CUSTOMIZING YOUTH AUTO SHOP EDUCATION
The SEMA High School Vehicle Build Program uniquely connects high school automotive shop classes with specialty-equipment manufacturers' products to build one-of-a-kind customized vehicles. Funded by SEMA, this program offers students real-world, hands-on auto-tech skills while becoming engaged in the accessorization and customization lifestyle.
This accessorization project focuses on suspension, wheels and tires, and interior and exterior accessories. With the guidance and instruction of their auto-shop instructors, students customize the vehicles using donated aftermarket products from partnering sponsor companies. After the vehicles are transformed by the students' hands, they will be sold at the end of the school year. Proceeds from the sale are used to fund the vehicles — making this a self-sustaining program – while supporting students' ability to participate in the automotive aftermarket.
HIGH SCHOOL AUTO SHOP PROGRAMS
SEMA will continue its partnership with the 10 high school auto shop programs into the 2021-2022 school year, as they were affected by COVID-19 mandated school closures. The 10 builds that began in January 2020 will be completed in the late Spring 2022 and auctioned through program partner, Bring a Trailer. Five builds will be auctioned in July and another five in September of 2022.
Click on each school below to follow the progress of their builds.
Build Synopsis
This 2001 Jeep Wrangler TJ was a SEMA-Sponsored High School Career Center High School in Winston Salem, NC. The build was led by Automotive Shop Instructors Michael Gaffner and Scott Binkley along with the Collision Instructor Randall Gentry. Roughly 150 students throughout its time at the school's automotive shop worked on the build. There are over 300 hours invested in the build.
The exterior has been fully custom painted in a red, roll cage in black, with complimenting black vinyl soft top. The value of the investment between the added aftermarket and OEM parts on this build, paint materials and consumable supplies is over $30,000, not including the 300 hours of labor.
SOLD - $31,000
Build Synopsis
This 1997 Toyota 4Runner was a SEMA-Sponsored High School Vehicle Build (HSVB) project for Comstock High School in Kalamazoo, MI. The build was led by Automotive Shop Instructor Matt Basse with assistance from Dave Hopwood, Tech Assistant, as well as over 35 students throughout its time at the school's automotive shop with over 300 hours invested in the build.
The fully repainted exterior by Twisted Automotive in Kalamazoo, MI is Quicksand Tan in color with a tan interior.
There are over $17,500 in added aftermarket and OEM parts on this build, not including the 500 plus hours of labor, paint materials or consumable supplies. Overall value of the upgrades is well over $26,000.
SOLD - $30,000
Build Synopsis
This 1997 Toyota 4Runner was a SEMA-Sponsored High School Vehicle Build (HSVB) project for John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, IL. The build was led by Automotive Shop Instructor and ASE Certified Technician Jim Van Bladel with assistance from Automotive and AWS Certified Fabrication Instructor Eric Dieterich and over 145 students throughout its time at the school's automotive shop with over 140 hours invested in the build.
The exterior is the factory Desert Dune color with a tan interior.
There are over $19,900 in added aftermarket and OEM parts on this build, not including the 140 plus hours of fabrication and assembly labor or consumable supplies. Overall value of the upgrades after installation is well over $26,000.
SOLD - $26,000
The McGavock High School Automotive Diesel program is a nationally certified, three-year program that actively prepares students for the high stakes automotive field in both post-secondary education and the work force. As the only auto diesel program in the state of Tennessee and an integral part of the school's Academy of Aviation and Transportation and as Metro Nashville Public Schools' reigning Academy of the Year, the program provides students in grades 10 through 12 with a strong foundation in the repair, maintenance, and customization of a wide variety of automobiles.
Students in McGavock's Auto Diesel program have received numerous scholarships and admittance into prestigious programs, including Wirtgen America's R-BEST training program, and formed an engine building team as well. The program combines classroom instruction with hands-on training to provide our students with the knowledge and skills to achieve great success in the automotive field.
Automotive Technology at Mon Valley Career and Technology Center provides students with a comprehensive, 3-year program designed to prepare students to confidently enter the automotive industry. Faculty and staff strives to exceed the needs and expectations of the industry by teaching core skills and techniques along with the soft skills needed to excel in the automotive setting.
Students have the opportunity to earn over 15 industry certifications and work in live a shop through the cooperative education program. Engineering and creativity is promoted through the school's Wolfpack Customs program where students from many programs can participate in automobile performance and customization to create amazing vehicles.
Build Synopsis
This 1996 Toyota 4Runner was a SEMA-Sponsored High School Vehicle Build (HSVB) project for OPS Career Center in Omaha, NE. The build was led by Automotive Shop Instructors David Pippert and Bradley Goodwin, with assistance from Ryan Messerschmidt, Welding Instructor, as well as over 30 students throughout its time at the school's automotive shop with nearly 200 hours invested in the build.
The exterior is Sunfire Red Pearl in color with a black and tan interior. There are over $13,500 in added aftermarket and OEM parts on this build, not including the nearly 200 hours of labor, materials or consumable supplies. Overall value of the completed upgrades is well over $25,000.
SOLD - $23,500
Students at R.L. Turner high school have a long history and passion for automobiles and accessorizing their vehicles. Photos in yearbooks dating back to the 1960's that highlight the school's hot rod club. Today, many students have a desire to make modifications and upgrades to their personal vehicles, but do not have the resources or funds to make that happen. The auto shop class, which is a NATEF Accredited Program, provides an outlet and learning opportunities for students interested in the automotive field. With a fully equipped, state of the art facility, students learn both basic and advanced techniques in automotive technician, collision and repair, fabrication and more.
The students at R.L. Turner will be building a 1997 Toyota 4Runner as part of the 2020-2021 SEMA High School Vehicle Build. The Jeep will be sold at the end of the school year and proceeds will go towards funding another vehicle build for the school.
Build Synopsis
This 2002 Jeep Wrangler TJ was a SEMA-Sponsored High School Vehicle Build (HSVB) project for the Automotive Program at Santa Fe Early College Opportunities (ECO) in Santa Fe, NM for the third consecutive season. The build was led by Shop Director and Collision Instructor Chris Coriz with assistance from John Seymour, Automotive Mechanics Instructor, along with roughly 120 students throughout its time at the school's automotive training facility. There are over 160 hours invested in the build.
The exterior has been fully custom painted in a USC Dominator Bed Liner tinted Matte Green with the original black hardtop. Both the OEM doors and trail doors are included, each with their own set of mirrors. The frame and under body were also fully detailed and painted with 3M undercoating topped with SEM semi-gloss hot rod black. Suspension and drivetrain components were also detailed in SEM black.
There are over $23,000 in added aftermarket and OEM parts on this build, not including the 160 plus hours of labor, paint materials or consumable supplies. Overall value of the upgrades is well over $31,000.
SOLD - $37,750
The Santa Ynez Valley Union High School Automotive Technology Dept not only provides students with automotive skillsets and knowledge but gives them a great sense of community. The program, better known as Pirates Garage, hosts an annual car show in their local community, which raises funds to support programs such as sending students to the SkillsUSA competition, community service projects, Pirate Garage Race Team activities, vehicle restoration projects and team uniforms. The students also spend a great deal of time prepping cars for their Pirate Garage Race Team, which participates in the JB Dewar Tractor Restoration Project, Skills USA and more. Santa Ynez High School students will have the opportunity to develop and master the skills needed to go forward in the workplace or seek additional education in the automotive industry. Santa Ynez Valley Union High School students will be building a 1996 Toyota 4Runner as part of the 2020-2021 SEMA High School Vehicle Build. The Jeep will be sold at the end of the school year and proceeds will go towards funding another vehicle build for the school.
WFISD Career Education Center (CEC) is a state-of-the-art facility that prides itself in thinking outside of the box. Their automotive program has created partnerships and opportunities with their local community to produce students that are ready for the workforce and/or higher education. The CEC has both an automotive technology and collision program bosting over 100 students. These students are preparing for ASE certifications and range from 10th -12th grade with a variety of backgrounds and interest in the auto field.
PARTNERS
Auction
Service/Material Providers
- Tops And Trends (Career Center HS)
- Auto Image (Comstock)
- Twisted Automotive (Comstock)
- ABT Electronics (John Hersey)
- Titan Motoring (McGavock)
- Custom Vehicle Outfitters (Mon Valley)
- Tiger Drylac Powder (Mon Valley)
- Bryan Spiegel, Azzy's Deisgn Works (Mon Valley)
- South Side Trim (RL Turner)
- Accessories Unlimited (Santa Fe ECO)
- Audio Source Entertainment (Wichita Falls)
- Ed Nuttall (Mon Valley) – Team Nutz of Pittsburgh
Industry Mentors
- Ben Kirby, Auto Image (Comstock)
- Shawn Baker, Auto Image (Comstock)
- Trevor Hoekstra, Twisted Automotive (Comstock)
- Daryl Hutson, JcrOffroad (Comstock)
- John Samp, ABT Electronics (John Hersey)
- Joe Gomez, Atturo Tire (John Hersey)
- Collin Mikottis, Atturo Tire (John Hersey)
- Donnie Eatherly, P&E Distributors (McGavock)
- Dawson Druesedow, 4 Wheel Performance (Wichita Falls)
2019 RECAP
The five fully-customized Jeep Wrangler TJ's built by high school students as part of the SEMA High School Vehicle Build Program were up for auction in an event called "SEMA Week of Customs". The auction event launched on Monday July 15, 2019 with one Jeep released for five consecutive days with a seven-day auction life. The final auction closed Friday, July 26, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. PDT.
The finished builds auctioned through program partner, Bring a Trailer, an online auction marketplace for buying and selling special vehicles resulted in a total of $127,000 to benefit high school auto shop programs. Bring a Trailer also generously donated their auction fee to the program bringing the grand total to $133,350! Proceeds from the auctions are being reinvested back into the SEMA program to fund another round of builds for the 5 participating schools and will go towards the expansion of the program to further its reach to 5 new schools for a total of 10 builds in the 2019-2020 school year.
"We at Bring a Trailer are very excited to partner again with SEMA to auction these special custom Jeeps," said Randy Nonnenberg, BaT Co-founder & CEO. "Young enthusiasts are key to the future of the automotive hobby and we applaud SEMA for furthering their investment in this program and these students. We are very happy to again be donating our entire 5% auction fees on these Jeeps to the same great cause."
This program partnered with C.D. Hylton High School, Comstock High School, R.L. Turner High School, Santa Fe ECO and Santa Ynez Valley Union High School to complete the semester-long build projects. Thirty-three automotive aftermarket companies sponsored these builds by contributing parts and when paired with the craftsmanship and vision of the students, these Jeeps are truly one of a kind.
The industry has really supported this project," said Zane Clark, SEMA Senior Director of Education. "Their generosity has elevated the build beyond our expectations and created a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience for the students."
CONTACT
GENERAL INQUIRIES
For general inquiries or to get involved, please contact SEMA's Member Services Project Manager of Member Services Byron Bergmann at byronb@sema.org.
PRESS AND MEDIA INQUIRIES
For all press and media inquiries, please contact SEMA's Media Relations Manager, Juan Torres at juant@sema.org .