Drift
Second-Hand Car Marketplace
Purpose & Problem Solved
Provides a high-performance marketplace connecting car sellers and buyers with secure JWT server-to-server authentication and metallic glassmorphism UI.
About the Project
A full stack marketplace for buying and selling second-hand cars built under a tight deadline, with JWT-secured server-to-server calls and a metallic, glassmorphic UI.
Challenges Faced
Pinning BetterAuth to an exact version was necessary after a later release introduced a breaking bug in its Kysely integration — tracking that down under deadline pressure was stressful.
Setting up JWT verification between the Next.js frontend and Express backend, using a remote JWKS endpoint, took careful work to get the server-to-server auth right.
Building the glassmorphic, metallic visual direction — frosted glass surfaces, backdrop blur, chrome-to-graphite gradients — pushed my Tailwind skills further than previous projects.
Future Plans
Add a test drive scheduling system so buyers can book appointments with car sellers.
Implement a seller rating and review system for verified buyers.
Add vehicle history and inspection report upload support for car listings.
Build a seller dashboard for tracking car listing views, inquiries, and offers.