The Cuyahoga Community College Automotive Technology Department came up with the idea of using a custom car project as a way to excite students about learning. From Day One the goal was to have students and faculty from various college departments work together. A month later the project later to be named Cobalt Challenge got the green light from college administration and the Automotive Technology Advisory Board.
To get things rolling we called other colleges that had done similar projects to learn from their experiences. The Tri-C Public Affairs and Visual Communications departments offered suggestions on how to move the project ahead. The car was ordered from Chevrolet. In the meantime, we got estimates for a custom paint job that would be designed by a Visual Communication student.
A red 2006 SS Cobalt with a charcoal gray cloth interior rolled into the garage. Time to pick up the pace. We began working with faculty from the Marketing and Visual Communication departments to involve their students. We formed an Auto Tech student club to do the planning and actual work of transforming the Cobalt. The first meeting was in October. The goal for finishing the car's transformation was less than a year later, Fall 2007.
The first performance parts selected by Club members brake and suspension were ordered near the end of the Fall semester. Over the winter break we contacted various manufacturers to ask for donations of parts. We eventually received a nitrous kit from Zex Manufacturing, tires from Bridgestone/Firestone, an exhaust system from Corsa and a bonanza of tires, wheels, interior trim, custom pedals and ground effects from General Motors.
We began putting the pieces together. Auto Tech students started work on the car's front and rear suspension and brakes. While they did their thing, Visual Communication students created Cobalt Challenge logo and posters. We announced a competition to design the car's paint scheme, with a $100 bookstore gift certificate as a prize.
The car was coming together: much of the mechanical work was finished so we moved to the interior. In April, the students and a local audio expert installed a killer sound system. In May the semester ended, but progress continued.
Over the summer, custom leather seats went in and a custom exhaust system went on. A nitrous injection system was installed. The nearly-complete car was taken apart for a paint job that transformed it from red to pearlescent white with purple and yellow trim featuring the college's logo. No shrinking violet, this one!
We saw the newly painted and reassembled Cobalt. Wow. It was worth all the work.
A week later the energy and excitement peaked when we took the Cobalt to Summit Motorsports Park. A lucky Auto Tech faculty member took it for several smoking runs down the drag strip while students cheered. Visual Communication students and faculty shot hundreds of still photos and lots of video to be used to publicize the project.
This was the real deal. The challenge had been met, and more.
The Cobalt is now ready for showtime. We'll be taking it to high schools to interest students in Tri-C and its programs.
Dr. Patricia Rowell, Western Campus President, Dr. Michael Thomson, Dean of Academic Affairs, and Dr. Guy Hutt, Associate Dean of Business, Math & Technology.
Edward Kopp, Jim Gardner, Mike Longrich, Automotive Technology; Rudy Stralka, Marketing; Miriam Bennett, Daniel Levin, Jonathan Wayne, Visual Communication & Design.
Remington Phillips, VC&D, designer of both the paint scheme and the website. Geo Dickinson, Photography. Brent Stowe, VC&D, logo designer. Colin Angle, video filming and editing.
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