Another school update

[dan]

As usual, the school year flew by. I've been following FB fairly regularly, but don't often have much to say. I guess school has put me into lurker mode A couple people mentioned that they might be interested in updates, so here's another

For those who don't remember, about two years ago I left the Silicon Valley for McPherson Kansas to attend McPherson College's Auto Restoration degree program. I'm two years in, but still have a good ways to go, since I'm working full-time remotely and raising three kids--taking just a course or two at a time.

This past semester I took Chassis Restoration. It was interesting, since the chassis my team was working on was an A chassis. We went from a frame and some parts to a rolling chassis by the end of the semester. We'd have made better progress, but a couple of parts orders got lost in the bureaucratic order chain. It took almost 1/2 the semester to get brake parts we needed.

It was cool to put everything together, pretty much from scratch. I'd adjusted the brakes on my A, but hadn't ever had everything torn all the way down. We riveted the running board brackets onto the frame, put the brake system together pretty much from parts, put tubes and tires on the wheels (whitewalls--the horror!)

The class was a little challenging at times. Not academically (this is my 3rd degree) but the professor was leaving at the end of the semester and it occasionally showed. Also, there are two sessions of the class and at times it seemed like the two groups working on the A were working at cross-purposes.

In the end though it all turned out OK.


(Note that this pic is from before we finished putting it all together)

Some additional work remains, but good progress, overall.

One funny thing happened that will give some of you a laugh. We scrounged up some brake drums to use and sent them off to the painting class to have them painted before we put them on. This is what we got back.



Apparently either not everyone there had taken chassis, or they just didn't think it through. We spent an extra class period sorting that out.

[Gary WA]

nice interior paint job!!!Brake shoes should grab great!

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Dan,
Reminds me of Auto Shop @ Lemoore, Ca High School. Since I couldn't participate in P.E, I finigeled an EXTRA class in Auto Shop! Mr. Rude was like a second Father to me & we learned a lot of unusual things, like rebuilding a TOTALED '51 Pontiac Convertible, using a NEW frame, even !
Bill W.

[Mitch//pa]

surprised they masked off the hub bearing area lol

[BlueSunoco]

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That's cool. Glad to hear you are doing well in such an interesting class!

Nice paint job on that drum anyway ya gotta admit