They say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure – so students at a high school took that to heart by restoring an old car on its last legs.

Pupils at Yavneh College, in Hillside Avenue, Borehamwood, spent the best part of three years pouring their blood, sweat and tears into repairing the 30-year-old Land Rover.

The muddy off-road vehicle was wheeled into the old garages of the school in February 2010 and head of design and technology, Ian Taylor, asked his students to help rebuild it.

Scott Taylor, a sixth former, started the project when he was in year nine and said he feels proud of the finished result.

The 16-year-old added: “I knew this was not going to be for the faint hearted and it demanded guts, bravery, commitment and determination.

“Some of the bolts and screws came out easily but others had to be removed more dramatically, involving the use of a grinder and lots of sparks.

“Many hours went into rubbing and scraping the chassis to get rid of all the mud. The engine that came out had to be stripped down, refurbished and put back together.

“Finally, the fuel tank, all the pipe work, body panels and radiator could be put into place. We were ready to fire up the engine – the key was turned on – and nothing happened.

“We took the engine out and put it back in roughly five times a month and it finally roared into life. Everyone looked at each other and we were happy and relieved.”

Around 15 students a term, from year seven to year nine, were given the chance to work on fixing the car. It will now be sold to raise cash for school projects.

The students are now looking forward to their next project – restoring a boat and a Formula One racing car.

Scott added: “More than one hundred people worked on the car and hundreds of hours have been put into it, but I know I can say it was worth it.”