In the Spring of 1979, I went back to SUNY Farmingdale in pursuit of my Automotive Engineering degree. I was determined. I wanted to get married and make a difference in the world. I couldn’t meet my goals without a good education and I loved engineering. We were now into the Post-Middle East Oil Embargo world. Federal funding was flooding into the universities. The mission was to design alternative powerplants/prime movers and alternative fuels. My passion was research and development (R & D).

I was so determined I read and researched voraciously, dug in deep at all times, constantly questioning, so much so that all my automotive professors brought me into the fold and I their laboratory assistant. I got to see and work on research work none of the professors would share. The last two semesters I added Engineering Science to my continuing pursuits and took my first university level calculus class. I made an interesting cross-culture of friends.

Ian an automotive major was a F.O.R.D. man (First On Race Day) with a 65’ Ford Galaxy big block that he later replaced with a nasty little Mustang II with a 302. The engine was crammed in so tight, starter replacement entailed removing the engine to get out the starter. Gerald, the mechanical engineering major as MOPAR centric and when it came down to it, by meticulous study, MOPAR always had the simplest designs resulting in the greatest functionality. I was the Bow Tie Man (Chevy/GM). And then, there was the Integral Worm, the mathematician who amused himself while consuming mass quantities of beer by solving math problems on cocktail napkins. Once the problem was solved, he’d throw the solution on the floor and start another. “Waitress, can we get another pitcher of beer?” “And some more cocktail napkins!”

The event I remember the most was the ethanol fuel engine test. So did the rest of Lupton Hall. The engine tested was nothing great, just a Chrysler 4-barrel factory equipped 383 cubic inch, but it didn’t matter. This was like letting a race horse loose for a good gallop. The engine test went on for three hours at WOT (Wide Open Throttle/Full Load), no mufflers, exhaust vented to atmosphere through venting tubes running up to the ceiling. The entire East wing of Lupton Hall was cleared out due to the noise. The chemistry lab above us on the second floor was dismissed because of the noise. I was the only one in class with the sense to bring hearing protection. I sat with my professor and listened to the engine sing for three hours. The cast iron exhaust manifolds glowed cherry red from the heat.

I graduated Suma Cum Lauda in the Spring of 1982 with a degree in Automotive Engineering. The best part was the graduation party my ex-wife, then girlfriend threw for me. The party went on day and late into the night until we ere exhausted from partying. I worked as an auto mechanic for a few years in a 110-bay shop at Sears in Hickville, NY that has its own stories and in 1985, I landed a semi-career position with Beck/Arnley writing auto parts catalogs and repair manuals.