Lucky Stanford students restoring a ’62 Cadillac for college credit

Auto restoration experts mostly work for love and pride rather than money; the cost of rebuilding an old car into showroom-ready condition usually costs far more than it will ever be worth. Students in a new class at Stanford University won't have to worry about such costs when restoring this 1962 Cadillac DeVille -- they only have to earn passing grades.

Part of Stanford's Revs Program that studies the history and future of the automobile, the master's level course, "Design Restoration," will explore not just what made the '62 DeVille the standard of the world but have students rebuild the engine, brakes and other parts. Previous mechanical experience isn't a prerequisite, but the course notes warn/promise that "every student can expect to get their hands dirty."

While the car needs to be running within a matter of weeks, I'd say the students got lucky with the vehicle choice; this particular '62 traveled from Florida to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and finally to a Connecticut garage, where it sat for 20 years in well-preserved condition. Perhaps the sequel could start with something a little rougher -- like this Craigslist find of a Datsun 240Z half-converted to a Ferrari 250 GTO replica with a spare, uninstalled Jaguar XKE V12. Anyone who can untangle that deserves a doctorate for the garage wall.