My 11th grade auto shop teacher was one of only three teachers in my life that actually understood me and the somewhat "different" way my mind works.
I can relate to a LOT of what RRR said although that school's vocational program continues to this day, even though the auto mechanics and auto body programs are both gone and nearly all of the buildings on campus have been replaced.
Tom Replogle was a Mopar guy as well, so I had someone who had my back among all the rest of the typical 70% gm and 25% ford guys in the class. He drove a green '70 Polara wagon with hidden headlights and a 383-2. I clearly remember a customer donating a 77 Coronet wagon (also green but without wood paneling), and this guy just going ape **** over how clean it was and eventually buying it from the school.
He's the guy that taught me to do Mopar cam bolt alignments by feel and then check them on the rack.
He would see me driving a customer's car in the parking lot, and bet the body shop teacher, or the vocational principal that it would be in spec before the machine got turned on. he won that bet a lot of the time, and chewed me out if he lost.
He's also the guy that taught me to precision tune the 66 poly 318 in my Coronet.
I had virtually zero money, so a 4 barrel and headers were completely out of the question, but after attention to things like timing, points, plugs, advance, fuel delivery, etc it ran ridiculously good.
I've said on here several times that car never lost a street race to a 350 powered gm product.
Although I chose not to pursue a career in the automotive field, what I learned is priceless, and the diagnostic process I developed transcends automotive and applies to almost anything including the IT field, where I eventually settled.
Cheers to you, "Mr. Replo", if you are still around.
