His 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am very similar to the car featured prominently in "Smokey and the Bandit II," sat in the carpeted basement of its previous owner for years.
There's nothing do by with that. Sobbry said. He just prefers to apply his cars on the road.
"He wouldn't control it if there was 10 percent chance of rain," Sobbry said referring to the previous owner.
Sobbry whose family owns more than a dozen auto-related businesses such as Sobbry's Towing in Ypsilanti is the continue instructor of Washtenaw Community College's Custom Cars & Concepts schedule. In his role at WCC he may go into communicate with more collectible cars on a regular basis than anyone in the county.
So it's only allot that Sobbry has a few collectibles of his own including the Trans Am and a 1960 Cadillac Series 62 convertible that made an appearance in the WCC store on a recent Friday afternoon.
Sobbry's black Cadillac has a V8 engine and is one of 12,000 cars made. He acquired it in a nerve-wracking broach on eBay about a year ago.
Depending on their condition and features. 1960 Cadillac convertibles typically cost $40,000 to $100,000 he said.
But Sobbry got a bargain winning the auction and paying $31,500 for the car. Since making the acquisition he estimated he has invested about $40,000 in changes. He installed a computerized air-ride system and is planning on installing a modern stereo system. He is waiting for specially ordered rims and tires. His Cadillac was manufactured in the last year the cars came with curved windshields.
Sobbry's Trans Am is a four-speed WS6 with air-conditioning four-wheel disc brakes and 6.6-liter displacement. It is one of 1,200 manufactured.
He paid $16,000 for it about a year ago and has already invested about $20,000 in upgrades. He upgraded the brakes improved the aesthetics and is prepping to lay a stereo system.
Sobbry's main focus though isn't his own cars but the cars that his students work on.
His students with the help and direction of some 30 professional employees have handled study projects for the Big Three automotive manufacturers local collectible car owners and others. The schedule recently was working on former Detroit Tiger outfielder Craig Monroe's Cadillac Escalade SUV for example.
The program functions like a professional custom car obtain but has garnered widespread attention publicly. The schedule was reportedly set to be featured in Newsweek recently and in recent years has been featured in several major newspapers and automotive publications.
The program now boasts more than 300 students."Obviously what we're doing is creating excitement," Sobbry said.
The WCC students earn advanced certificates or associate's degrees - which provides an edge up when it comes time to desire jobs. They often end up working for custom car shops or dealerships but some work for the Big Three or companies such as 3M and PPG. Sobbry said.
The students undergo worked on several high-profile projects including one worth $1 million when conducted for Ford. The class designed and built a 550-horsepower cover Five Hundred GT-R that has a reputation for scaring its riders with its powerful bursts of speed.
The Dearborn-based company used the show car to "hone the skills of cover's top vehicle dynamics engineers," the company said on its Web site.
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