I was beginning to get nervous about taking care of the rust issue on our van. We have access to a very large sand blaster, but to ship the sand to run it would cost a huge chunk of our budget. We have been treating some of our rust with various products but none of them seem to work well. In my search for a better product I found Rust Bullet LLC. which should be the solution to our problem. It will save huge amounts of time in the fact that the prep is greatly reduced, and the end product should be far better. Above and beyond making a great product Rust Bullet has decided to sponsor our project and donate the supplies to rust treat our whole vehicle. Now that's great!!!!!!
Here is a link to there web page, check it out it is the perfect product for any restoration project. http://www.rustbullet.com

Our new transaxel has arrived (Thank you Rancho performance Transaxels)

Today our custom built transaxel showed up in it's crate from California. It was like Christmas for the shop kids. They gathered around the crate while I took the screws out and opened it up. As it was opened, I heard a lot of comments like: "wow that's so awesome", and "that's the coolest thing ever". We had originally intended to use the transaxel that was with the bus, but Diesel engines run at a much lower RPM. Mike at Rancho Performance Transaxles had the solution for us. He put in a taller 3rd and 4th gear to lower the RPMs at highway speed, and help with the efficency. The original gasoline motor would have had about 70 horse power, but the new diesel engine will have somewhere around 130 or more horsepower, for this reason Mike welded 1st and 2nd gear. The tranny was also beautifully painted with stainless nuts to accent the black. He also installed a diesel bellhousing and a short input shaft to accomadate the 1.9 liter TDi engine. Mike is also doing his part to support education by donating all the labor for this undertaking, meaning we only paid for the parts and shipping. Thanks again Mike!!!!! Here are some pics of the new tranny and a 7th grader (Tim) changing over some of the brackets and the throwout bearings. You'll find a link to Rancho Performance Transaxles in the links section, check out his webpage; it's cool.

Every good project starts with a plan!!!!

The students are quickly learning that it's easy to have big ideas, but harder to make the plans. The key part of that sentence is that the students are learning! Here are some pictures of the design and manufacturing class working on some design components of van. They are making conceptual drawing of the van. what they think the van should look like when it's done. They are also planning things such as; what the interior should look like, the ergonomics of the new dash, and what the new interior panels should look like. This class has a lot to do with dreaming, so it's tuff for me as a teacher to look around the room and see the dreamy looks on the kids faces and not say anything. We spend time looking on the internet at cars, engines and tools; just what every boy wants to do (dream about cars). It's not all fun and games, the students are learning to run a complicated 3D drafting program, they have learned a great deal about hand drafting, and learned just how hard it is to have an original idea.

Local Business Shows It's Support for Our Project

Our local energy company, Naknek Electric Association (NEA) has taken an interest in our project. NEA has been known for the efforts they have made in our region to provide cleaner, cheaper, and sustainable energy. They have upgraded our local powerplant to one of the most efficeient in the state, and they didn't stop there. Somewhere thousands of feet below us there is a resource of energy cleaner and more reliable, and they have their sites set on it. Geothermal energy will be our regions next step toward cleaner energy. Even smaller, local companies can do their part to change the way the world makes and uses energy. Thank you to NEA for their contribution, they are providing support for the future and our education.

The Van Gets a New Floor

The floor in the cargo area of the van was by far the roughest part of the vehicle. The through rust was threatening to tip the seat over and really we didn't need that much ventilation. We removed the original floor and the replacement flooring, because it just didn't seem to fit the project. So, we replaced it with a sheet of diamond plate aluminum (much nicer, and it won't rust).

The VW finds a new home!

The wood shop was an ok location, but I was always worried about possible fires and the van took up the space that we use to build our larger wooden structures. Well, the van has found a new home in the metal shop, where it belongs. We now have full access to the tools and equipment that we need to complete the project!

Making Some Progress!!

It's been 1 year since the van was first rolled into the shop. We've made some progress, but not as much as I would have liked to over this year. With the van originally being just a restoration project we had limited time and limited budget. The students and I decided that the van could be a whole lot more then just a restoration project. With fuel prices going threw the roof and global climate change, becoming a real concern it only makes sense to make it into an alternative fuel vehicle. The students chose to use a diesel engine because it's so flexible and so much can be done to increase the efficiency. The student recently put a lot of work into making a presentation of there plans. They put together a DVD that outlines there plans for completing the van and a trip around the United States to teach people about conservation. We presented it to our School Board, and were given a full blessing to continue full steam. We are in the process of finding sponsorship for this huge undertaking project. The fact is things are starting to cruise, so expect more postings in the near future.