Building, rebuilding, restoring, and repairing, have always been his calling. Jason grew up in New Jersey, shining the flashlight while his dad repaired cars. Today, he’s the one doing the troubleshooting—savoring the process of breathing new life into vintage vehicles. Now on his way to earning a second degree from Penn College, Jason looks forward to opening his own shop and putting his inspired mechanical skills to work.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been interested in tearing things apart to see how they work as well as the mechanical aspect of things. I started with LEGOs, tearing them apart and building them back together again. When I was around ten or eleven, I began to help my dad repair the family cars we owned. I started just by holding the flashlight, but I would watch and try to figure out everything that I could. I always wanted to know how it went together, how it came apart, and why things work the way they do. As I grew older, I became more involved with the jobs until it got to the point where I would be the one doing the majority of the work and my dad would be the one on the side, helping me through any obstacles I may have ran into.
My passion for old cars started when I was around thirteen or fourteen. I had seen them around when I was younger and was always interested in them, but I didn’t think about becoming more involved until I was closer to driving age. My father always told me stories of the cars he owned when he was a kid, from his 1957 Chevy two-door to his 1980s El Camino, his stories got me thinking… What's stopping me?
When I first toured, I was especially excited about the restoration program that they had for classic cars. Being within driving distance to my home and also getting the opportunity to pursue the exact industry and specialty training needed was a perfect fit for me. Along the way, I also enrolled in Collision Repair and am now currently in Applied Management. I have spent the last five summer and winter breaks working full-time in the same collision shop back home. My time at Penn College greatly helped prepare me for the hustle I found everyday out in the industry.
My favorite aspect is mechanically bringing them back to life. I have always been fascinated with cars that have sat untouched for extended periods of time (such as barn-find cars), and being tasked with making them run again. From diagnosing no-starts, to unsticking an engine, I have always found it exciting when dealing with a new challenge that I haven’t dealt with before. The first car I ever returned to service was a 1979 Dodge Powerwagon. It was sitting for 20+ years with a stuck motor. Within three days and with a hotwired coil and rebuilt carburetor, I had that engine running and running good. The owner swore up and down that “It’s running better now than when I bought it new!” Seeing and feeling that excitement of fighting an engine for hours, pouring so much time and effort into a car… to see it fire up for the first time with the owner is just another feeling.
When I graduate from Penn College, I’d like to move home and start my own restoration and repair shop in my hometown. I’d like to focus on a variety of different aspects though, and not limit myself to one aspect of classic cars. I like bodywork. I like mechanical. I enjoy collision and general maintenance as well. I’d like to build a shop that can be capable of fixing whatever comes through the door, be it scheduled maintenance or a complete frame-off restoration.
That’s a very tough pick for me. That list grows every day. My dream car was always an advanced design Chevrolet pickup made between 1947-1955. I purchased a 1949 Chevy 3100 when I was 15 years old and have begun to slowly look for another project. One I don’t own? 1950s Cadillac Coupe De Ville.
"My time at Penn College greatly helped prepare me for the hustle I found everyday out in the industry."
When you visit campus, look out for Jason and his restored yellow 1949 Chevy 3100. Now running better than ever, it's a familiar sight around campus.
Jason Wollerman was one of a handful of students entrusted to partially restore this classic British automobile on loan to the college from the Coventry Foundation.
Repair and restore vehicles to their original condition.
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