The Northeast Texas Community College Carroll Shelby Auto Body program recently helped make a dream come true as they finished out a rare 427 Cobra kit car. John Weatherly, a member of the Shelby Cobra Association of Texas (SCAT) from the Dallas area, fell in love with Cobras when he saw one in a magazine during high school in the 1960s. Many years later, he and his wife were at a car show where he learned about kit cars and began on the road to building his very own Cobra.
?I looked at Kit Car Magazine, sent for some information, located Lone Star Classics and started buying parts. †Over the next several years, I worked on the car as I had time and money and, after doing all I could, I began to look for someone to paint it,? Weatherly said.
He heard about the NTCC Shelby Automotive program through his contacts with SCAT and reached out to Tony Whitworth, Director of the Auto Body Program at NTCC, about painting the exterior as a project for his students. Whitworth agreed, and he and his auto body students began formulating a plan that would do justice to the beautiful car.
?We were really thrilled to take on this project. Hands-on training is essential for our students to learn and it was a real treat for them to be able to work on such an iconic vehicle ? not to mention one that ties to our program?s namesake, Carroll Shelby,? Whitworth said.
As Weatherly has recently been undergoing cancer treatments, Whitworth wanted to go a step further by reaching out to vendors to donate the materials to give his Cobra the high-end paint job it deserved. English Color and Supply, Inc. and PPG Performance Coatings, both out of Tyler, came through in a big way by providing NTCC with what was needed to complete the project.
?In most of our projects, we work with relatively affordable materials out of necessity. It was fun to watch the students as they saw the difference in the way the more expensive paint lays on the surface of the vehicle,? Whitworth said. ?I was so pleased with the finished product and it is really something those guys can be proud of.?
The students who worked on the project included Sydney Van Rijn, Johnny Ledesma, Abraham Minjares and Alex Plunkett.
?They did an absolutely outstanding job, exceeding all my expectations! †I am so happy with the results and can?t wait to enjoy driving my beautiful Cobra,? Weatherly said.
The NTCC Shelby Auto Body program is currently accepting applications for the Fall 2018 semester. To learn more, visitwww.shelbyautotech.com†or contact Whitworth at 903-434-8180 or†twhitworth@ntcc.edu.
