Restoration, aftermarket upgrades and custom paint come together

Hiring professionals in the collision repair industry face an interesting dilemma. On one hand, interest in certain parts of the industry – custom paint, classic cars, performance parts – remains as high and energized as ever. On the other, recruiting young (or not-so-young) repairers and convincing them to remain in the industry can be a tough sell. Ohio Technical College (OTC), located in Cleveland, Ohio, has created a unique solution to this puzzle that industry members may want to look into.

In 2009, OTC and aftermarket performance specialists Edelbrock formed a partnership when Justin Brenner, director of corporate development for OTC, approached Christi Edelbrock, vice president of purchasing for Edelbrock, about getting their new products into the hands of OTC’s students via an enhanced aftermarket curriculum that focused on Edelbrock products. OTC and Edelbrock announced at the 2010 SEMA show they were teaming-up to form the Edelbrock Performance Academy.

This Edelbrock Performance Academy is a learning program designed to give students a solid foundation in the building and tuning of American muscle cars and performance vehicles. As part of the program, OTC students study engine modifications; installation of high- performance products like top-end kits, nitrous and supercharging systems; and dyno tuning and testing, among other skills. Additionally, the Edelbrock Academy is set up to expose students to the some of the latest aftermarket products.

The newly-formed Academy recently showcased its potential with a one-of-a-kind restoration project. Instead of re-creating a classic vehicle, students brought a classic toy to life – specifically, a Hot Wheels custom ‘Vic’ 57.

“The1957 Chevy Bel Air was a remarkable learning tool for our students and a great way to introduce the Edelbrock Academy and showcase the type of practical and applied training students will receive,” said Brenner.

“Students in our Classic Car and Restoration as well as the Racing and High Performance programs have spent the past several months completely restoring the ’57 Chevy. The Bel Air is infused with custom features and accessories including the new Edelbrock E Force Supercharger, making it a 600 horsepower ’57 Chevy,” added Brenner.

Students had their hands in every aspect of the build for the 1957 Chevy Bel Air, which took place from October 2010 to this May. Their work included cutting the front end stub to accommodate the new larger LS3 Edelbrock engine as well as sanding and welding other components of the car. They restored the entire body and applied paint. With that finished, they installed the engine was installed and mounted an Edelbrock E-Force super charger.

Students also installed the exhaust; applied graphics, and installed door panels, tires, seats and the rest of the interior. They then shipped the car off to Torrance, Calif. for the annual Rev’ved Up For Kids Event put on by Christi Edelbrock on May 1, 2011.

At the event, the car was presented to Edelbrock president and CEO Vic Edelbrock, who declared that the students did an excellent job in the short amount of time they were given to do the work.

A number of industry partners supported the ’57 project by donating parts and services, including Edelbrock LLC, Danchuk, Eckler’s, Fat Man Fabrications and Scoggin-Dickey. Students from OTC who made this custom build happen, included Quinton Miller from Berlin, Ohio; Alex Jacin from North Randall, Ohio; and Chad O’Leary from Janesville, Wis.

Classes at the Edelbrock Academy begin this fall.

The Chevy Bel Air will tour the country throughout the coming year as part of OTC’s 80 high school and 20 car show tour to promote the Edelbrock Academy to prospective students.

To see a complete tour schedule or for more information on OTC, visit www.ohiotechnicalcollege.com.