At the start of the school year, Johnson County Community College (JCCC) Automotive Technology students were presented with a unique extracurricular opportunity—the chance to build a replica of a legendary race car.
Project backstory
Britton Hill, an Automotive Technology professor at JCCC, was tasked to explore innovative ways to increase student engagement and enhance learning. His vision: a hands-on, collaborative extracurricular experience that could serve as a learning tool for future classes.
When Hill came across a kit of parts to build a 1965 Shelby Daytona Coupe, he knew this would be an unparalleled educational opportunity for the JCCC Automotive Technology program. JCCC primarily focuses on teaching repair, but this project would expose students to new concepts and a chance to learn a different side of the industry.
The Shelby Daytona Coupe is famous for being the first American-made car to win an international title—the 1965 FIA World Championship. Only six were ever built by famed designer Carroll Shelby, making originals priceless collectibles. Today, four are privately owned, and two—including the championship car—are displayed in U.S. museums.
Unlike a complete car, kit cars come as a collection of parts and typically exclude major components like tires, transmission, and engine. Conveniently, the JCCC Automotive Technology program already had the type of engine required to make the replica Shelby Daytona Coupe fully drivable. This saves a huge project cost, and even better, once installed, the engine can still be used as a teaching tool.
“This isn’t just about constructing a legendary race car,” Hill explained. “It’s a multidisciplinary project designed to elevate student learning and showcase the exceptional skills within our programs.”
Real-world experience for students
The project offers students a rare opportunity to apply classroom knowledge in a real-world setting. Each month, around 20 JCCC Automotive Technology students involved in the project gather for a “build meeting.” Students have been split into teams to focus on a range of topics around building the car, including:
- Project management
- Research and development
- Project documentation
- Marketing
- Quality and assurance
- Resources and logistics
- Project storytelling and documentation
Currently, the project is still in its planning stages. The students have an online digital workspace where they work outside of meeting time. The resource and logistics team has digitized and organized the mass of paperwork and the inventory of parts that came with the kit. The project management team is working on an organizational chart and assigning team responsibilities. The research and development team is talking to others who have built replica Shelby Daytona Coupes and documenting their advice.
From interpreting technical blueprints to mastering precision assembly, students involved in this project are learning to apply their classroom knowledge while developing skills in craftsmanship, problem-solving, and teamwork.
Project future plans
The project continues to grow as Hill aims to involve students who study other JCCC subjects to help make the replica Shelby Daytona Coupe come to life.
Currently, the group is a mix of male and female students working on degrees and certificates in the Automotive Technology program. There is one non-Automotive Technology student who is in JCCC’s Honors Program; they plan to study mechanical engineering upon graduation. Eventually, Hill hopes to involve students studying in JCCC’s Fine Arts and Design programs, especially when it’s time to paint the exterior body.
“We want to use this project to expand the experiences of as many students as possible,” said Hill. “The team would welcome students studying other subjects who would benefit from participating in such a big, collaborative project.”
Once the replica is complete, it will be a learning tool for future students. In addition to learning by tuning and repairing the engine, the older braking system on the replica car will be used as a classroom teaching tool.
Hill hopes the replica Shelby Daytona Coupe project will encourage JCCC students to engage with the community and showcase the work of the Automotive Technology program. Once it’s completed, Hill plans to take students and the replica car to area car shows and other events.
Learn more
From the engine bay to the final coat of paint, the JCCC Automotive Technology department is documenting every step of this project on their Instagram page, @jccc.atd.
Learn more about JCCC’s Automotive Technology program at jccc.edu/automotive.
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