?Does it float?? isn?t a typical question most project vehicle
builders get when their creations debut for the first time.
Then again, the Suzuki Marine Vehicle created by Cleveland-based Ohio Technical
College (OTC) isn?t your typical custom car.
The project began in the summer of 2011 when American Suzuki Motor Corporation
was in search of a way to uniquely promote their marine division.? They
turned to Ohio Technical College ? a family-owned school that has provided
technical training in a variety of transportation industries for more than 40
years, receiving numerous industry recognitions ? for ideas on transforming a
stock 2010 Suzuki Grand Vitara into a head-turning project vehicle.
After some brainstorming among Suzuki, OTC faculty and industry experts, the
concept was decided.
?Let?s actually turn the Grand Vitara into a boat,? recalls Tim Cole,
a lead instructor on the project at Ohio Technical College and the school?s
Alternative Fuel program manager.? ?We had our Custom Paint
department develop a rendering, and from that point on we had less than four
months to make this awesome idea a reality.?
Students in OTC?s Automotive, Auto-Diesel, Classic Car Restoration, Collision
Repair, and Custom Paint and Graphics programs got involved in every aspect of
the project.? The 4-door SUV was converted into a 2-door marine vehicle,
with the roof removed to create a sundeck in the back and new rear seats
constructed from wood, sheet metal and fiberglass.
Custom car builder Rich Evans, who owns Huntington Beach Bodyworks in
California and is helping create an advanced collision repair and customizing
course at OTC, worked one-on-one with students to chop the roof, cut and lower
the front windshield 6 inches, and mold a new rear arch from the original roof
and fabricated material.? The arch holds a radio antenna, lighting and
fishing rods, while the rear of the vehicle features a Suzuki outboard motor to
enhance its marine appearance.
?As students in our various automotive programs, these young technicians
not only learn the basic skill sets needed to succeed in today?s industry but
they are also exposed to unique projects like the Suzuki Marine Vehicle that
challenge them to think differently and find new solutions to common
situations,? explains Cole.? ?At OTC, we strive to provide
hands-on opportunities and industry mentors that will differentiate our
students in the workforce.? The Suzuki Marine Vehicle taught students
about custom fabrication, how to shape metal and fiberglass, wiring and
more.?
Additional modifications include a lift kit, door poppers, shaved handles, a
backup camera inside the outboard motor, a blue body glow undercar kit, two
spotlights, LED driving lights, navigation system, DVD players in the
headrests, a hydrogen system and even a refrigerator in the back.
?By working on a project like the Suzuki Marine Vehicle, you really learn
the ins and outs of a car,? says Kyle Karkowski, a recent auto-diesel
graduate from OTC.? ?This was a one-of-a-kind project that gave me
the opportunity to have fun working with a new team that had their own set of
skills and experiences.? I learned a lot from the build, particularly
adding the hydrogen system to improve gas mileage and performance.?
Nathan Dutcher, a fellow OTC student, agrees that working on such a unique
vehicle was an awesome opportunity.? ?When I first heard about the
design of the Suzuki Marine Vehicle ? and all the modifications we were going
to be made ? I couldn?t exactly visualize how it would all get
accomplished.? However, being involved in the project taught me you can
turn an idea into reality and that?s something I will take with me to my future
career.?
The Suzuki Marine Vehicle?s custom paint is reminiscent of a bass boat,
complete with metal flakes and a wave design off the front wheel.? It also
features bow mooring lights as well as dock cleats.? The vehicle will be
featured at several events in 2012, including in the Ohio Technical College
booth at AutoRama in Cleveland.
And even though there are no plans to use the Suzuki Marine Vehicle in the
water, it has certainly surpassed the team?s expectations and turned some heads
in the automotive world.
To learn more about OTC and the Suzuki Marine Vehicle, visit www.ohiotech.edu
and follow them on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ohiotechnicalcollege) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/ohiotechcollege).? You can also watch
a video overview of the build on YouTube: http://youtu.be/JBlj5aJrYi4.
About Ohio Technical College
Ohio Technical College (OTC) is an accredited
private, proprietary technical school dedicated to providing premier technical
training in the world of modern mechanics by pursuing industry alliances,
providing outstanding training equipment and focusing on the needs of individual
students.? An Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges
(ACCSC) college, OTC and its PowerSport Institute branch campus encompass
nearly 800,000 sq. feet of classroom and workshop space.? Drawing students
from all over the United States, OTC offers technician training programs in
Automotive, Diesel, Auto-Diesel, Collision Repair, Classic Car Restoration,
High Performance and Racing, Welding and PowerSport Technology as well as
specialization in BMW, Alternative Fuel Vehicles, Custom Bike Building, Custom
Paint and Graphics, and Power Generator Systems.? Motorcycle technician
training is provided through the PowerSport Institute, a branch campus of OTC
in North Randall, Ohio.? For more information, write to Ohio Technical
College at 1374 E. 51st St. Cleveland, Ohio, 44103; call 800.322.7000
ext. 163; or visit www.ohiotech.edu
and www.psi-now.com.
About American Suzuki Motor Corporation
The Brea, Calif.-based Automotive Operations of
American Suzuki Motor Corporation was founded in 1985 by parent company Suzuki
Motor Corporation (SMC) and currently markets its vehicles in the United States
through a network of approximately 500 automotive dealerships in 49
states.? Based in Hamamatsu, Japan, SMC is a diversified worldwide
automobile, motorcycle and outboard motor manufacturer with sales of more than
two million new automobiles annually.? Founded in 1909 and incorporated in
1920, SMC has operations in 187 countries.? For more information, visit www.media.suzukiauto.com.
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