ALBANY – Aspiring auto body technicians recently completed a project that was truly snow joke.
Seniors in the Automotive Collision Technology program spent the past few months repairing and repainting a 2001 PistenBully 100 snow-grooming machine. The machine is owned and operated by Frontier Sno-Riders, a non-profit snowmobile club serving Albany, Schenectady, Schoharie, and Montgomery counties.
“It was a difficult job, but we learned a lot from it,” said Alex Buff, a student from North Colonie attending the Capital Region BOCES program.
Teacher Dylan Bastian explained that students dedicated about 40 hours to the project. Tasks included prepping and painting the undercarriage, cab, and brush bars, sealing the cab, replacing worn parts, and detailing the interior.
The most challenging part of the project, Bastian noted, was painting the machine. A previously applied sealant made it difficult for the paint to adhere.
“The paint wouldn’t take to it, so we had to paint it, sand it, and then paint it again. It wasn’t a bad project, but it was challenging,” said Buff.
This project was one of several undertaken by students in the program this year.
At the Career & Technical Education Center on the Albany Campus, students in the Automotive Collision Technology program learn a wide range of skills. These include repairing, restoring, and customizing cars and trucks, mixing specific paint colors, detailing vehicles, and calculating finishing costs.
Special projects like the snow-grooming machine restoration—and last year’s restoration of a 1929 gas pump—help students broaden their skill sets. These projects allow them to refine abilities such as painting and pinstriping.
