Though many people find cars to be interesting, few have the hands-on experience and passion for cars like sophomore Aiden Sheehan. 

Sheehan first adopted the hobby as a way to pass time during the pandemic.

“My Dad has always been working on cars for as long as I can remember, so when quarantine first started, I would go out to help him,” Sheehan said. “I really enjoyed it. It was a fun bonding experience with my dad.”

This newfound hobby led him to work on various cars. Sheehan details the three cars he’s owned and the additions made to the cars.

“I had a Mazda Miata, a Nissan Skyline and a Nissan 240-SX. I built the Miata completely for drifting. I added coil covers, wheels, roll bars and seats. For the Skyline, I kept it stock. For the 240, I am slowly adding parts,” Sheehan said.

Although Sheehan has owned several cars, one car stands out to him the most.

“My favorite car would have to be a Toyota Chaser.”

Not only has Sheehan dedicated a lot of time to his cars, but building his cars requires him to invest a significant amount of money on new additions and improvements.

“I have spent over $10,000. Every paycheck I have ever gotten has been spent on my cars,” Sheehan said.

Though he is passionate about working on his cars, Sheehan occasionally runs into frustrations and challenges. 

“The biggest challenge is definitely not knowing how to do something. Also, not having the right tools to do something.”

Sheehan’s favorite technique to use while driving his cars is drifting. Sheehan explains how he drifts.

“You floor the gas, clutch kick, turn the steering wheel and then countersteer.”

In his free time, Sheehan attends drifting camps such as Piedmont and Catch My Drift. Sheehan describes what an average day looks like for him at camp. 

“You pull up, park, go through a technology inspection and then you can go on a track and drift.”

As someone who is skilled and knowledgeable when it comes to cars, Sheehan is able to judge the accuracy of popular movies like the Fast and Furious series.

“I would say that it is an accurate representation in explaining cars for the people that don’t know a lot about them, but the movies aren’t specific enough in describing parts,” Sheehan said. 

Sheehan was able to learn by working alongside his father and is grateful to him for passing down everything he knows.

“I have learned everything about cars. My dad has taught me everything that I know and working on them has given me a lot of experience.”