The advanced automotive class at Dickinson High School in Dickinson, TX, is restoring a 1942 Seagrave Fire truck for the Dickinson Volunteer Fire Department. From SFGATE.com:
Although in reasonably good condition for its age, it needed some work, so the department turned to Dickinson High School’s advanced automotive class to get it ready to show off.
The old engine’s first public event is expected to be in early December at the Dickinson Rotary Club’s Christmas parade, said Trish Lankford, director of career and technical education for the Dickinson school district.
When it arrived at the school in September, it was driveable, but the brakes didn’t work, said class instructor Brad Vandenhul, who has worked in the automotive industry for 22 years and in teaching for seven.
The 13 students in the class meet every day for an hour and 45 minutes, Vandenhul said. Part of that time is devoted to instruction and the rest is spent in the shop.
They work on the fire truck one or two days a week, as it fits in with their course material, he said.
“We go over stuff and then go out in the shop,” he said. “If we can use the fire truck we will.”
The 1942 Seagrave has proven to be a surprisingly relevant teaching tool, he said.
Click HERE to read the entire article about the restoration project on the SFGATE.com website.
