Rebuilt truck earns teen a spot at autobody show
Youngest-ever winner at competition got advice from shop teacher and Youtube
Most teens dream of riding to their high school graduations in a limousine, but Matteo Medoro had something a bit more creative in mind.
Medoro’s hobby project to rebuild the shell of a 1951 Ford truck his father brought home one day when he was 15 years old has now earned him a spot in one of the premier autobody shows in North America.
Now 19, Medoro spent two years building the truck of his dreams part-by-part in his family’s garage. From the exhaust pipes to sewing the interior himself from his old jeans, he custom-built each piece and painted the truck himself, often listening to country music late into the night to get it done.
“It was, like, pretty bare,” said Medoro on Saturday. “There was nothing there, all the metal wasn’t painted, pieces were off of it. “I had to do every single thing.” But it took him by surprise when he became the youngest-ever winner of the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s (SEMA) young gun competition in Seattle in July.
“I didn’t even know what to say,” said Medoro of the moment he won. “There were a lot of nice vehicles ... nice cars that you think everyone would choose.”
The Edmonton teen taught himself as he went, using Youtube videos and his shop teacher at St. Joseph Catholic High School for advice when he needed it. His parents offered their help, but he was determined to do it on his own, only asking for help to lift the cab when it was ready to be installed.
Even though he was spending hours in the garage every day on top of a job at a collision shop and his coursework, Medoro still had time to win two gold medals in Skills Alberta autobody competitions and take silver at nationals once as well.
Medoro, who wants to open his own shop one day, estimates he spent about $15,000 in total on parts and supplies for the truck, most of which he paid for himself.
Now, he’s working on finishing touches so he can enjoy his trip to Las Vegas with his unique truck.
“You have to be original,” he said. “People notice.”