I teach a Junior High "Exploring Technology" cl*** (i.e. shop) I have been trying to figure a project the kids can do related to hot rods and customs. Last year the kids made new wood for a Model A sedan we have in the shop. None of it is real high quality but at least I got them working and excited about working on the old car. We also built a Hurst style front motor mount that really is pretty cool. We also designed a "shop logo" and worked on getting it applied to the sedan door. Some of you may remember the "Pair-A-Dice Speed Shop" logo. I think it turned out pretty neat. This year I would like the kids to do some work on a chopped '49 Ford I have. We are going to paint up some wheels and lower it and what ever else I can manage. As many of you in education know money is always tight. My shop budget right now is $62, no kidding $62. As such I would like to put out some feelers as to the possibility of anyone donating any parts to the project. Nothing major, just small stuff. Its really cool to see the kids work on and get excited about the old cars. UNDERSTAND - this is my car and will remain mine. As such, if you think this is in poor taste I totally understand. If you believe that this is not the place or this is tacky to be looking for donations (if Ryan deems this post should be removed) I would understand completely. We are all hurting for money. I believe this would be a cool opportunity to get the next generation building cool rides. If you think I am all wet then I respect your beliefs. Thanks-
so lets see. 1. you are going to have a bunch of kids build your car for free. 2. you want us go give you free parts to supply your slave labor... Hey why not, this is America after all. hahaha Just joking, but.... If you think there is a conflict of interests, why not have a big fund raiser in your community and buy a car for the project. Afterwards, sell it and donate the green to a charity (after you keep some for your program). All settled. JT.
I think that is damn cool.........i graduated from high school last year, i wish we worked on old cars in my shop cl***.....all we worked on was a couple of toyotas and two really ****py station wagons ............If i had something to give you i would ...
My old high school shop teacher had us working on his rides all the time! He always had old cars that needed something done to them before he could turn 'em around for a fast buck! Heck, I didn't care...I got to do alot of the work on a cherry 51 Chevy 2 door he brought in once, and even drove it when done! It was a fantastic learning experience, and good for both sides...he got free labor and enthusiastic help, and we got to have fun and learn about old cars! Win-win situation, I'd say! Don't feel selfish for having the kids lend a helping hand with your project...believe me, they'd rather be involved in something cool like that than to be building a birdhouse or something! You have the unique chance to introduce young and impressionable potential new hot rodders to the thrill of working with old tin, and the chance to help get some work done on your ride at the same time. I think everyone wins, to be honest! There's a difference between trying to get some work done on a teacher's salary and shamelessly trying to scam free parts. I don't see your request as rude or in poor taste...you have a unique situation, and I hope that you are able to make it work out...for you AND the kids who will be touched by the chance to be a part of someone's hot rod project! Best of luck to ya!
Here's a thot: Put together a written package to send to all the manufacturers...explain WHO you are, WHAT you are doing, WHY you are doing it, and WHY you want one of their products. Make sure you explain that their contribution will be seen by everyone in the school, as well as everyone in the commmunity and in all promotional pieces done for your cl***, on all signage at the local car show, parade, painted on the side of the car/trunk/window, etc. AND of course, every kid in the cl***(future buyers of their products) will have a hand on it...and can see the quality of the product... Mite take a bit of writing/reading/proofing to get this done...and of course, you'll need to set a time limit for their contributions...but I think if you take the time to put together a nice package you'll find the most manufacturers/suppliers will help you out. Just my 13 cents worth. R-
Just remember that "you get what you pay for"! When I was in Shop in HS, ALL the teachers brought there's cars in for "bargain" maintenance. I installed a stock radio in my teachers 67 Rustang. I also got to fix my own ride (not saying what it was...) for free! But I had to pay for the parts. If it's your own car you should supply the parts. But, if someone wants to donate them, good for you!!
40Studedude, That is a cool idea if I do say so myself. Dan, You should do this. I would be interested in hearing about the results. JT.
Building a project for a raffle is a definate option. Our shop is not equipped for building cars - that is why I am trying to design project based on the "subsystems" that we can get in the shop and do with our limited capabilites. I am looking at maybe having the kids build a lowrider bicycle or a go-cart that we could raffle off. The district has a show in the spring time of all the "vo-tech" style cl***es to showcase the kids' work and other teachers do use this as an opportunity to raffle and raise funds. When I was in high school I had the good forune to go to a school where our principal was a gear head (drove a FED) as well as the woodshop and welding teacher. Our auto shop teacher was also interested in hot rods so we never had a lack of cool stuff to work on. I still have the image in my head of going into the woodshop and seeing a pack of students swarming around a '40 Ford sanding of the old paint. Its cool to see a group of kids dive into a project and work - it looks like Santa's workshop with a bunch of happy elves!
Putting together a proposal to manufactures would be an excellent lesson for the kids. As part of "Exploring Technology" we hone our computer skills. This would be a great project for the students. Good ideas, please keep them coming!
i think its an excellant idea... you got some confidence in your students if you let them wrench on your stuff. if my high school had something like this, id have stayed for more than a yr.
I think it's a great idea, I wish my junior high had had an auto shop in the first place (had to wait for high school). It sounds like something the local media may be interested in, good story material. That could open some doors for you and your students. Keep us posted, I'll see what I have to donate. What motor are you building for it?
[ QUOTE ] got any lawn mower dealers in town? maybe they can donate a motor for a go-cart [/ QUOTE ] Yeah, did you see the Monster Garage where the kids built a go cart shopping cart? That was great.
Yeah, I thought that was cool. We actually watch Monster Garage once in awhile in cl*** and talk about how the team "Explores Technology" basically using tools to solve problems. I have to be careful though and only view the ones that are "apporpriate" for Junior High kids - kinda tough to do. The radio "Country Store" is a good source for small engines also. I have a kit from Butchs Rod Shop to install a SBC in the '49.
DAN> Put an ad in your local paper for a pre 60s car ,explain what your doing ,w/ a phone #. You could check w/ the state ,city , or school surplus depts even the local colleges , they get rid of cars and trucks all the time .For them it would be a total write off .Let them come up w/ thier own monster garage project. Check e-bay > Do a local search for project ,donor ,salvage,builders etc .I have seen these types of vehicles go for pennies on the dollar . Get in touch with the local hot rod crowd and have them see if they could help you and the kids out w/ a cheap vehicle.Clubs and networking is a great way to get what your seeking . Get in touch w/ the local wrecking yards and talk to the owners of these yards .Do not deal w/ the flunkie go to the owners and tell them what your doing . Aproposal for your project may include photos of what you have done w/ the cl*** thus far ,pics of the kids ,and a short write up of what your doing .Make it in hand out style in a folder so the people you speak with can look over the package. Last if your budget is too small get more money! Have the kids do some fund raising .Car washes ,sell things at football games etc .Amazing how much money can be made off drink&food sales . good luck .
Your kids are the luckiest kids this side of the sun. Man all my cl*** gets to do is LFO's and rotate tires.
When I had autobody shop in high school, they were basically broke. Nobody on the school board wanted to allocate money for the most expensive program in the school because it was the opinion of many that only the "losers and rejects" took shop cl***es as an "easy" way out of high school...we resorted to having a car show, to raise money for the program itself and buy supplies. It was very successful in it's first year, and now, 10 years later, it's a yearly event that fills the parking lot and brings in tons of $$$...I highly recommend it, show those school board snobs that you don't need them to survive! It's funny, now...share this with your students...10 years later...all the automotive wealth of knowledge I've gathered over the last 15 years has come into play at work and home life...whenever anyone I work with or know who doesn't have a clue about cars has a problem, they all turn to me for advice/repairs before they take their car someplace...hmmmmmm...maybe they should have had at least one of those "loser" cl***es...they wouldn't be getting ****ered left and right by these chain stores who sell you repairs you don't need...if I had a dollar for every time someone I know paid $400 for new pads and rotors...ugh. And BTW, some of us were there to actually LEARN! I bought a $900.00 piece of **** and did all the bodywork myself...painted it myself on the last day of cl***...sold it for $2500.00 before graduation, nuff said!
I wish I had a shop teacher like you when I was in High School approx 45 years ago. almost every thing I learned was from people my parents did not want me to hang around with If you were closer I could help out with parts.Thank You for teaching these young people that their is something other than ricers.
The auto shop at our high school (I teach at the junior high) is very well equipped. Our ex-principal (he moved on to greener pastures) was a gear head and it was kinda his pet. We are now in serious danger of losing it as we cannot find anyone to teach the cl***. The last instructor we had in there got in a ******* match with the school board and it wasn't good. Our old teacher came out of retirement to keep it afloat but has had to leave again for medical reasons. It is now staffed part by our ag teachers and I cringe to think of what is gonna happen to the place and the program Part of my reason for getting the younger kids interested is so that when they reach high school they are begging to get into the auto shop. Thanks for all the positive responses, I'll try and keep everyone posted on our progress. When I think back to my school days my fondest memories are of my shop teachers. A funny story - although I don't tell stories well. One day in high school we were hanging out outside the shop waiting for cl*** to start. Some kids were hanging around a Dodge 4-door with the hood up. The kid who owned the car really thought it was hot. They just pulled it out of the farm shop after some intensive surgery. He had a header leak so they proceeded to weld all the tubes to the collectors, weld bead running over the header bolts and dripping off onto the heads. But the true artwork came in the form of a coffee can attached to the top of the carb to raise the small diameter air cleaner out of chisled hole through the hood! Our auto shop teacher happened by to have a look, bear in mind this is a person who wouldn't say **** if he had a mouthful. Looks at the "modification" and than at the knucklehead who owned the car and says "So, THAT is how you increase the volumetric efficiency?" The jab obviously lost on the knucklehead... If you know anyone who teaches auto shop and wants to come work in Montana give me an email...
Just an update - I should be getting some different lower A arms for the '49 and the kids are going to build some spring pocket drops for them, awaiting some stripping discs from Eastwood so we can begin some bodywork on the "A" and am also gonna have the kids begin "restoring" my sons Montgomery Wards mini-bike. Should keep us busy for a bit!
Thanks for the update, I'd been wondering how that was going. What are some of the things your students are most interested in learning or doing?
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