A teacher along with my father being a mechanic who always had a Pontiac in the driveway is responsible for me being into Pontiacs.
That teacher was only 24-25 when I and other kids other were in his 2 period auto class in High School, so he was kind of one of us. We are still friends to this day. We think a lot alike because he helped me so much and I am forever grateful.
I graduated in 83, my 455 HO was assembled the first time under his supervision in the late 80s. It was done after work during his night class at that same High School shop as a favor. I was not in his night class but he let me show up with the paying students like I was one of them.
One of the smartest people I know and has saved me countless times over the phone with car problems. Got me home in the middle of nowhere with no parts stores around.
In fact, this one teacher made such a impact on his students that 5-6 auto repair businesses were started from kids in my class. In class we worked on customers cars, broke collage kids and single mothers for the most part as our labor was inexpensive. Lots of oil changes, water pumps, timing chains ect, those sort of things were done by students. We had to write the work orders and then do the work, all in 2 hours or less.
So my classmates started 3 oil change shops from scratch and a couple of full auto repair shops locally with most still in business to this day.
Talk about a positive impact on the community ! A good teacher is worth so much to young people, all positive.
It did not end well as school politics closed that wonderful class, jealousy I think . The engine stand I use today comes from that closing.
|