Coventry Foundation
2023-2024 & 2024-2025 Scholarship Recipient
Name: Jason Wollermann

Where/how did your passion and interest in the automotive industry get
started?

My dad used to tell me stories of when he was in college, how he bought his dream car: a hardtop 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. He told me that it was such a huge project, and he was so excited about getting it on the road. But as time went by, he needed to afford classes at college, so he had to sell the car before he ever finished it, and how much he’d love to get another one. As young as ten years old, I remember being out in the driveway helping my dad do maintenance on our daily vehicles. I started simply holding a flashlight, I was just happy to be involved. But my curiosity kept me engaged, and I liked to see how things bolted together, how everything worked. As I got older, I started helping more, doing the brakes and changing the oil on our cars. I took three years of autoshop in high school, earning my first ten ASE certifications and being the first in my high school’s history to get them all on my first try. My father and I bought a 1949 Chevrolet 3100 half-ton pickup truck in 2018, and after multiple engine, transmission, driveline, and brake swaps and fabrications on various cars, my passion continues to grow.

What are your career goals after Penn College?

Long term, I’d like to own my own restoration and collision shop where we focus primarily on vintage and classic American cars, especially from the ‘50s. That is my favorite era of cars. Short term, I have several options that I’m not sure which one I want to pursue. There is a job opportunity for me overseas in Rome, working for a private collector. There is also the potential for me to purchase the shop that I’ve worked at the past five years from my current boss, as well as the possibility of working with an auction company and going around the United States as one of their mechanic/drivers when the cars come up for auction. So currently I’m not quite sure where I intend on going just yet, but I know that no matter which route I choose I want to enjoy it as best as I can.

What is your favorite classic car?

That is a tough call for me, as I think a 1953 Cadillac Coupe DeVille is one of the most beautiful cars I’ve ever seen, and absolutely want to own one. But my first dream car was in fact my 1949 Chevrolet 3100. Something about that era of truck just scratches the right itch and I thoroughly enjoy them. So to answer the question directly, my first favorite/dream car was my ’49 Chevy. Having now owned that for six years, swapping engines, transmissions, and the like into it, it is even more so my favorite car. I use that almost everyday, and have put over 30,000 miles onto it since I’ve owned it.

What is your favorite aspect of restoration?
My favorite aspect is metalworking and body work, it brings me a lot of satisfaction and pride
when the floorpan or quarter panel that I make fits a car, and fits well. I feel like a skilled
craftsman and it brings me pride knowing that I can do that. But I also enjoy getting old engines
firing again. Coaxing a stubborn engine back to life is one of the most satisfying feelings I have
ever experienced, and I chase that feeling every chance I get. I love seeing a project car come
together, going from a rotted roller to finished with carpets and a headliner, knowing that I was
the one who got it there is just such an incredible feeling, and I can’t replace that.

If I could drive any automobile for an hour, what would it be?
I would absolutely love to drive one of the original GT40s on a track to experience what drivers
like Ken Miles had to do to keep those incredible race cars straight. That is one of my biggest
dreams to be able to drive an original spec GT40.