Piston Scholar Tara Feeney Follows The Car Restoration Path

Oddball Jobs in an Arizona Car Restoration Shop

As she reached the age of 10, the small tasks turned into more “oddball” jobs, she said. “The guys at the shop were always very good about engaging me in what they were doing. I was just sitting around and watching them work, and asking questions. Then, one day, they asked if I wanted to give it a try. So, from then on, I would hold their wrenches and move their flashlights around.

“When I got older I realized that it really clicked with me. It made me really happy and it was a puzzle I could solve. That was different from what I was learning in high school.”

“I was really enjoying my time in the shop and then Covid hit, so I was spending more and more time there opposed to being in a traditional classroom. I love the cars, I love the passion that people have for them. I love the fact that you can keep history alive in a real way, in a really potent way. And that was something I wanted to be a part of.

“The older guys who had done this for so many years brought up the fact that there were not a lot of young people to fill their spots when they were gone. The fact that it was going to be more of a lost history really appealed to me to keep that alive.”

McPherson Opens the Way

It was at that car show in Arizona where she met a McPherson student who was part of a summer institute program who introduced her to the college. “I was told there’s a bachelor’s degree available for this program, if I wanted to move to Kansas. I looked into it and then I came out for a visit as a high school senior, walked round the shop, and I was, like, sold. This is where I’m going to go,” she said.

Tara is now a sophomore and will graduate in May of 2027, studying automotive restoration with an emphasis on business management and communications.

Restoring a 1970 MG Midget

Her current project is completely restoring a 1970 MG Midget “from the ground up.” She drives a “nothing remarkable” Hyundai, she explained, but her goal is to open up a shop that works on British racing cars.

“I’ve been drawn to British cars in general since I found them,” she said. “I had always grown up on American stuff. When I came to McPherson, I found MG Clubs and then I purchased my own MG. I really like the styling and what they were doing in the ‘50s and ‘60s.

“The racing has an appeal because vintage racing is so much different than the Formula racing that we’re seeing today. I think it’s really awesome to keep that history alive and keep the memory alive of what it was like in the ‘60s and the ‘50s.

“I like how there’s more room to work on them as opposed to doing traditional restoration or preservation work. I like that they’re looking to get more power out of them and that’s kind of the goal. At the end of the day, restorations are amazing, preservations are amazing, but these cars need to still be out there getting driven. Otherwise, what’s the point?”

Piston Foundation provides security

Tara’s introduction to The Piston Foundation came from her “engines” professor at McPherson. “He encouraged me to apply. It was just awesome to hear about another organization that was as dedicated to the preservation of classic cars as I am,” she said.

“The Piston Scholarship has helped me immensely in paying for college,” she said. “It’s alleviated a lot of the stress that I’ve had from that, and it continues to connect me with other super-amazing college kids who are doing the same thing I’m doing.”

Hurdles and Challenges

Of course, she often feels the challenges as a “woman in a man’s world.” “I have a lot of experience in that type of environment,” she said. “I know what it’s like, especially as a young woman trying to break into the field. Diversity is important, and I want my shop to be a place in which women (as technicians) feel comfortable coming to work every day with the knowledge that they’re not going to experience any of the harassment that they would in other places.”

Parental support is key

Parental support is key to any student’s ambitions to be a part of the car restoration world. “I’ve always had super supportive parents (mom Alana and dad Enda) who have always encouraged me to follow my dreams,” she said. “I would give that same advice to other parents. It can seem a little scary when your kid wants to go into it, but there is a rewarding future here. Just let them stick through it.”

To the Emerald Isles

Surprisingly, Tara said her plan for after graduation is to move to Ireland.

“I am looking to get my master’s in business and get some real-world experience in a shop so that I can be a super well-rounded person going into owning a business. I think Ireland has an interesting market for vintage cars in a way the U.S. doesn’t. I feel the U.S. market is a little bit more oversaturated and a lot of people are doing resto mods and all,” she offered.

If you think Tara’s desire to move to Ireland came out of left field – well, not exactly. “My parents are from Ireland, originally,” she explained. “And I spent a lot of of my childhood there. I like the culture, I like the weather, I like the country and the views, and it’s where I see myself living. Obviously, my business will be going with me.”

Internships, Future Plans and Favorite Cars

Tara, who will seek internship work in the summer and is always ready to return to that original shop in Scottsdale where she got her start, wants the industry to know that her generation “is dedicated to preserving the history.” While the methods might be different from how the older generations have done it, “we’re all trying to accomplish the same goal: to keep these pieces of history on the road.” And, what car would she love to own, if she had her “druthers”? A Ford GT40. That might be an elusive dream, but what is real is that once she’s finished restoring her MG Midget, she plans to race it. Most likely in Ireland.