I am currently in 11th grade, and am searching for beyond high school. All my life I have always been around cars and motorcycles and I love hot rods. Let's cut the bull **** and get to the point. I am thinking of doing the Street Rod & Fabrication course at Wyotech. I am just wondering how do you get in. Are you required to take certain classes in high school or do SAT's or anything like that. Also does anyone know from first hand experience what this course may be like.

 

get in contact with them directly through the site, and a recruiter type guy will sit down with you and your family and talk about everything you need to know. you basically only need a high school diploma. i didn't end up following through and going but i have some friends that did and they liked it.

 

Same thing here I didnt follow through with it...But that is because arthritis griped my joints, there is no way I can work on cars professionally.

But they are very helpful and nice people. I think you will be happy there. Just call up.

 

Thanks, I live oversease but I a planning on visiting Wyotech in the summer. Which one do you think I should visit for the fabrication part. I am thinkning of Sacramento?
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Thanks, I am sorry to hear that. I have a freind that also has arthritis it sucks. I hope you find somthing in life that you can enjoy and do. The best of luck man.

 

My brother is going to Wyotech in Sacramento, in April. All he has is a high school diploma, and a guy did come and talk to him all about it for a few hours. I think they have just one 'recruiter' person that covers each region.

 

Thanks man, let me know what your brother thinks. I have wanted to fabricate my whole life but havn't ever done it. I have just done some mechanicle work on my Camaroe's. I have heard Wyotech does'nt teach that well and it's mostly just you doing your own car. But I have heard other poeple saying it's the best thing evrer. So let me know.

 

i went to the blairsville campus for automotive and the business class i loved it learned alot and oh yeah had fun at the bars lol

 

Thanks man, I like to party as well but I really need to buck up when I go to Wyotech because I don't really know anything about fabrication and I wan't to build bikes and hot rods for a living.

 

I used to have a Wyotech rep visit my practical English classes every year. I was always impressed with their knowledge and professionalism. They do indeed spend time with prospective students as they wish to make sure the fit between school and student is a good one. You should know that the school is pricey. Several of my students graduated from the Laramie location. Note that the school does have a Street Rod and Custom Fabrication class.

I was offered the chance many times to visit the campus, paid, IIRC. But foolishly never went.

http://www.wyotech.edu/campus/laramie

Good luck.

JamesC

 

Thanks for the help, Yes I am unfortunatly aware e cost luckily I will only have to attend for a year. Yes I should definatly talk to a rep though when I get to the States this summer.

 

Thank you.

A little bit of more information for you.

My body guy's son went to Wyotech took the hot rod fabrication and a few other things, he got a job with a shop that restores Ferraris right out of wyotech because of how good he did there.

 

From what I understand, during the last 1/3 of the time he is there, he will be able to do projects on his own vehicle.

 

Ok so I didn't read through all of the replys but I WENT to Wyotech in Wyoming and I would not recommend it and I know all of my friends from there will say the same. I got luck and hard a few good instructors but most hate their job and don't care about the students. Everyone in the main offices are women that are huge B...... ya. The financial aid people there know nothing. The week I was graduating they told me I owe them 3000 and had to have it that week. They didn't give me any notice. Also you can go to a tech school in your state for way less, 25000 for 9 months at Wyotech, only bout 5000ish for an instate school. Plus most employers I talk to say their employees went to a school in their state and have wayyy more experience.

Now I don't really regret going because I did learn a lot and met a lot of great friends but if I was someone else wanting to go I would look strongly at other schools but just don't think it is the best. If you want to go then go but just look around and talk to employers about were their employees went to school. Good Luck!!

 

Thanks, I have heard a lot of people this about Wyotech. If I didn't go to Wyotech though were else would I go? I heard UTI is worse because you just build a t-bucket that anyone could do one there own. I am not from the states I am Canadian but currently live oversease. I am willing to go to anyschool that will teach me how to fabricate, chop cars, and build bikes. Thanks for you feed back.

 

Ya that does make it harder since you don't have an in state school. Wyotech wouldn't be that bad for you since you don't have many options. It cost more and sucks living there but you would be better going longer than 9 months and taking the chassis fab course. This way you get more experience.

 

i have recently graduated from wyotech. I went to the blairsville location. i went for collision/refinishing. i also took the business management class. if you want to be in street rod you will have to complete the collision and refinishing classes first before going to street rod. each class is 3 months long. so collision is 3 months then refinishing is 3 months. after you go to your core classes (collision and refinishing)you are required to attend at least 1 ellective.
chasis fabrication is another class you can take. you learn how to modify frames and such. They let you create your own chopper frame if you would like. I can only speak for the blairsville location. The school as a whole is a very good school. the first 2 weeks of each 3 months you sit in the class and get lectures and take tests on the lectures. the rest of the time is shop time. 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. i did not take the street rod class but i know quite a bit about it. my roomate took that class. you are required in street rod to fabricate a mailbox and custom paint it. i could ask him specific questions if you would like to know just email me at redcamaro@gmail.com

 

Do you have a link for the cassis fab course?
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Thanks man I will email you right now.

 

This is a link but if you go to the top where it says collision I believe and run your mouse over it there is a link for street rod stuff too.

http://www.wyotech.edu/program/colli...is-fabrication

 

Thanks buddy.

 

I graduated from the Blairsville Campus this past December after completing the Applied Service Management Class, Automotive Core, High Performance Powertrains, and Chassis Fabrication.

I will say that the school was great. Exactly what I was expecting. I did not have a bad teacher the entire time (15 months) I was there.

All of the courses are great its just a fact of financial aid and how long you can stand to be in that area of PA.

I did not take the Street Rod class personally but many of my friends did and they enjoyed it very much, you learn welding in that class but it is only thin gauge material. And just to clear something up that was previously stated, you do not have to take collision to take this class. Many of my Automotive friends went on to take this class.

Chassis Fab was a Great class. This class is geared towards welding thicker materials. If you want to just learn welding this is the class to take.

What Core Program are you interested in taking? Where oversea's are you located?
Also the Sacramento campus last I knew only had a 4 hour class day so the course is essentially twice as long. Much higher living costs too.

Are you aware they have a Motorcycle and Marine School in Daytona Beach FL? I am currently in the Marine course.

If you have any questions feel free here are a couple ways to contact me:
Email: justindavis7188@gmail.com
AIM: XXXWayFastWhitey

 

I recommend looking into potential employers also and see pay rates and how impressed(or not impressed) they are by wyotech. Also figure out where geographically you want to work.

I have 2 friends(about 25 years old) that right out of high school went to the Wyotech school in Laramie for something in paint/bodywork. They ended up working at auto parts stores(O'Reilly's and Advance Auto) in their hometown. They claim there are nobody that pays for body work in the state/region but these 2 individuals also not self-motivated and I think they lazy.

I'm just saying look beyond the school and degree. Always be planning ahead.

 

Wyotech is perhaps the most famous and advertised school and I'm not saying they're bad, nor am I saying a potential employer wouldn't be impressed that you went there, but there are other options as well.

Vocational schools often teach the same courses, as well as tech schools.

Also, if you don't mind going out of state (it's clear you don't if you're considering wyotech) nascar has their own school in N.C. I understand.

My suggestion? Look around. I used to work in a sheet metal shop that shared its building with Ohio Technical School. You see some really neat cars coming in and out of there.

Mathius

 

I go to NTI, ive learned a TON. Its all of what you make of it. You get alot of kids that have a bad attitude and b*tch about everything. I didnt think it was that hard to keep your shirt tucked in but apparently to some it is. Like I said if you go in with a good attitude you'll exxel.

 

sorry i miss led you about having to take collision to take street rod. On the other hand Street rod is more of an advanced collision refinishing class. I did have one roommate that took street rod that took the Automotive core and loved it, but he was always telling me how he couldn't do as much as the guys that took collision. but really what i was trying to say before was that you have to take a core class before you can take street rod.You cant just go for 3 months and take just street rod. You have to learn the basics first. And if you want to go for custom work and custom painting other than engine work and wiring, I would recommend taking the collision refinishing core class. I do not hold wyotech's Automotive(mechanical) core class to as high of a standard as their collision refinishing class. Then again, I didn't take the Automotive core class. Also, If you are more interested in taking the high performance powertrain (hpp), I would recommend taking the Automotive core class not collision refinishing

 

While I didn't attend the street rod course in Laramie, I was in the same building for diesel (yellow shirt). I'm not a body guy and have never pretended to be. I attended from oct. 06 to sept 07. There are some impressive things on display in the "red shirts" half of the place. It was damn cold, -30F, in the winter, the roads were closed nearly every weekend and if you have out of state plates you are an immediate target for the WSP, sheriff, campus police, game and fish, the feds and the Laramie amature police department.

That being said the school is hit and miss. Like it was said above, fin-aid will screw you over and know nothing at the same time. Tried to make me extra too like they did someone who posted before me. Good thing I was approved for more than I needed in loans. Half the dorms are decent to new. The school is shutting down the older crappy ones. The ones right across the parking lot from diesel/street rod just opened while I was there, lived in them 3 months. Worth the extra cash.

There is the University of Wyoming, but it comes with the Laramie itch. Laramie is an hour from anywhere but Ft. Collins and Denver are fairly close.

Ultimately it is up to you. Tour the campuses. Don't listen to the recruiters, they are basically used car salesmen and lie their asses off (that means you Ward Pyles(of ****)). Tour UTI also. I didn't but I had a scholarship that paid most of my way.

 

I'm more interested in UTI. seems easier to get scholarships and to find a part time job. its also cheaper and the closest place for me is near chicago. its even in the same state. from what I've heard wyotech and uti are pretty close though.

 

i went to the blairsville campus and took auto tech, asmv(applied service management), and chassis fab. i wasnt happy with the school, or the amount of money i spent going there. i landed a job at a chassis shop after i graduated and found out little i learn from wyotech in terms of chassis fab. it was the first and only time ive been let go from a job. if you really want to be a fabricator my advice to you would be to go to a shop and start sweeping floors.. tell them youll work for cheap in exchange for them showing you how things are done. theres no better way to learn how to work with metal or cars then getting into it and doing it. you dont even have to get in at a race or custom shop to learn how to fabricate. there are TONS of metal fab shops that make all kinds of different things (mostly industrial stuff) that use all the same tools and techniques used in race and custom shops they just apply them to building different things. go get a job working with a good metal fab shop and in the 6 months you spend at then shop you will be 1,000 better than someone graduating from a school.

 

you have a very valid point. it feels like we risk something though. like we need a real school with a formal education. I know a lot of stuff about cars. for me a formal schooling is more of a refinement and a piece of paper proving to others what I know. as for fabricating, I'd take a welding class at a community college. actually, I plan on it.

 

one of my friends went to (I think) the blairsville campus and took fabrication, I've really only heard good things. he did a really sick s10 project, fully bagged, built the frame himself. some of you guys may know him, his names jimmy and he just graduated this past december..

 

I went and took as many classes as I could in Laramie. Get a hold of a recruiter and your in. It is very expensive but well worth it. I learned tons there. I took chassis fab, street rod and automotive. Wanna go back for the rest. Goodluck and have fun its the best auto school out there

 

Wow, that is a lot to take in. I can't really get a job where I live as in this country they just get cheap laborores from India and **** who don't even speak english and they pay them like a dollar a day and treat them like ****. I really wan't to go to a university or college it is just I am not the reading and writing kind of guy. I have no interest in building engines or doing basic body work. I wan't to metal fab. I want to be able to chop tops, channle, section, box frames, shave ****, mig weld, tig weld, roll cages, kustom bikes, etc. I have two third gen's and just do some basic wrenching and bolt ons on them so I don't have a whole lot of experience. You can pick up welding units for cheap here I am just afraid I will buy it and not have a ****ing clue how to use it. I am not biased on where I will go to school either I just thought Sacramento because there is a UTI an WYo there and I could check them both out. It is hard for me to do a lot of traveling so I kind of wanted to hit both birds with one stone. I am really confused now and have no clue what to do. I am not a U.S. citizen either or I don't know anyone in the U.S. I am Candian and have no connections at all. There arn't really any shops I know where I could ask them what they think about Wyotech but I suppose I could try. Thanks for the help guys. I am kind of thinking of doing street rod and chasis only it will be uber expensive. FML.

 

For those fo you looking for an alternative to Wyothec you should check out the automotive tech school in Wapeton ND. Here is their website address. http://www.ndscs.nodak.edu/index.jsp I have talked to a few employers that have hired sudent from Wapeton and the have said that they are very knoledgeable. Just thought I would give you my .02 cents.

 

O k so i have read some these. Some need to hear this harsh reality, First off no school is going to take you and turn you into a fabricator and set you to do it your whole life. I been working on cars my whole life now at 24 wyotech grad a custom shop still won't consider you. It takes time to make it a career. Building a portfolio of everything you do well documented is whats gonna get you into it. Fabrication is a art and skill that takes lots of time and money and hope you like to work tons and tons of hrs non stop. Goodluck