On the Cover:

Rachel Fonseca, 19, of New Bedford, MA, is a vehicle enthusiast who has a talent for restoring classic and muscle cars.

 

And, it’s this love of turning old wrecks into classic keepers that is propelling her career in the collision industry.

 

Last year, Rachel, a senior at Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School, placed second in the collision repair category at the SkillsUSA national competition.

 

Her placement at the national event, held in Kansas City, MO, made her the highest-ranking female in the auto repair contest.

 

Other successes in her young career include being sponsored for a trip to the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) in Las Vegas and being named by the I-CAR Foundation as the most influential woman of the collision repair industry for high schools, which included a $5,000 scholarship.

 

Following her graduation from high school last year, Rachel has continued down the automotive service road. During the day, she attends business classes at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. In the evenings, she teaches collision repair in the adult education program at the Greater New Bedford Regional Voc-Tech center.

 

Her plans are to one day own a collision repair shop or a business in an auto-body related field.

 

Here are a few photos of Rachel’s latest project car — a complete restoration of a 1967 Chevrolet Chevelle.

 

See more of Rachel’s restoration work in the PIX section on the homepage of this website.