Students at the Advanced Technical Center (ATC) at Gardner Edgerton High School are working to restore a Ford F150 that has been in the school’s possession since 1984. This truck was donated by the Ford Motor Company when it was deemed a “total loss” due to flood damage while at Don Thornton Ford in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The truck has less than 200 original miles on the odometer, and other than minor cosmetic blemishes the truck is relatively untouched and in original condition.

With the help of LMC truck, our students have been able to replace some of the damaged parts on the truck such as the grille, headlights, turn signals, and various interior and exterior parts. Primarily this project has been in the Automotive Technology shop at the ATC but will move to the Automotive Collision shop for buffing and polishing of the original paint as the paint matches our school’s colors very well. With the hard work of the students and with the help from LMC Truck, we hope to restore this Ford back to its former glory and showcase it in the main lobby of the ATC.

We plan on keeping this truck in the lobby for events such as back-to-school night, parent-teacher conferences, open houses, and other large gatherings. When the truck is not on display it will be used as a learning tool, along with the rest of the donated cars in our fleet, for the students to analyze, diagnose and repair. One of the most interesting facts regarding this truck is that it has been used to teach students in the Automotive Technology Courses since 1984, which means that there’s the potential that a student is working on the same vehicle that his or her parent worked on more than 30 years ago.

The purpose of the Automotive Technology courses offered at Gardner Edgerton High School is to provide students with academic and technical skills needed to succeed in either post-secondary technical education or in the skill-based automotive industry. The variety of classes allow the students to learn everything from basic oil changes to engine rebuilding, custom fabrication of parts and modification of vehicles.