Restoring classic cars in the classroom

I used to work on the pickup (Ram) that a retired McPherson professor used to haul his Model Ts to Colorado at an independent shop 30 miles from McPherson. This professor ran a model T club out of Pitkin, Colorado in the summer. Not sure how long he taught automotive restoration in McPherson though.

Wow make America Great Again 🎉

More used degree than Gender Studies for sure.

Awesome! Lucky kids indeed. How does an old guy like me get into the program?

I'm 60 years old and I want to finish my college education at Macpherson!!

Well done! Bringing the old ‘Back To The Future’!

❤️

Nothing like this existed in the century I grew up in so I didn't have this advantage. But I did build from the ground up an automobile to race in the Carrera Panamericana and I drove it 2900 miles to the starting line and ran the 2000 mile road rally, coming in 28th and then drove it 900 miles home from Mexico. That college would be a wonderful experience and it is great that kids have it available but I wouldn't trade my experience for anything.

As a gearhead from the 70s, this program started too late for me, I ended up in an IT program in a sister college to McPherson. I personally know several people who have completed this program, one of whom has his own restoration shop, and is growing exponentially! They have a fantastic program, and if I was starting out again, I would be trying to get in.

The best college program in the world for young people interested in the future of car collecting, restoration, history, and preservation. The staff is down to earth, teachers are dedicated active artisans of their craft, and both the town and institution set high standard for ethics, integrity, and empathy instilled in their graduates - preservation and restoration that goes deeper than the service of old cars.

Im 67 yrs. Old. If i was 18 thats where id like to go those kids are lucky!!!

Bravo Zulu 🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤

We need more of these classes 😊😊😊

I was just talking with a group of my old car friends about the future of the hobby when we are all gone.This brought a smile to my face!😊

They're very special and cream

What an extraordinary program! There is so substitute for the marriage of fine craft and science.

Awesome program. I am 64 and want to go. 😀

Wow, amazing

This is amazing and very important!

An AWESOME story by CBS Sunday Morning! This story exemplifies what CBS Sunday Morning USED TO BE!!!! This story didn't bash President Trump, wasn't anti-capitalistic, anti-male, anti-White, anti-Semitic, anti-heterosexual, or anti-American. How refreshing!!!! Run a few more stories like this, and CBS just might regain some of its old ratings!

Makes me want to go back to school — this school.

Taking care of old cars is a family legacy. Dad bought his first car in 1949 and kept it for 59 years. That car was a 1939 Packard Super 8 Convertible. Dad owned four Packards during his life and I am the caretaker of the fourth and most humble of those cars, a 1953 Packard Clipper. Few who see her know what she is. They imagine she is a Chevy or Buick. It is her turquoise color people react to. Those of us who are stewards of old vehicles are keepers of lots of lost knowledge. Nice to hear about this place preserving some of that. On so many levels these cars have something to teach a modern audience. The lesson plan I give starts with a short phrase, "Four ashtrays. NO cupholders"! That sets people into the very different mindset of the early 1950s.The next bit of fun comes when someone asks, "Does that have a V-8"? I smile and tell them, it has eight cylinders but they are not in a V, they are all inline. Eyes widen at that fact. The biggest shock from young for is when I tell them Packard outsold Cadillac until just a couple years before Emmy, my 1953 Clipper was built. The idea that there was a car above Cadillac stuns them. Again, happy to learn the school is helping to preserve the skills needed to keep these pieces of American history running.

I hold two college degrees, I've been in and made films, I've written scripts, performed on the stage, sang in NYC, played softball and worked with celebrities and done fireworks for President Clinton-who also owns two pieces of art by me, but one of my fondest memories was the automotive shop class I took in high school (where my dad would bring our family car for us to work on) and the teacher who ran it. This is such a great thing.

Fantastic.... absolutely fantastic......

In today’s world of negative and downright bizarre news, this piece was a joy to watch. Kudos to CBS, and even bigger kudos to these students!

Heartwarming story! I have a BS, MBA and doctorate, but I am much more impressed by the people in this story than people like myself with advanced business degrees. The young man highlighted in the story is a true hero. Our country needs to elevate educational opportunities in the trades and trade technologies. These folks and programs deserve our financial and societal support!

So awesome!!!

My cousin used to restore cars for movies back in the 70's and 80's.

Beauteous 💜

I have been aware of McPherson for years but this offered some new insight into the program. There are so many cars out there that were not designed to be disposable. It would be a shame if there was nobody to keep them going.

Didn't notice any Packards from the early 1930s. The 1934 Packard was a gorgeous car. My grandfather worked in a showroom selling them in 1930 until he was let go due to the Great Depression. The favorite slogan at the time was "Ask The Man Who Owns One." Favorite model is still the 1934 Packard!!

Hope they can survive Donnie's cuts to education. The wealthy have suffered enough though, so few have their own space ships!

I would love to go there, I’ve heard about it for years.

We are so back!

Love. Old. Cars

So proud of my alma mater home town. Wish this was an option when I was going to school in McPherson "Mac".

Wake up America. The US needs more programs like this. Computers cannot repair cars or build houses. You don't ask a computer to unplug your toilet. Bring back Jr. High shop classes. We need skilled WORKERS !

As an old man and an old car lover I'm almost in tears.

My wife wanted a classic car. I told her to keep driving the one I bought new for her 20 years ago, and one day soon enough it will be an antique.

Great !

Thanks for posting this on-line. I almost never miss Sunday Morning, but our local affiliate just had to preempt this story 2 minutes in to regale us with the news that it was in fact raining.

The real question Lee Cowan’s terrific story raises, is this: Why aren’t more schools - 2-year and 4-year - providing these educational opportunities? Quite obviously, the interest is there.

McPherson, KS is an amazing small town of about 13,000 to 14,000 citizens now. It has grown gradually from about 10,000 when I last lived there almost 50 years ago. Besides its great small college it has grain elevators serving the surrounding wheat farmers, a thriving oil refinery, and myriad other manufacturing industries from fiberglass insulation, plastic pipe, and pharmaceuticals.

I saw this morning at the end, thank you for posting. As a business owner at 39 running a Electric Golf Car repair facility, this gives me hope. I can’t find people that know the difference between metric and US thread.
To see these young men and women care stitch to stitch is heartwarming. Keep going!

I wish I was young again and knew about this program......

BEAUTIFUL WORK

I just pray college programs like this don't lose funding! Best way to learn anything Is hands on!

A liberal arts Woke college getting their hands dirty. What a concept!