Thursday, May 5, 2011

Auto Collision students complete restoration project


Posing with their latest project are, from left, Abudul (Slick) Banks, Nathan (Nate) Ganbin, Jeff O’Neal, Dustin Karasch, Will Clark, instructors Bill Smith and Gene Deyo, Dustin Karasch, Timothy (Spanky) Wareham and Albert (Lenny) Legary.

Students in Daytona State’s Automotive Collision Repair and Refinishing program recently restored a 5/8 scale replica of a 1934 Ford sedan originally built by 600 Racing, Inc. out of Charlotte, N.C.

The vehicle, which for the past four years has been run nationwide in the U.S. Legends Car Racing Series, features a fiberglass body and tube chassis, and a Yamaha 4-cylinder FJ 1200 motorcycle engine turned sideways, according to Bill Smith, automotive collision program chair.

Under Smith’s and instructor Gene Deyo’s supervision, the students straightened the car’s chassis, refinished, restored and painted the entire body, and custom airbrushed the vehicle, including flames, logos and their signatures, for Daytona State’s Advanced Technology College where the program is housed. The car will be on display in the ATC atrium during Speed Weeks as well as during open houses hosted by the college.

On tap for fall semester, students will begin restoring a 1969 GTO, Smith said.

The Automotive Collision Repair and Refinishing program is a four-semester technical certificate program that prepares students for I-CAR and NATEF certification. Classes are offered during spring and fall semesters.

For more information, please call Mr. Smith at (386) 506-4199.