And They Said It Wouldn’t Work… How An Auto Shop Teacher Is Inspiring The Next Generation Of Auto Enthusiasts

His students got a 1985 Mercedes-Benz running a week after it had been sitting in a yard for eight years.

“I like to show my students that it’s not always an educational structure or a very straight line with vehicles, we can also have fun with them and learn from experiences,” says David Almanzan, instructor in the automotive technology program from Dekaney High School, and the winner of Havoline’s #YourProjects video contest.

Following the success of the Techron #PrideandJoy social contest, Chevron Lubricants turned its popular and long-running Havoline social post series, #YourProjects, into a contest, inviting fans to submit their favorite car projects to have the chance to show off your vehicle in the next Havoline video and vote for your fan favorite.

David Almanzan stole the show in a spectacular vote, as a result of his inspiring dedication and passion for teaching the next generation of automotive enthusiasts the technical skills they need in the classroom, the garage and in life real

Gallery: How an auto shop teacher is inspiring the next generation of auto enthusiasts

Coming from a family of automotive industry professionals, working with cars is in David’s blood. Now in his sixth year of teaching, David is educating the next generation. With training exercises in and out of the classroom, whether it’s watching a pit crew in action, educating them on the new tips they learned at a car conference, or driving a local police in exchange for components, David loves it. to show their interested students all the different ways they can get involved in the industry.

“My students like how I can be different with them, where they don’t even know they’re learning. We may be working on a vehicle, cleaning, storing tools, but at the same time we are also talking,” he shares. “Very often it becomes life lessons from one of my experiences and there’s always a connection to the industry or field they want to go into.”

For David, it is important that he not only educates these children, but also leads by example and lets them know that if they have a dream or an idea, they can achieve it. So when a new challenge presented itself, a 1985 Mercedes-Benz that had been sitting idle in his neighbor’s yard for 8 years, David presented it to his students as their project car for the year. Since everyone told them he wouldn’t start, he let his students come up with different ways to turn it around and get it going, letting them approach the project because, in his words, if there isn’t there is risk, there is no reward.

He also wanted to create a learning opportunity to show his students that there will always be something different, and that each engine may come with its own set of obstacles, but the goal of starting it is always the same. .

“Our main goal is for students to learn that light maintenance and repair is really what’s driving the industry right now. It’s what keeps your vehicle alive, just like our human bodies.” — David Almanzan

“We chose it because it was different,” he says, “the students enjoyed the challenges because the vehicle had been sitting for many years.”

Motivated by their teacher, the kids got it up and running within a week. And of course, having this vehicle selected as the winner of the #YourProjects contest was just the icing on the cake. Now, as they take their class project off-road and rally racing on weekends, David reminds his students by example of the importance of vehicle maintenance.

“Our main goal is for students to learn that light maintenance and repair is really what’s driving the industry right now,” says David. “It’s what keeps your vehicle alive, just like our human bodies.”

That’s why he always recommends premium fuel additives and motor oils to anyone who asks, whether it’s his students or anyone else he’s connected to in the greater automotive community. Having used Techron and Havoline products for years as part of his preventative maintenance routine both in and out of the classroom, David knows that nothing else has done the job these brands do in terms of performance, cleaning and protection power.

Want to use the same products that David recommends to his students? Visit www.techronclean.com or www.havolinesmartchange.com to learn more about which products are right for your vehicle. And don’t forget to visit @havolineusa for the latest #YourProjects stories!