High school students check out a different MINI during spring break
Over three dozen
high school students will compete at this year’s National Automotive Technology Competition. The competition is
to be heldduring the New York International Auto Show, and will pit students (paired in teams) with the task of
diagnosing and repairing MINI Coopers. Prizes to be awarded include a pair of Chevrolet Cobalts and various
scholarships. The contest will be held on Tuesday, April 18th, and Wednesday, April 19th. More information can be found here.
[Source: Press Telegram]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Puff Chippy 2:23PM (4/17/2006)
Appropriate choice having them repair Mini's. They'll need the practice once they hit the real world.
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Noah 2:44PM (4/17/2006)
I see they don't win a mini... is they Chevy taking a jab at the problematic nature of many minis?
Seriously though.... is this going to be plug in the diagnostic tool and whoever reads fastest wins? The mini like every new car and even more so like every new "German" car has oodles of self diagnostics
--Noah
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Gunnar Heinrich 3:02PM (4/17/2006)
Working on the MINI is a fitting choice - they've had a sketchy quality control record. Fun cars though.
http://www.automobilesdeluxe.blogspot.com
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mehool 9:46PM (3/08/2007)
hmm, which public high school's offer enough auto tech training for students to compete in such a competition. Are these trade schools? The most my high school ever had was a couple of Auto shop classes.
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Bigel 3:20PM (4/17/2006)
Irony upon irony: The students going to work on MINIs, but win Chevys. And the students in the article drive Toyotas.
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Howard Kerr 3:21PM (4/17/2006)
I don't have any experience with the newer offerings from GM/Chevrolet, but wouldn't it make MORE sense to use Cobalts instead of Minis as the "test subjects" for honing troubleshooting skills? Or at least old Cavaliers?
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Chris 3:51PM (4/17/2006)
Clearances for working on engine components in my MX-6 V6 are tight enough as it is - working on a MINI engine can't exactly be a pleasant experience.
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Darien Allen 3:53PM (4/17/2006)
Pontiac Sunfires would be even better, they were even more trouble prone than their sibling Cavaliers.
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Richard Warren 5:01PM (4/17/2006)
You know what's interesting is that when I was in school (OK so there were stage coaches) our autoshop classes were great, engines in test stands to tear down, automatic transmissions to tear down and a chance to enter the Chrysler trouble shooting contest. We had 6 lifts, a class are and really well equipped tool room. If you took and passed beginning autoshop and passed through advanced 1 through 5 you were already a pretty good wrench. The dealerships used our school as a recruitment school. Actually or scholl back then had really great shop classes, Print, Electrical, Auto, Woodworking, Blueprint drawing and reading, construction. One of our woodworking class great now has art displayed. It all started in High School shop
http://www.askart.com/askart/artist.aspx?artist=10069711
http://americanart.si.edu/highlights/artworks.cfm?id=MC&StartRow=23
http://www.hunter-studios.com/B/
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Seth cruver 7:22PM (4/17/2006)
i took part in this madness last year.
What they do is they "bug" the cars (intentonally loosen a bolt here,mess with this thing,mess up the alignment,etc) then expect the students to find it.
i won a nice set of snap on wrenches at the locals...but we got murdered once we hit state level. :( damnit.
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