Name: Zachary Bredfield

School: McPherson College

Location: McPherson, Kansas

Areas of interest :
Engine & Mechanical, Brightwork, Electrical, Fabrication & Metal Shaping, Frame & Suspension, Historic Vehicle Preservation, Hot Rods, Performance Mods / Tuning

Era of interest:
Pre-War (1900-1939), 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

What sparked your interest in collector vehicles?
My grandpa and my dad first sparked my interest in collector vehicles. My grandpa always had an old 1969 Corvette that he bought brand new and kept in very good condition. He showed me how to take care of a car to preserve it. My dad kept me involved with cars as I was growing up, and I drove an orange 1971 GMC pickup in high school that my family had for a long time. My dad then helped me to find a project car of my own to build, and ever since then, I’ve known that I wanted to work with cars when I grew up.

Do you have a vehicle you’re working on / have worked on? What is it and what kind of work are you doing?
I have a 1936 ford pickup rat rod. I have done just about everything to the car. I have modified the frame, fixed a lot of bodywork on it even though it is still rusty and unpainted, did all the wiring, and built the engine. I chopped the top and channeled it. I even built my own custom floor pans for it as well. I’ve also worked on my family’s 1971 GMC pickup that I drove for a little bit in high school, mainly engine and bodywork.

What are your short-term/long-term career goals?
My short-term goal would be to work at a hot rod/ custom shop that also builds race cars or just a race shop while being able to try and start getting involved in some form of racing. a long-term goal would be to start my own shop.

How has the RPM Foundation impacted your education/career path?
The RPM Foundation has made it possible for me to pursue some really amazing internships. Without help from the RPM Foundation, I would not have been able to afford to go to my past two internships.