A 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, and a 1956 Austin Healey 100M Le Mans Roadster, hang in the newly opened McPherson College student Campus Commons

The college is home to the only 4 year degree program in Automotive Restoration in the country! The car was donated by Dr Richard Lundquist, who has owned the car for 50 years, who is a long time supporter of the McPherson College Auto Restoration program (having committed $50 million) 

McPherson is the only college in the U.S. offering a four-year degree in automotive restoration, so it is fitting to showcase a unique classic automobile in its new building.

The Daytona Ferrari, ranked by MotorTrend as the second greatest Ferrari of all-time, was donated in 2022 by Dr. Lundquist, a Giving Pledge philanthropist, real estate developer, car collector, and McPherson College Trustee. 

the 56 Austin Healey 100M Le Mans Roadster

During the ribbon-cutting and car-unveiling ceremony on July 24, Dondlinger Construction of Wichita presented McPherson College with a $125,000 gift to support student activities and programs. The company served as the general contractor for the Campus Commons — a 55,000-square-foot hub for student services and the centerpiece of a major campus update.

“Dondlinger Construction played a critical role in bringing our vision for the Campus Commons to life,” the McPherson College President said. “Their team brought the highest level of professionalism and craftsmanship to the project. We are grateful for their partnership on this project and for their commitment and support of the college long after the project is finished.”

In addition to overseeing construction, Dondlinger planned and implemented the custom rigging system used to suspend two classic automobiles from the building’s three-story atrium. The first car, a 1972 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona, was unveiled during the ceremony. A second car, a 1956 Austin Healey 100M Le Mans Roadster

https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=1204675441460136

https://www.mcpherson.edu/2025/07/mcpherson-college-unveils-rare-ferrari-at-campus-commons-ribbon-cutting-ceremony/

https://www.facebook.com/McPhersonCollege

https://www.mcpherson.edu/2025/07/dondlinger-construction-of-wichita-makes-gift-to-mcpherson-college

in 2023 the Piston Foundation engaged more donors, raised more money, and helped 23 students begin their classic car career and launched the Piston Academy apprenticeship program.

Franko Montoya had a budding interest in cars while in his teens, but his true passion for working on them didn’t surface until he began attending McPherson College, known for its outstanding car restoration curriculum. He didn’t realize that his passion could turn into a career. Today, at the age of 25, he is The Piston Foundation’s first Piston Academy apprentice.

Starting after high school as a history major in a community college in California, he bought a used Miata, found that drifting was a LOT of fun, was recommended by a friend to try out McPherson, then found a job with a racing shop, but he decided his passion lay in restoration cars, painting the classic cars. 

He continued to look for a job with a company where he could pursue his dream of working as a painter of classic cars. He was then offered a job at Paul Russell and Company in Essex, doing what he is passionate about, and applied for an apprenticeship with The Piston Foundation, and was accepted as the Piston Academy’s first apprentice.

The Piston Foundation awards grants to qualified candidates to provide financial support that allows an apprentice to develop their skills through on-the-job training in a full-time position at a Piston Academy-approved auto restoration shop. The goal is to help the young apprentices find the job, learn the trade, and continue the industry for another generation of restoring and maintaining the classic cars of museums and collectors

https://pistonfoundation.org/blog/franko-montoya-first-piston-apprentice/

68 Bee at the McPherson College Motoring Festival... I love that they made a black ring around the tail light panel

 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10163972077657355&set=pcb.10159802203868495

https://www.mcpherson.edu/2023/04/mcpherson-college-hosts-most-unique-car-show-in-midwest

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1137086417244144&set=pcb.1137129757239810 for a photo set from the McPherson Sentinel of the event

McPherson College's 1953 Mercedes-Benz 300 S is the college’s first car fully restored by its students to be accepted at Pebble Beach this August

“We set a bold vision 10 years ago to show a car at Pebble Beach, and I was confident our students and staff could attain it,” said Amanda Gutierrez, provost and vice president of automotive restoration. “The goal was to get invited to compete at Pebble Beach, but there is a significant process that makes that happen, especially at a small college with students working outside of class hours. This project has been a valuable learning experience for our students as they study toward their bachelor’s degree in automotive restoration.

After an exhaustive search for the right car, work on the project began and has incorporated classroom curricula, expert guest lectures, and senior capstone experiences. The restoration was completed by teams of student interns who worked over the course of the restoration.

https://www.oldcarsweekly.com/news/theyre-not-in-kansas-anymore-kansas-mcpherson-college-to-display-their-1953-mercedes-benz-300-s-at-pebble-beach

Driven to Care provides scholarships for those pursuing careers in automotive engineering, vintage automobile restoration, skilled automotive trades, and automotive dealership management, marketing, and communications.

 John Weinberger had a passion for automobiles and a lifelong career in the automotive industry. His automotive passion continues through his scholarships. If you are pursuing a career in:

SAE-Chicago section automotive students enrolled in the engineering program at the University of Illinois-Chicago or Northern Illinois University

McPherson College students pursuing historic automotive technology

Lyons Township High School (Illinois) automotive students enrolled in a post-secondary school to pursue a career in the automotive industry

Illinois or Texas students pursuing a career as an automotive technician and enrolled at any in-state college/post-secondary school, such as Universal Technical Institute, that offers an automotive technician training program.

Northwood University students pursuing skills in car dealership management, marketing and communications

Schools integral in John Weinberger’s life, so if you're considering those schools, please apply for the scholarships.

John F. Weinberger was born in Illinois on April 18, 1932, in the backseat of a Chevy, and progressed from his humble beginnings as an apprentice garage mechanic to becoming the founder and CEO of Continental Motors, while racing cars and netting numerous podium finishes during the 1960s while competing in SCCA events. 

He specialized in sales and service operations and his reputation among Chicagoland foreign car enthusiasts came to the attention of Triumph Motor Cars. and he became an authorized Triumph dealer, then Jaguar, MG, and Toyota. Then in the '70s and early '80s he added Honda, Nissan, and Ferrari.

He met his 3rd wife Lisa at a tollbooth as both were driving down the Illinois Tollway. As a research/marketing specialist she recognized him from a trade association magazine. John didn’t have the exact change that day, and she offered him the coins and her phone number.

John & Lisa were dedicated to social responsibility, and initiated the “Driven to Care” car giveaway program, which has resulted in 72 refurbished cars donated to deserving individuals who've triumphed over various challenges such as homelessness, substance abuse, and physical abuse. 

https://www.johnweinbergerlegacy.com/

https://www.driventocare.org/

It's been a while since I've come across a charity I could share with you, they simply don't advertise. I think this one is particularly interesting because the founder was born in the backseat of a car, lived the adventure of racing and selling cars, and met his 3rd wife at a tollbooth. That's pretty amazing as a sum total! 

The Intro to Paint Restoration student pedal car projects at McPherson, and the automotive trim & upholstery class projects

https://www.facebook.com/MCautorestoration/posts/3066167666735351

https://www.facebook.com/MCautorestoration/photos/a.711790252173116/3065966316755486

So, there must be a hell of a lot of associated respectability that comes with a 4 year degree from McPherson college, 'cause this young woman just graduated and got a job managing Craig Jackson’s personal collection, and curating at Barrett-Jackson is her first job after graduating

or is it her daily driver? A 401 AMX Javelin!

Julia Berger’s AMX is 1 of 745 made with the 401 Go Package

the 401 Go Package was an extra $499, which netted the engine plus Handling Suspension (heavy duty springs and shocks and thicker front anti-roll bar), a fiberglass hood with cowl air induction, where the drop in vacuum under hard acceleration triggered a switch that opened a wide flap at the rear to pull intake air from the high-pressure area near the windshield’s base.

Also the Go Package upgraded the car to a heavy-duty cooling system, Twin-Grip differential, power front disc brakes, 15-inch Rally wheels, and E60-15 Polyglas raised white-letter tires,  plus a four-speed stick or the Borg-Warner Shift-Command automatic.

The AMX stood apart from the standard Javelin with a flush-mounted mesh grille featuring large round parking lamps. A spoiler at the back of the roof and another on the decklid, plus distinctive T-stripe on the hood and blacked-out rear body panel amped up the muscle car persona.

That's got to impress the job interview people when you cruise up in this cool beast! THEN you pass over a copy of the college degree, and I think that probably nails down the job for you.

Sports Car Graphic recorded 0-60 in 6.5 seconds and the quarter-mile in 14.3 at 98.8 mph for the Go Package 401 AMX they tested

It looks like she started with a better than average long term storage example of a project car, it had been parked in a Virginia barn for 23 years.

that had been owned by her stepmother’s old high school friend.  She decided to do a full rebuild on the 401, using aftermarket pistons to get 10.5:1 compression. A Holley Dominator EFI setup replaced the Motorcraft four-barrel carb.

Rather than rebuild the original automatic, Berger installed a General Motors 4L80E transmission and replaced the rear with a Ford 8.8-inch unit.

For more modern handling, Berger lowered the Javelin using QA1 coilovers up front and double-adjustable shocks in the back. These were not made for the Javelin, so she had to do some machining in front and had to relocate the rear shocks to make everything work. She gave her Javelin a set of American Racing Torque Thrusts, 15x8 inches with 225/60R15 rubber up front and 15x10 inches with 295/50R15s out back.

It took her 30 months to finish the car, just completing it this April, only 3 months ago

Either she's smarter than most teens, or someone told her the path to riches and fantastic cars lay in being a private collection manager, because that was her goal since high school.

In high school, she took auto body and auto tech courses. At McPherson, her focus was collection management, and she spent summers working for private collections.

https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2019/07/05/1971-74-javelin-amx-shone-brightly-in-the-pony-car-galaxy
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010558659823

the Santa Fe Concorso has chosen to create a scholarship for women at McPherson College with interests similar to Denise McCluggage’s such as journalism, art, and photography.

https://autoweek.com/article/car-life/denise-mccluggage-remembered-new-scholarship-mcpherson-college
https://www.mcpherson.edu/denise-mccluggage/

1952 Studebaker Manta Ray concept car

In 1953, Glenn Hire and Vernon Antoine debuted their space-age inspired concept car - the Manta Ray - in Los Angeles, California.

Both men worked in the jet aircraft division of the North American Aviation Company and wanted to incorporate the swift flowing lines of a jet fighter plane into their car's styling, so they started a 1951 Studebaker Commander

The nosecone they scratch-built by first making a wooden pattern and then casting a 1/4-inch shell. The fiberglass body they molded in 14 sections. And the triple taillamps they nabbed from a 1952 Lincoln.

Soon after the debut of their car Bob Yeakel purchased it and began working with Glenn and Vernon to offer the Manta Ray to the public as a limited production car.

It was featured in the February 1954 issue of Rod and Custom by Dean Moon , and also appeared on the cover of Motor Trend in July, 1953 and other magazines such as Motor World, Mechanix Illustrated and Popular Science.

By 1959 it somehow made its way out to a used car dealer in Topeka, Kansas, where collector L.L. “Peanuts” Lacer of Junction City, Kansas, first came across it. “Dad was a rare one,” Lacer’s son, D.E., said. “He was always buying weird old cars that nobody wanted, then never driving them.”

Peanuts traded a Volkswagen and a Crosley for the Manta Ray, then brought it back to Junction City where he stuck it in a warehouse and then never touched it until the day he died in 1990.

In the years between Yeakel’s purchase of the car and its migration to Kansas. First, possibly related to Hire and Antoine’s production plans for the car, the Studebaker V-8 was swapped out for a dual-quad Cadillac

His son then took it on as a project to get it back to running condition, with some help from an automotive restoration student at McPherson College, though he decided to leave it unrestored for the time being.

“The day’s coming to put it back to gold, but that’s not anytime soon,” he said. “As it sits now, it’s just the way my dad got it – it still has the original tires.”

 The showing of the Manta Ray at the 2016 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance marks the first time in over 60 years it has appeared in public.

https://www.conceptcarz.com/z26063/studebaker-manta-ray.aspx
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2016/02/08/unseen-for-more-than-60-years-the-one-off-manta-ray-will-once-again-return-to-the-spotlight/

Because here is the far less cool looking version, you can now compare a good custom to a bad one

https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2013/08/28/charlie-beesleys-car-pictures-part-2-oddballs-and-weirdos/

Justin has a cool grand dad, and a cool Plymouth truck that his grand dad gave him when he learned Justin was heading to McPherson College!

Justin's grand dad is the only other person in his family that is into cars... and how! He used to work with George Barris! When word got to him that his grandson Justin was heading to McPherson (the automotive college) he asked him if he'd like a cool ride, and they talked about what was available, and Justin picked this 1940 Plymouth truck! 

Down to the frame, and then some. The truck had been used hard and some cracks were in the cross beam, so the rivets were removed, the beam was worked on and welded, and then it was all straightened, and the process of making a runner began

still needs some straightening out on the roof, so the windows and windshield will fit in, but it's running with old school Mopar power. A straight 6 218 I think he said, from a 38 or 48.

While getting some online help, he learned that this is a rare military model, as they were the only ones to get a big gas tank, 26 gallons I think he said, instead of the normal 18, which took up the space the spare tires belonged in, which forced the spare to get mounted on the side.

Not only a rare truck made by Plymouth, but a rare Plymouth made for military use! Coincidentally, while shooting the breeze, I learned his great grand dad served on the USS Skipjack

if you are the type that helps students out, and loves car restoration projects, I've got the right people you ought to know about. McPherson College students

above is the 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S Saoutchik Torpedo that was restored at Paul Russell & Co (who seeked out and employs several grads of the McPherson College Auto Restoration program...) and won the prestigious 2012 International Historic Motoring Awards (IHMA) Restoration of the Year http://historicmotoringawards.com/winners.php as well as the 2012 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Best of Show award.

Just you so understand that the McPherson College students and programs are of the highest quality, and not wasting time or money raised in the annual January equipment and tools benefit fundraiser. http://theoldmotor.com/?page_id=64551&preview=true/ has the list of tools and equipment they need to acquire or replace (if only modern equipment lasted as long as the cars they restore!)

Any amount towards any needed item, no matter how small will be more than welcome. You can also buy any particular tool or piece of equipment and contribute the full amount for it also if you would prefer. All contributions will go 100% directly to the program http://www.mcpherson.edu/giving/

Paul Russell and Company, the automotive restoration and preservation specialists  brought the double award winning Mercedes back east November 3rd to an eager crowd of enthusiasts, http://www.autoweek.com/article/20121106/carnews01/121109886 raising funds for McPherson College’s Automotive Restoration Program, the country’s only four-year Bachelor of Arts program devoted to the craft. The event hosted over 200 avid auto enthusiasts, sponsors, and supporters who were treated to a first-hand explanation of the custom coach builder’s art from the restoration team, several of whom are McPherson College Graduates.

"McPherson sets the standard and their graduates can be found at some of the world’s leading restoration shops and winning prestigious awards at events around the country.” McKeel Hagerty, President and CEO said.

the Paul Russell and Company site http://paulrussell.com/portfolio-retrospective/D-mercedes-benz/28_680s/ about the 1928 Mercedes-Benz 680S, its history and its restoration.

A far better and more thorough gallery here http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/car/2863/Mercedes-Benz-680-S-Saoutchik-Torpedo-Roadster.html

Getting back to the students and tools, http://www.mcpherson.edu/autorestoration/AR-newsletter-fall-2012.pdf is a cool newsletter that is focused on the restoration program, and the students activities like the Great Race entrants. The college is entering a '57 Fairlane in the 2013 Great Race.

 Amanda Gutierrez, vice president for automotive restoration, said the race would give students great experience as well as an opportunity to show their skills and talent. At the same time, people across the nation who might never have heard of McPherson College before will see what the program has to offer.

In the 2012 Great Race a model A was enjoyed by 365daysofA.com blogger and college alumni Jonathan http://www.mcpherson.edu/autorestoration/AR-newsletter-summer-2012.pdf , plus a '62 IH truck was enjoyed by restorer program alumni Kacy and Tabetha who now work for Hagerty Ins http://www.mcpherson.edu/autorestoration/career.php http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/03/two-for-the-road-in-a-62-travelette/

photo by Mike Drilling and is in the New York Times article

For previous newsletters filled with incredible stories (terminal cancer dyno shop owner donates drag racing duster to Leno's collection, and a scholarship for his hometown's MacPherson College students, plus the students car show travelling to retirement/nursing homes for those seasoned citizens that can't make it to the car shows) read http://www.mcpherson.edu/autorestoration/AR-newsletter-fall-2011.pdf

Those funds will accumulate and allow the automotive restoration department to purchase needed tools and equipment in order of priority – such as louver dies for a bead roller, a complete work station set, a tire machine for the motorcycle lab or an Iwata paint gun



read about the above Model T assembly on page 5 of http://www.mcpherson.edu/autorestoration/AR-newsletter-summer-2012.pdf

and if you prefer real time updates and inside info, like the Lyn St James ( http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2012/09/lyn-st-james-icon-race-car-driver-and-i.html ) symposium, check their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/MCautorestoration

Don't misunderstand about the fundraiser, the alumni of the program have been incredible in their donations too! A deep shrinker stretcher was given to the program at the 10year class reunion of the '02 class. Way cool!

Get college credits for restoring cars!

http://www.mcpherson.edu/academics/auto_templeton.php

Templeton Hall houses the nationally recognized Automotive Restoration Technology Program. The spacious 33,000-square-foot facility is equipped with specialized equipment and tools to support the unique curriculum of the auto restoration program.

America’s Car Museum (ACM - LeMay Museum) has established a partnership with McPherson College to promote both institutions and their work in automotive preservation and education.

Through the alliance, ACM, set to open in June 2012, will provide vehicles and educational opportunities for McPherson College, a liberal arts college located in McPherson, Kan., that offers the country’s only four-year degree program in automotive restoration

The relationship provides an outlet for ACM to expand on its educational mission, as the museum will offer regular internships to McPherson College students providing practical work experience with more than 500 vintage cars at ACM. The museum will also supply cars to McPherson College for on-campus use in automotive restoration and preservation courses, including work on project vehicles.