Air Force veteran Christopher Ames considers the classic Ford Thunderbird “an icon of American automotive engineering.” But he discovered the one he acquired at an auto auction was plagued by a common problem of old Thunderbirds: rapid engine overheating. He went on a mission to solve the problem that led him to a Fulton Schools thermal and fluids engineering course taught by mechanical engineering instructor Mark Miner. The result: There is now a new redesigned auto part that corrects coolant flow problems in Thunderbirds being reviewed by the U.S. Patent Office.