(slow-paced music) - I didn't really fit into the mold of your typical public school system, and I definitely learned differently than sitting in a classroom with books in front of me.

But I could apply all of those same things, Math, English, all those things, if I was hands-on building and creating.

(car engine roaring) That's the thing people don't, they're like, he builds homes?

What's a coach?

You know, they think it's something to do with building homes.

A coach builder, traditionally, a well to do person, would go to a coach builder and they would say, I want this car built.

I want these materials, I want this style, I want this engine.

And a coach builder would bring that to life.

(soft music) (car engine roaring) As a teenager, I would buy cars, fix 'em up, typically, Volkswagens, and Porsches, and BMWs, and then resell them.

And if I made a little bit of money, I'd put it towards another one.

When it really got outta hand, was when I found a bunch of tools at a barn in South Dakota.

I was going there to pick up an old Porsche, and this gentleman had hand-built an aluminum-bodied car.

Growing up, I knew about these cars.

I kind of had a little bit of, I guess, an infatuation for them.

One thing led to another, I bought all the tools and laid out a plan to build my first car from scratch.

(soft music continues) My inspiration, most of it comes from bygone eras.

The old photos and the history books on European postwar racing.

The concept of aerodynamics, I think the Germans really started playing with it in the 1930s.

And what they thought was aerodynamic, this teardrop beautiful shape that we emulate in our work, unfortunately, true aerodynamic cars are ugly.

So, (chuckles) we kind of strike a balance between modern understanding of aerodynamics, top speed of our cars, and keeping them beautiful.

(car engine roaring) (grinder roaring) This is a very, very quick version of what takes several hours to do.

But most shops, at this point, this would be suitable for painting.

But what we would do, is sand this, taking it down really smooth, and then do a final polish with it.

(upbeat music) So, my son has taken an interest in this.

He's always kind of been in the garage with me.

But in the last few years, especially since driving age, of course, when he turned 16, he really took an interest in the cars and started working on his own projects, and then now helps me in here.

- My title here?

- Mm-mm.

- Executive manager?

No... (laughing) I build the Tube Bucks.

I'm just the kid who builds the Tube Bucks for right now.

So, now we're going over here.

Yeah, so what I'm gonna do, is cut a length of tube to make this shape out of, and I'm gonna just go back and forth between that and these radiuses here, and just basically get it to fit that shape.

(upbeat music continues) - He has his own vision and his own interpretation of the designs, and that's really fun to see.

- The reason I like working with my dad, is 'cause he kind of lets me sort of innovate the process, I guess, where if you're at a normal job, you might be kind of stuck into doing it how they want you to do it, you know?

(bright music) So, I do like the old more flowy cars too.

But as far as like production cars, I like those boxier BMWs.

I like to drive them.

But even more than driving them, I like to have a car that like is completely undrivable, and restore it and make it look all pretty, and then be able to go drive it.

That's what makes it a lot more fun.

(bright music continues) (car engine roaring) - I grew up on a hobby farm in rural Minnesota just outside of Alexandria.

And the environment was having parents who always pushed us to just dream.

So, I started snowboarding at Andes, and that turned into actually a career for me.

I snowboarded at a professional level for seven years.

And then started another business with my father where we developed a technology used in the petroleum industry, and that allowed me to do more car stuff.

I think that people, they definitely identify with their passions, with their professions.

And I learned, thankfully, about midway through my snowboarding career, not to wrap my identity up in it.

That was very temporary, 'cause I saw a lot of other people who, not only did they like crash in the literal sense, but in the kind of lifestyle sense.

And so, I was well aware of that.

And so, even with this, it's a blast and I love it.

But it's an extension of my passion and who I am, but it's not me, even though it's very close to my heart.

(chuckles) I have designs in here all the way from when I was a teenager, even back in the '90s, of cars.

And this is one that I have actually built, FF 007.

I take these sketches after I get 'em to a point where I'm happy with them, and I send them to a friend out in California, Alberto Hernandez.

And then he renders them into a more realistic view and quarter views of the car that allow me to bill off of.

And the reason these are so filthy, is 'cause these are what I used when I actually built this car.

I had these in the shop the whole time.

I mean, I didn't plan on this, I never expected to be building cars for art collectors and actors and things like this.

That was not my intention.

My intention was just to go out and experience what it was like, that sense of freedom.

So, it's almost surreal when you start out in the barn, you know, hammering away on aluminum, and people are like, is he okay?

(chuckles) And then five years later, people are like knocking on the door, hey, I wanna see what you're building.

You know, it's a really interesting dynamic.

(car engine roaring) Plenty of leg room!

Yeah.

So, there's the success that you see from the outside where I've been able to take my work and share it with Jay Leno and a very broad audience.

But the successes that I think I find a lot of pride in, are within the work itself, and coming up with new ways to tune the car, suspension settings, power to weight ratios, balancing the cars, and when I get to go out and drive that car and feel like, okay, this is my best one yet, that's where I find success.

(car engine roaring) (bright upbeat music) (energetic music) - [Ben] "Postcards" is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.

Additional support provided by, Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies.

Mark and Margaret Yackel-Juleen on behalf of Shalom Hill Farms, a retreat and conference center in a prairie setting near Wyndham, Minnesota.

On the web at shalomhillfarm.org.

Alexandria Minnesota, a year-round destination with hundreds of lakes, trails and attractions for memorable vacations and events.

More information at explorealex.com.

A better future starts now.

West Central Initiative empowers communities with resources, funding, and support for a thriving region.

More at wcif.org.

(energetic music continues)