175 REDE ALEXANDER reUSE, reNEW, rePAIR Freshman Rede Alexander takes a new interest in repairing cars. When freshman Rede Alexander realized his broken truck would be too expensive to fix, he turned to a totaled Toyota RAV4 that was brought to his father’s car dealership for repair. “The insurance totaled it because of the previous wreck,” Alexander said. “My dad was going to send it to Pick-n-Pull, which is a place that buys cars that are not running and sells the parts off of them.” Not wanting the car to experience that fate, he took the RAV4 in and fixed it himself. Alexander replaced the starter, the fuel pump and the fuel pump enclosure to get it running normally. “It probably took me a few weeks in all of getting the parts and having time to install them before I got it started,” Alexander said. “I actually never planned on bringing the RAV4 to college, but my truck had to go to the shop for something that requires special equipment to fix.” Instead of buying a new car or spending money on special equipment for repairs, Alexander brought the RAV4 to Harding. His roommate, sophomore Carson Steward, helped replace the window regulator. “My role in helping Rede with his car was just doing what he needed me to do, like keeping things in place for him to bolt into place and holding his tools,” Steward said. “Rede likes to do certain things that most people wouldn’t do, and he doesn’t care what other people think about him, which is a good trait to have.” Alexander used the skills he learned from being around his father’s car dealership to help others around school, including senior Tori Gooch. He changed Gooch’s air filter and found the source of an odor coming from her vents. “I offered to pay, but he wouldn’t let me,” Gooch said. “I would absolutely suggest him to others who need help. He is very knowledgeable and skilled with cars.” story by Kassidy Barden Let’s take a look... Rede Alexander works on the interior of the car hood. He began fixing cars with his father as a hobby. | photo by Stanley Moralez Freshman Rede Alexander sits in a car he repaired. He fixed cars for students on campus free of charge. | photo by Stanley Moralez
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