Dylan Riley is a student at McPherson College and will be finishing his degree in Automotive Technology in the spring of 2021. This summer he worked at our Kuehn Court location working in refinement and maintenance with Ray Ruggiere, MPI refinement and maintenance technician. Our interns spend the summer months working hands on in an area of their interest. Read more to learn about Dyaln’s internship experience. 

Q: Why did you choose to pursue an internship with MPI?

Riley: While I was at the 2019 Pebble Beach concours with McPherson College, I met Ray and the other MPI employees. I got to know the guys and the company, and knew it would be a great company to intern with. I talked with Ray quite a bit, and could tell he had a great deal of knowledge that I could learn from which made me excited about applying for the internship. Being able to see these world-class cars, and having the opportunity to work on them, I knew I wouldn’t get another experience like it at hardly any other shop. Plus it made it easy knowing that there were also McPherson College graduates already working here. I wouldn’t be going in blind, and it helped me ease my way into it knowing I had some friends here already. 

Q: What does a day in the life of an MPI intern in your role look like?

Riley: My typical day here could start out with disassembling a transmission to rebuilding a steering column. I also enjoy working alongside Ray on the engine dyno, he breaks down what to do so I can process the correct way to assess an engine . Basically, we jump from project to project, knocking little bits out here and there until the job is ready to be sent out the door. So far I’ve rebuilt a rear end and have redone a lot of brake calipers and steering columns. There is always something to do in this department, and now I’m in the middle of rebuilding a transmission to end my summer internship with MPI.

Q: What has been the most exciting or interesting thing you’ve learned so far?

Riley: Everyday here is a learning experience because I’ve never even heard about most of these cars, let alone worked on them or seen them in person. Italian cars have the same basic principles, but there’s little things that are completely different from the American cars that I’m used to working on. The overall internship has been a learning experience, and it’s cool to see how separate parts of the world fabricated these classic vehicles differently. 

Q: What is one thing you have learned in your college education that you’ve been able to apply to your experience this summer?

Riley: McPherson College is great because you can learn every aspect of restoring a car. I’ve taken classes on chassis, drivetrain, sheet metal, engine classes and more. Coming here is a step up, going more in depth on more complex projects. I learned the basics at school, and here I was able to build upon what I’ve learned and strengthened my skill.  

Q: What have you gained from your internship experience that you will carry with you in the future?

Riley: I’ve acquired a lot of knowledge on these cars, but the most important thing I’ve gained is the relationships I’ve made with the MPI employees. Knowing that if I ever have any questions or need advice down the road, I can always give someone a call and they can help me find the answer or give me honest advice. 

If you are interested in an internship with MPI in the future, please email a resume to [email protected]. And stay tuned for another intern Q&A!