Sold-Out 'Centennial Journey' Gala to Feature Restored 100-Year-Old Buick
San Bernardino Valley College's sold-out, black-tie gala “Centennial Journey” will
feature a walkway of classic cars, including a 1926 Buick Standard 6 - Model 28 that
is being restored by members of the SBVC automotive program.
The car walkway is a tribute to Route 66, which was officially established in 1926 — the same year as San Bernardino Valley College.
“SBVC’s Centennial Journey isn’t just about looking back on our first hundred years — it’s about driving forward into the next century,” said San Bernardino Valley College Foundation Executive Director Mike Layne.
Automotive faculty member Edgar Pelayo started restoring the Buick in the fall, inviting current and former students into the Applied Technology Building's street rod lab to help with tasks, like painting. He started the work from scratch, taking the car apart, stripping it to bare metal, and hand cutting and welding pieces.
“I’m learning as I go, too — I’ve never had a 100-year-old car,” said Pelayo, who used to run his own shop.
At the gala on March 27, attendees will be able to get up close and admire the Buick, a piece of history Pelayo said is hard to find in the car world. It’s also personal for SBVC’s automotive community. Instructor Craig Hopkins, who was helping Pelayo with the restoration, passed away in December, so “we’re making the car kind of a memorial for him, too,” Pelayo said.
The car walkway is a tribute to Route 66, which was officially established in 1926 — the same year as San Bernardino Valley College.
“SBVC’s Centennial Journey isn’t just about looking back on our first hundred years — it’s about driving forward into the next century,” said San Bernardino Valley College Foundation Executive Director Mike Layne.
Automotive faculty member Edgar Pelayo started restoring the Buick in the fall, inviting current and former students into the Applied Technology Building's street rod lab to help with tasks, like painting. He started the work from scratch, taking the car apart, stripping it to bare metal, and hand cutting and welding pieces.
“I’m learning as I go, too — I’ve never had a 100-year-old car,” said Pelayo, who used to run his own shop.
At the gala on March 27, attendees will be able to get up close and admire the Buick, a piece of history Pelayo said is hard to find in the car world. It’s also personal for SBVC’s automotive community. Instructor Craig Hopkins, who was helping Pelayo with the restoration, passed away in December, so “we’re making the car kind of a memorial for him, too,” Pelayo said.
