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MARCH | APRIL 2018
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MCLARENS ON THE MOUNTAIN Heirs to Bruce McLaren’s legacy reunite.
T H E S E R V I C E D E P T. RPM: Restoration. Preservation. Mentorship. T H E S E R V I C E D E P T. RPM: Restoration. Preservation. Mentorship. SMS is an upholstery lover’s dream, with rack SMS is an after upholrack of materials stery lover’s dream, for nearly every with rack after domestic under the rack of materials sun.nearly It’s the perfect for every place for Peters to domestic under the spend days. sun. It’shis the perfect place for Peters to spend his days.
RPM Foundation provides scholarships, formal RPM Foundation training, provides and scholmentorship to the arships, formal next generation of training, and automotive and mentorship to the marine restorers of next generation and preservationautomotive and ists. Learn more at marine restorers rpm.foundation. and preservationists. Learn more at rpm.foundation.
LIFE’S A STITCH LIFE’S A STITCH How a “quarter life” change took one man from healthcare to upholstery. How a “quarter life” change took one man from healthcare to upholstery. SEVEN YEARS AGO, WHILE TAKING IN the cars and motorcycles on display at the SEVEN YEARS AGO, WHILE Art of the Car Concours on theTAKING grounds IN of the cars andCity motorcycles on display at the the Kansas Art Institute, Jason Peters Art the Car Concours on the grounds of had of a revelation. the “IKansas Institute, Jason Peters really City didn’tArt have any career ambition had a revelation. in high school,” he remembers. “So after “I really Ididn’t any career ambition graduating, got anhave associate’s degree in nuin high school,” he remembers. “So trition and wound up working in a localafter hosgraduating, I got an associate’s in nupital kitchen.” From home-care degree to human retrition wound inata local hossources,and a series of up jobsworking followed St. Luke’s pital kitchen.” FromCity. home-care to human reHospital in Kansas sources, seriesthe of jobs followed St.30 Luke’s Petersa loved work, but heat was and Hospital in Kansas City. 120Peters loved the work, but he was 30 and 120
felt his career clock ticking. All this time, Peters had more than a casual interest in clasfelt his career clock thishis time, Pesic cars. He grew upticking. workingAllwith father tersthe hadfamily’s more than casual interest in aclason 1972a Chevelle Malibu, car sic cars. Hetogrew working his father they took localupshows andwith cruise-ins. At on family’sa1972 Malibu, 23, the he bought 1969Chevelle Ford Galaxie 500,a car his they took topurchase local shows andworking cruise-ins. At first major while at the 23, he bought a 1969 Ford Galaxie 500, his hospital. first“I major purchase at the restored that carwhile by theworking paycheck,” Pehospital. ters says, and estimates he spent $30,000 “I restored that car by 10 theyears. paycheck,” Pefixing up the Galaxie over Throughtersthe says, and estimates spent $30,000 out process, he had nohe idea you could get fixing up in theautomotive Galaxie over 10 years. Througha degree restoration. out the process, he had no idea you could get a degree in automotive restoration. The RPM Foundation is an entity of America's Automotive Trust.
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Then he saw the McPherson College tent at the Art of the Car. Talking to the school’s he had saw his the revelation. McPhersonHe College rep,Then Peters stayedtent on at Art of and the Car. Talkinghis toeducation the school’s at the St. Luke’s continued in rep, Peters had his management revelation. Heat stayed on human resources Kansas at St. Luke’s andUniversity. continued But his education in City’s Parkville in his spare human resources management at Kansas time, he looked at job options in the collecCity’s tor-carParkville world. University. But in his spare time, he looked at job thethe collecHe also entered hisoptions Galaxiein at Art tor-car world. of the Car the following year. There he met He Foundation also enteredpresident his Galaxie at Fitzgerthe Art RPM Diane of Carencouraged the following Theretoheenroll met ald.the “She myyear. decision RPM Foundation Diane at McPherson and president find a career that Fitzgerbridged ald. “She encouraged my decision enroll my human resources and recruitingtoexperiat McPherson and find a career that bridged ence into something in the car-hobby restomy human resources and recruiting experiration world.” ence into something in the restoAt 34, Peters headed offcar-hobby to McPherson ration world.” and its Automotive Restoration ManageAt program, 34, Petersa headed offcurriculum to McPherson ment full-time that and its Automotive Restoration Manageprepares students for running a shop-based ment program, a full-time business. He landed an RPMcurriculum scholarshipthat and prepares students for running a shop-based in the summer of 2015 traveled to Tacoma, business. He landed RPM scholarship Washington, for an an RPM internship at and Lein the summer of 2015 traveled to Tacoma, May—America’s Car Museum. Washington, for an RPMquickly internship at LeAt McPherson, Peters realized he May—America’s Car Museum. had a thing for interiors and, specifically, At McPherson, Petersthe quickly he upholstery. Aside from enginerealized comparthad a thing for interiors and, specifically, ment and paint job, he says, a car’s interior upholstery. from the compartis the thingAside that draws theengine most attention ment and paint job, he says, a car’s interior at shows. is the thing theofmost attention “I love thethat lookdraws and feel classic upholat shows. stery,” he says. “I like figuring out patterns “I the lovegentle the look and of classic upholwith hum of feel a sewing machine in stery,” he says. “I like figuring out patterns the background.” with the gentle hum in of 2017 a sewing in Peters graduated andmachine took a job the background.” with SMS Auto Fabrics in Portland, Oregon. Peters graduated 2017 and and tookmodel a job Servicing owners of in every make with SMS Auto Portland, Oregon. of domestic car Fabrics from thein1930s on, SMS has Servicing of every make and model America’s owners largest selection of original autoof domestic carvinyl, fromleather, the 1930s SMS has mobile carpet, andon, upholstery. America’s largest selection of original auto“If we don’t have the original in stock,” mobile carpet, vinyl, leather, and upholstery. he says, “we have the ability to reproduce “If in weany don’t have for thenearly original in stock,” cloth pattern every Amerhe says, “we have the ability to reproduce ican classic. We even produce custom door cloth in any pattern for nearly every Amerpanels.” icanNow classic. We even produce custom work door 37, Peters has found rewarding panels.” that pays well. He has expanded his personNow 37, Peters has found work al collection of classics, too, rewarding to three Edsels that pays well. He has expanded his personand a ’78 Thunderbird. al collection of have classics, too, to three Edsels He hopes to his own upholstery and and a ’78 Thunderbird. detailing business in the next five years. “Inhopes have his own upholstery sideHeand out,toenthusiasts want their carsand to detailing business in the next five be phenomenal,” Peters says. “I findyears. great“Injoy sidehelping and out, enthusiasts want their acars to in them make their dreams realibe phenomenal,” Peters says. “I find great joy ty.”—Bob Butz editor@hagerty.com in helping them make their dreams a reality.”—Bob Butz editor@hagerty.com Photo by Stefan Lombard Photo by Stefan Lombard