Students to Restore Vintage Dodge Pickup

Posted by Mark Williams | March 1, 2012

The students of Hot Rod U — a car-restoration workshop launched last year by the Jackson Area Manufacturers Association — are giddy with excitement. They just finished showing off their 1935 Dodge project pickup (that they pulled out of a local swamp) at Detroit's annual Autorama, and they couldn't be prouder.

Since October, 13 students from the Jackson area, about 40 miles west of Ann Arbor, Mich., have been working together once a week on a truck restoration project with JAMA to completely re-create the truck.

Annette Norris, director of the Academy for Manufacturing Careers, said all of this hard work will pay off for the students.

"I know it has been a long road for these kids," Norris said. "But in the end, they get to see how far they have come and how they made a truck that was not functional at all into a drivable, good-as-new hot rod, and that will be exciting."

The students reuse as much as possible, Norris said. The truck got a new engine and tires, but most parts are recycled and donated.

Now that Autorama is behind them, the group members still have a few more details to finish up, and they to auction the truck or hold a raffle. "The money that we gain from the sales will be put into next year's fund so we can do it all over again," Norris said.

For more information about JAMA, click here. For more on the student project vehicle, click here.

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Comments

I wish I could have done something like this when I was in school....

Posted by: Ken E. | Mar 1, 2012 12:58:21 PM

Now that is a great cause and they will have learned so much by doing this.

They should then sell and and donate some of the proceeds to charity and get another restoration started for a new group of kids

Posted by: Scott | Mar 1, 2012 12:59:57 PM

Someone should have donated a 6bt lol

Posted by: Tom With A Ranger | Mar 1, 2012 1:06:52 PM

..... they pulled out of a swamp?

correct me if im wrong, but the types of vehicles with water damage are the ones to avoid right?

How can you miss that?

I would run away from any car that has been in a flood, or incurred severe water damage. Carfax wont report that, but were dealing with a vintage, but still.... hold yourself to better standards guys!

Posted by: Allistar | Mar 1, 2012 2:18:23 PM

Nice! I can not wait to see it.

Posted by: Frank | Mar 1, 2012 2:24:45 PM

Allistar,
I am pretty sure they weren't too concerned about water damage to the ECU or other onboard computers.

Posted by: skinner | Mar 1, 2012 2:26:48 PM

Awesome! Dodge will be taking over Chevrolet's #2 spot in 2012/2013. GM's is killing off all of their Chevy truck loyalists. All I can say is it's about time..

Posted by: Dave Paulsen | Mar 1, 2012 3:05:15 PM

Learning to repair your Chrysler vehicle is something all students should learn how to do as early as possible. They're valuable skills.

Posted by: max | Mar 1, 2012 3:39:06 PM

Would love to take a vintage truck like that all the way down to bare metal and convert it to EV. I know it would be damn expensive, heavy and the range would be very limited. Drive it to the supermarket with only the sound of country music coming out of it.

Posted by: cyberpine | Mar 1, 2012 3:50:38 PM

@Max: actually looks tike they are going to be repairing alot a Chevy stuff, cause that's no Dodge engine. Real quick Max, you know why there are so many aftermarkit parts for a small block Chevy? Cause they need them!

Really though, this is a great project!

Posted by: TRX4 TOMMY | Mar 2, 2012 10:48:07 AM

@TRX4 TOMMY
You know why there are so many aftermarkit parts for a small block Chevy? Cause no one wants ford or dodge junk. When they get it done, they don't want to take the motor back out.

Posted by: johnny doe | Mar 2, 2012 2:19:25 PM

@johnny doe - I've been told one of the reasons small block Chevy's are so popular in hot rods is that they are physically smaller than comparable Ford or Dodge small blocks. Chevy small blocks are also plentiful and there is a huge amount of interchangability of parts. Those 2 factors mean easier to work with and cheeper to work with.
I'd rather see a Mopar engine in any Dodge. I like to see homogeneity of components. If it is a Ford go with Ford components, same for Chevy or Dodge. There is an old school model A roadster that I see all of the time in the summer. It has a flat headV8 in it. The thing is awesome. It looses effect if you put another brand in something. That would be like putting a 426 hemi in a Camaro. It might be fast, and done to perfection, but it just wouldn't be right.

Posted by: Lou | Mar 2, 2012 8:16:49 PM

Lou
I rather see ford have ford dodge have dodge to but theres no reason to be a wise butt as tom just giveing him what he dishes out.

Posted by: johnny doe | Mar 3, 2012 9:00:20 AM