Students in the automotive program at Lyons Township High School got to strut their stuff at the school’s annual car show.
In one demonstration, the students raced to change spark plugs — rather than struts — at the show held Saturday at the north campus parking lot. The timed exercise showed their growing expertise in caring for cars, and was a good time.
“It’s something that’s cool and fun,” said Jordan Englehardt, an automotive instructor in the applied technology program.
A variety of restored cars were on display including muscle cars, classic convertibles, a van and old-time jalopies. For the first time this year, participants were charged a $10 registration fee to show their cars.
Englehardt said the registration fee may give a bit of a boost to the amount of about $300 or $400 that usually is raised at the show and which is funneled back into the automotive program.
“We’re not doing it for the money,” he said.
Nonetheless, he said whatever is raised will be funneled back into the program to buy equipment.
There are about 240 students in the automotive program, and between 25 and 30 percent pursue a career in the automotive field.
“They go on to do something on the auto industry, whether it’s automotive restoration or engineering,” Englehardt said.
One of those who plans to pursue a career in the automotive field is Luis Barrera,14, a freshman from La Grange.
He want to become an automotive engineer but, before that, he said he will use the skills he learns in the automotive program in another way. He’ll probably buy a clunker and transform it.
“I want to own a car one day and make it really nice and good and have fun doing it,” he said.
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He was at the show with his friend, Rich Wagner, who attends Kennedy High School in Chicago. Wagner was showing a 1990 Mustang GE he recently restored.
“We cleaned it up, put on a new top and exhaust system,” Wagner said.
He was enjoying his first time letting people pop the hood and look at a car he had restored.
“It’s fun for people to see what we did to fix it up,” he said.
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