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From Car Shows to Careers: Growing the Next Generation of Builders
How a small local car club and tech school partnership is keeping the automotive restoration culture alive
By Keith Bourgeois
Sometimes the longest journeys begin by accident when you're doing what you love. In this case, merely attending a local car show.
A small local car club called the “Gone Cruisin Car Club” in the Finger Lakes area of New York state did a great job putting on their annual car show which features, on average, over 250 classic and modern muscle vehicles from a Model T to classic Jaguars, a Hellcat Red Eye, and even a fully restored WWII Jeep, along with many more. I enjoyed the show so much that I asked how to get involved. At the end of the conversation, I joined their car club and started attending their monthly meetings.
Finding Our Purpose
One of the first orders of business at my first meeting was to decide which local charities the money raised at the car show would go to. Suggestions included the local nursing home, the Boy Scouts, and other community outreach initiatives to help shed a positive light on the car culture in the area.
All were excellent charities, but something didn't feel right. We are a car club after all! Why weren't we donating money to a cause that would help foster and grow our car restoration space? We could donate to something like the SEMA political action committee, which fights for our rights to repair, race, and restore our own cars. Better yet, what about youth engagement? Let's support kids who are interested in getting involved in the car culture and building a career in the industry to help not only preserve our hobby but also ensure its life far into the future.
The car club agreed, and the motion passed to donate and help foster youth engagement in the automotive fields of employment.
Partnering with Wayne Technical Career Center
This led to our involvement with the Wayne Technical Career Center (WTCC) auto body class, which is part of Wayne-Finger Lakes BOCES located in Williamson, NY, about 30 minutes east of Rochester, NY, where junior and senior high school students from all over the county come together to learn everything about auto body collision and restoration.
The WTCC teaches in a very unique way. Head instructor Jeremy Tiffany states, "I run the program like a 'real' body shop, doing all live customer work and, as far as we know, we're the only high school trade school body shop in the state that does this."
Tiffany has been teaching kids auto body for 30 years, and with 20 graduates a year, he's introduced about 600 kids to the auto collision and restoration workforce during his tenure. "I started out working in a shop and was approached by a teacher who asked me to be an assistant," Tiffany states. "I stuck with teaching all these years because I like helping kids learn the trade." Jeremy doesn’t quit once the school bell rings; he also runs a body shop after hours, working on clients' vehicles and restoring his own projects, applying the same skills he teaches.
They operate the auto body class like a real collision shop, working on customer cars. Besides working on projects in the shop, the students actually estimate repairs, order parts and supplies, and bill clients—giving them real-world experience. An added bonus for customers who have their car repaired or restored by the students is that they don’t have to pay for labor.
State law requires the school to bring in representatives from local collision and restoration shops as well as auto restoration & repair-related businesses, annually. These industry consultants evaluate the curriculum and provide feedback to ensure students are learning the skills that shops, dealerships, and the industry actually need.
Making an Impact
As mentioned above, the WTCC body shop class was voted by the club as our choice to receive the funds remaining after expenses from the annual car show. The teacher, the school, and especially the students were ecstatic to receive the thousands of dollars that our little car show generated. As of March 2026, over the first three years, this small club has donated $8,700 in support of the students!
Students who plan to pursue further education and certifications in automotive collision and restoration are selected by a committee the school has put together, and the students can use their donations for:
- Continuing Education (Trade School or College)
- Tools, Supplies, etc.
- Vehicle Purchases, Repairs, Parts (for personal transportation to/from school and jobs)
- Clothing (for job interviews and work clothing)
- Certifications
The 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger Student Project
A happy byproduct of talking to the WTCC instructor and course director was that they learned we were restoring and rebuilding a 1969 Dodge Dart Swinger.
"Well, why not bring the Dart down here to the WTCC shop and let the kids work on it?" Tiffany said. This was our chance not only to increase youth engagement but also to involve the industry. It was a perfect fit.
We reached out to manufacturers, services, and suppliers such as Auto Metal Direct, Borgeson, Red Line Synthetic Oil, Steele Rubber Products, and Motorhead Digital for support with this youth-oriented project. The response was immediate and very positive. These companies in the automotive aftermarket industry stepped up big time and were very gracious in backing our initiative and supplying the parts students needed to complete the restoration.
One thing that we get a huge kick out of is that the students are so stoked to be working on this classic 60’s muscle car that they have to beg to work on it. Currently, there's a small group of junior and senior students that the teacher sees as his most skilled, who work on the car every day. There are even two young ladies doing some amazing work on the Dart.
Once the car is complete, it will be on the road, hitting car shows and Drag & Drive events across the country, showcasing what today's youth can accomplish.
The Road Ahead
It is amazing what can be accomplished and how many lives can be touched when your intentions are good, you get involved, and you keep the goal of passing on our car hobby to the next generation in mind.
Get Engaged - Everyone Benefits!
About Keith Bourgeois
Keith is an avid car guy, a top NY competitive shooter, a data expert, and writer. Keith manages client projects, website projects, and supports MHD at events like the SEMA Show and other car related events. Keith has Mopar blood running through his veins as he recently sold his 1970 440 6BBL Road Runner. But never fear, as he now owns a sweet maroon Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody and a 1969 Dodge Dart that he's putting a big block and new rear end in with high hopes of participating in Hot Rod Magazine's Drag Week and Tom Bailey's Sick Week.
