the end is one that I just feel encapsulates the overall vibe of the project when we bring it out during the summer!” added Hanford.
Geared up with plans for next year…
“I will be attending Florida State University to study Mechanical Engineering,” said Hanford. “And later enter the automotive engineering field”
“I will be studying Mechanical Engineering at Michigan State University next fall with a concentration in Automotive Powertrain Design,” said Fiedler. “After school, I plan on moving into the automotive industry, specifically building high performance race cars. High School is where my mechanical passion grew to what it is today and I don’t plan on stopping any time soon.”
Since 2015, the Chicago World of Wheels has been the host of the Championship Finals. The ISCA Championship Finals is the culmination of a yearlong competition between the world’s best show cars in a host of categories.
One more thing: PN enjoyed making connections with Tristan Hanford and Will Fiedler who let us tell their story with photos and enlightening conversation that highlight many aspects of this two-year project. Thanks also to PN online readers who searched for “Hanford and Fiedler” at www.posiitivelynaperville.com.
