a little o/t but what are your thoughts on wyotech?

i graduated from the blairsville campus is 05 and took alot of knowledge home with me. alot of people that go there say they learn nothing but thats because they put nothing into it. i was a little older when i went (24) so i had a maturity that most of the students lacked.
kinda sounds like i was in the same boat as you. i had already been working in a pretty big restoration shop and wanted to accelerate my career with a better foundation for hot rod work. when i went in i was a shitty welder and a mediocre body guy. when i graduated i got a job at another restoration/custom shop and i was a better welder than the "head fabricator" and bodywork is no problem. and now i own my own shop and am quickly getting a great repuation for doing things the right way. (not bragging just showing the lengths of improvment)

if you want to work on old cars for a living a "degree" isn't really important. its only a piece of paper. what you need is skills, they will take you everywhere in this industry.
also, take the collision repair core class and then street rod and chassis fab electives. the mechanical core teaches you noting that can be applied to old cars. i knew guys in that class that bairly knew what a carb was!
with that course track you'll be welding and fabricating almost from day one. you'll know stock body and paint work, then custom paint work and sheet metal fabrication , then chassis fabrication and a little bit of engine work. (the engine stuff was the only shortfall but thats because i concentrated on the chassis stuff)
but with all that... one has all the needed knowledge to basically build a hot rod. and if you apply yourself it will show. so maybe its best to wait a couple years after hs. have a little experience and some maturity under your belt and then go and learn all they have to offer

 

Wyotech is the only school I am aware of where you can build a complete car (T roadster) from scratch if you have the determination and resources.

Hand-laid fiberglass body (Street Rod)
Rect. tube chassis and suspension (Chassis Fab)
Engine and drivetrain (HPPT)
Interior (Trim and Upholstery)

Not many students can pull it off (or want to), but it has been done. Can you do it at home in the garage? Sure. What students pay for is the knowledge to eliminate many of the "rookie" mistakes you see out there.

I agree 100% with many of the previous posts in one regard: You get out what you put in. I can teach my students to do almost anything except care. If you're not good at listening or following instructions from those who've made the mistakes already, save your money.

 

Wyotech isn't the only place you can build a complete car, UNOH the students build each and every race car they use from the ground up. These include Modifieds, Thunder Stocks, Autocross, Off road, Dragsters, Super Comp cars etc......

I do agree that is what students pay for to eliminate many rookie mistakes, something neither Brad Chevy or 29Nash have ever done just ask them they are mistake free.

 

Graduated from Wyo Tech in Laramie back in 1981. No regrets. Sure it was expensive. Yes, the school overcharged for housing. I met life long friends and learned things I've used my entire life. Even though I only worked briefly in a Body Shop, I am constantly using the skills I learned in my Art Profession. Whenever I've been out of work I could always find someone needing repair on a car they were restoring. Hair and dress code? Have you ever seen what happens when long hair gets caught in a fan belt or grinder? I have, and it ain't pretty. In the real world if you want a good job you don't show up dressed like Joe Dirt Bag. Maybe the Navy helped me realize you can be Independent to a degree, but you still have to conform to standards. I also ran a Body Shop and had to hire and fire employees. We realized that the applicants coming out of trade schools would have to be retrained, but at least they Knew how to dress for work, when to come to work, and were willing to learn.

 

If I had the Money coming out of high school I would of went It looks like a killer school! I might of been better at what i do!!

 

I thought pretty hard about going there when I was younger but I have since grown up and realized that there is no way I can pay for it and I don't won't to take out any loans. I would probably be better off if I just said screw it and went for it but I just don't want to pick up and leave my hometown.

 

I know Doug but i haven't seen him for years. He is a good guy, straight shooter and genuinely cares about teaching kids how to build hot rods. I graduated WyoTech in '99 and did not feel I wasted any time or money. I don't care if you're going to clown college or hot rod school, you get out what you put in.

The real question is......what do you want to do with your life? If you want to build hot rods, then definitely go to school of some sort. Work hard and get good grades. When you graduate remember that you still don't know shit and suck information out of anyone you can. Read, everything you can get your hands on, read it.

Good Luck?

Donny

 

waste of money and a joke....F the dress code...

 

HRI in rapid city is great school for people interested in hot rods, customs, and custom bikes. Several of the teachers are old Wyotech grads or teachers. If your looking to learn custom fab, paint, resto, mods or anything to do with the custom industry this school is a much better option than Wyotech. In the year i was there i was taught how to build a full tube chassis NHRA Superstreet class 68 Chevelle ground up.

The school has a good website at http://hotrodinstitute.com/

 

Go.. graduated in 04. You get what you put in, if you want to learn you will learn a ton. If you think your already Chip Foose or the next Jimmy shine your going to have a tough time. The instructors are willing to work with those who are willing to listen. Not to the guy's that already know it all and say f-the dress code. Every one starts at the bottom its those that work hard that make it to the top.

 

Do you take 49 year olds. Never to old to learn.



HRI in rapid city is great school for people interested in hot rods, customs, and custom bikes. Several of the teachers are old Wyotech grads or teachers. If your looking to learn custom fab, paint, resto, mods or anything to do with the custom industry this school is a much better option than Wyotech. In the year i was there i was taught how to build a full tube chassis NHRA Superstreet class 68 Chevelle ground up.

 

I went to a UTI graduated in 08. I wanted to get out and start working at a new car dealership on diesel trucks. I know this makes my point of view a little different than the guys who went to school to learn to fab...After seeing my dads shop close due to lack of work, I wanted a career with a little more stability.
Anyway, you will absolutely get out what you put in, however, the money the UTI's and WyoTech's of the world charge is completely out of control. The biggest thing in any trade is experience, in a shop environment. No amount of schooling will prepare you for what your first few months working in a shop will be like. You WILL learn more, and at a faster rate in a shop than you will in school, but school will have the patience and time to teach fundamentals that you need to keep a job in a shop. Things that you need to know to avoid getting fired on your first day.
After burying myself in student loans and getting through school, I have the job I wanted. Was it worth it? Maybe. My cousin wanted to do the same thing as me-he graduated HS in 09. I pushed pretty hard for him to look into Community College programs. He started his program and I am sure that he will learn just as much as I did for a hell of a lot cheaper.

 

^ Agreed. I don't think I had you as an instructor when I was in blairsville, but I will agree 100% that chassis fabrication is worth every single penny. Cant say every class was worth the money but I've never met another wyotech grad that doesn't say the same thing. chassis fab is by far the best class there. And (at least in my experience) the instructors were some of the smartest people I've ever met in the car business. Wyotech is a topic that's been beaten to death on this forum so I'm not really going to go into much detail but I just wanted to make that a point.

 

FYI, I know several fellows that went there and none of them worked in the field that they were schooled in very long,my son being one of them.Main problem around here is every shop wants experience,which of course education does not give you. Then there is the low earning power in the beginning.Just my 2 cents worth.

 

What ever happen'd to starting at the bottom and paying your dues? I had to along with many of the greats. Not everyone is fortunate enough to start out as a manager, or running a shop, my self included. In a skill job you have to prove what you can do before you can be rewarded with a raise and position. Going to Wyo-tech isn't going to guarantee you a turn key shop, job or position. But it will give you the skill and knowledge for you to succeed,so that you can show employers what you can do. The rest is up to the attitude,reliability,persistence , and yes your appearance.