Don't the high schools teach car repair any more?

Morrigoon · 04-09-2007, 01:11 PM

When I was in school, my high school had a car repair shop program. Don't they do that any more?

I'm trying to figure out what to do with my Jeep, and one thing I thought of was to let high school car repair students have at it, but damned if I can find any evidence of the local schools having a car repair program. Maybe the school system just hasn't figured out that the internet exists yet (hey, it could happen... when I was in school my algebra textbooks mentioned computer punch cards, okay?), or maybe they just don't fund programs like that any more.

Betty · 04-09-2007, 01:18 PM

That jeep doesn't happen to be an 03 with a working back window zipper does it?

DreadPirateRoberts · 04-09-2007, 01:21 PM

Donate it to the LoT commune?

I checked and my HS doesn't have an automotive program anymore. Bummer, it was fun to work on cars at school. I think LB City College still has an automotive program.

DreadPirateRoberts · 04-09-2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Betty

That jeep doesn't happen to be an 03 with a working back window zipper does it?

You could try Quadratec for soft top parts.

Ghoulish Delight · 04-09-2007, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreadPirateRoberts

You could try Quadratec for soft top parts.

Wow, I read that and thought, "Why would one need to go online for Pop Tarts that aren't stale?"

DreadPirateRoberts · 04-09-2007, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

Wow, I read that and thought, "Why would one need to go online for Pop Tarts that aren't stale?"

have NA try typing it 3 times fast

MouseWife · 04-09-2007, 02:02 PM

My experience has also been that it is the local community colleges have auto shops.

Too bad because the kids in school should be able to do some minor work on their cars.

Alex · 04-09-2007, 02:15 PM

You'd likely have to look to vocational schools for modern car repair programs.

Beyond the pedagogical priority and funding issues you have the simple fact that modern cars simply aren't amenable to the kind of manual repair and maintenance that you used to do.

There was a guy who called into Car Talk on NPR a few months ago saying he wanted to learn how to fix his newish car himself rather than paying people. They essentially told him that except for some stuff around the fringes you can't anymore. You need extremely specialized tools and computers for most things around the engine.

Even changing the oil is difficult on most modern cars. They're all safer, lighter, faster, and more efficient but at the cost of simplicity and ability to just hit at them with a wrench until everything works again.

So when debating whether to fund an autoshop class it is probably a decision made easier when it is would actually have to be a pre-1990 autoshop class.

Morrigoon · 04-09-2007, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Betty

That jeep doesn't happen to be an 03 with a working back window zipper does it?

Nope, it's a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. Mechanically it's a disaster, but it could be a really nice car for someone who can do a lot of the repair themselves. I'd heard that sometimes it was possible to loan vehicles to school auto programs and it'd get fixed up, but you had to be willing to wait a long time because they might take a semester to do. Either that, or donate it, but my accountant tells me that since I have so little to itemize, there isn't much point in donation.

DreadPirateRoberts · 04-09-2007, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Morrigoon

Nope, it's a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited. Mechanically it's a disaster, but it could be a really nice car for someone who can do a lot of the repair themselves.

I hear it's got a good radiator

04-09-2007, 01:11 PM	#1
Morrigoon I throw stones at houses Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Location: Location Posts: 9,534	Don't the high schools teach car repair any more? When I was in school, my high school had a car repair shop program. Don't they do that any more? I'm trying to figure out what to do with my Jeep, and one thing I thought of was to let high school car repair students have at it, but damned if I can find any evidence of the local schools having a car repair program. Maybe the school system just hasn't figured out that the internet exists yet (hey, it could happen... when I was in school my algebra textbooks mentioned computer punch cards, okay?), or maybe they just don't fund programs like that any more. __________________ http://bash.org/?top "It is useless for sheep to pass a resolution in favor of vegetarianism while wolves remain of a different opinion." -- William Randolph Inge
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04-09-2007, 01:18 PM	#2
Betty Kicking up my heels! Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: The Silver State Posts: 3,783	That jeep doesn't happen to be an 03 with a working back window zipper does it? __________________ Nee Stell Thue
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04-09-2007, 01:21 PM	#3
DreadPirateRoberts Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 2,483	Donate it to the LoT commune? I checked and my HS doesn't have an automotive program anymore. Bummer, it was fun to work on cars at school. I think LB City College still has an automotive program.
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04-09-2007, 02:02 PM	#7
MouseWife Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Da' Beach Posts: 2,957	My experience has also been that it is the local community colleges have auto shops. Too bad because the kids in school should be able to do some minor work on their cars. __________________ Summa' time....when the livins' easy.........
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04-09-2007, 02:15 PM	#8
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	You'd likely have to look to vocational schools for modern car repair programs. Beyond the pedagogical priority and funding issues you have the simple fact that modern cars simply aren't amenable to the kind of manual repair and maintenance that you used to do. There was a guy who called into Car Talk on NPR a few months ago saying he wanted to learn how to fix his newish car himself rather than paying people. They essentially told him that except for some stuff around the fringes you can't anymore. You need extremely specialized tools and computers for most things around the engine. Even changing the oil is difficult on most modern cars. They're all safer, lighter, faster, and more efficient but at the cost of simplicity and ability to just hit at them with a wrench until everything works again. So when debating whether to fund an autoshop class it is probably a decision made easier when it is would actually have to be a pre-1990 autoshop class.
	Submit to Quotes