This version of “Overhaulin'” won’t be finished in the crunched time period of a one-hour episode on TV. Instead, the overhauling of a 1951 Ford truck will be done over the course of three years.
Technical High School’s newly formed Auto Club will be reducing the old ’51 truck to nothing but the frame before restoring it to its former glory.
Matt Keil, a technology education teacher at Tech, is heading the project with the Auto Club. The Ford truck is a family heirloom that has been passed down to Keil from his father-in-law who had received it from his father-in-law. Now in Keil’s possession, the truck is about to get a facelift. The truck has been residing at the family farm for many years.
It was no small feat to tow the truck to Tech.
“The truck had had animals living in it and it wasn’t easy,” says Keil.
Once inside Tech, the clean-up could begin. Starting with the removal of all the walnuts, acorns and other “leftovers” from animals that had taken residence in the truck.
The Auto Club students are excited to work on this project. As each part is removed, they label and categorize it.
Ethan Moore, a sophomore at Tech, says, “It’s a lot of work. It’s really hard.”
Some of the pieces don’t want to come off very easily. Rust has a mind of its own.
“You should have seen the brakes,” exclaims Andrew Christopherson, another sophomore in the club.
The students have removed most parts from the interior, the rear fenders and wheels and are now siphoning the remaining gas from the tank to keep the work safe. The next step is to remove the front fenders.
“The club is made up of a rather diverse group of kids,” explains Keil. “I even have a 10th-grade girl who isn’t taking any of the auto classes. She just thought it sounded fun.”
Christopherson, however, wants to be an auto mechanic.
“I’ve been working on them [autos] since I’ve been four. I’ve changed batteries, redone brakes, rotated tires, etc.,” says Christopherson. “I’m taking auto right now for a class and will be taking the next auto class as soon as I can.”
One of the things Christopherson appreciates about this project is that it will take three years to complete. He will be able to see the project through to its entirety. He’ll be a senior when the truck is complete.
The plan is to remove the engine in February and Christopherson is looking forward to it.
Each club member works in tandem on the truck, and overseeing the majority of it is senior, Brenden Forbes. Forbes gives advice to his younger classmates and gives gentle reminders to watch for safety.
“Brenden is pretty much in charge. He’s really good at this and knows what he is doing,” says Keil.
Forbes is cutting off the front left fender and is showing Moore where the cuts need to be so that the fender can be taken off properly.
Before long, the shop starts to smell of hot metal and sparks are flying. Keil checks up on the students and stops to answer questions as well as assist in the removal of the gas tank.
The smile on the students’ faces and the glimmer in their eyes show just how much these students enjoy the work.
“If it wasn’t for this club, these kids would just be at home doing nothing,” says Keil. “It’s really great that they can be here doing this.”
These students are taking the initiative to get hands-on experience in a field that they are interested in as a career and to get some first-hand experience overhauling a 1951 Ford truck, Tech style.
Watch for updates as the students continue their work on restoring the ’51 Ford.
