ALAPPUZHA: A 13-year-old boy from Cherthala here has put the forced break, provided by the Corona lockdown, to good use by building a petrol-powered three-wheeler. Abhidev, a Class VIII student of Holy Family Higher Secondary School, Cherthala, built the vehicle using the outboard engine of an old country boat and discarded tyres. Now, Abhidev and his brother Amaldev zoom around the courtyard of their house at Omkareswarm in the three-wheeler.
According to Abhidev, his father has been running a workshop near their home for the past several years.
“I developed a passion for engineering right from childhood. When my father along with the other workshop staff was busy with their work on boat engines, I used to watch them with a great deal of interest. After the lockdown started, I told my father that I wanted to build a three-wheeler. He allowed me to use an old engine and scrap material for the purpose,” Abhidev said.
Along with the discarded tyres — two used in motorbikes and one in autorickshaw — some pipes were taken from the workshop to build the frame and the platform of the vehicle. “The engine was attached to the platform and connected to the back wheel using the fan belt of the vehicle. And the vehicle was ready in just 15 days. It doesn’t have a gear or clutch and it is just like a gear-less vehicle. The engine is started by pulling a power cord,” Abhidev said.
Abhilash, father of Abhidev, said his son had shown keen interest in vehicle repairs right from childhood.
“He had also undergone preliminary training in welding work and it enabled him to weld the pipes together for building the frame and the platform. After his story appeared on WhatsApp groups, A M Ariff, MP, also had a first-hand look at the machine and felicitated the boy. Abhidev had also built the small prototype of a bus operated with the help of remote control and it made headlines. Besides, he has won several prizes in school science fair.
done in 15 days
Along with the discarded tyres, some pipes were taken from the workshop to build the frame and the platform of the vehicle. The engine was fitted to the platform and connected to the rear wheels using the fan belt. And the vehicle was ready in just 15 days. It doesn’t have a gear or clutch and it is just like a gear-less vehicle. The engine is started by pulling a power cord, said Abhidev.