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08-30-2020, 07:39 PM | #1 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 516851
Join Date: Jul 2020
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becoming a mechanic
Has anyone on here taken their passion and made it into a profession?
I'm wanting to do this and am wondering what your experience has been like and where would be a good place to start.
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08-30-2020, 10:51 PM | #2 | |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 34361
Join Date: Mar 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: MI
Vehicle:04.7 STI WRB IG @got2boostit2 |
Quote:
Don't get me wrong it can be done, but what I see is you are whored by the tool companies. The business is changing with hybrid and electric cars and complicated accident warning systems and wifi and all types of crap in vehicles. Can you make money, yes. Can it be rewarding, yes. But you have to possess a certain level of stick to it ness in order to succeed. You can get into tuning, modifying and make money. You can go the corporate route and make money. Commit and make it happen if that is your passion. I've been comfortable with my path, would I do the same again, maybe with slight course correction, LOL. |
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08-30-2020, 11:41 PM | #3 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 514487
Join Date: May 2020
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: Illinois
Vehicle:2012 Sti Hatch Black |
Fellow SIU grad? Also something to look into is diesel engines. Semi trucks/generators/construction equipment all tend to be make more money and can keep the race car as the project car to keep it fun.
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08-31-2020, 06:11 PM | #4 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 503883
Join Date: Jul 2019
Chapter/Region:
Tri-State
Location: Collegeville, PA
Vehicle:2019 WRX STi World Rally Blue |
Considering I own an auto repair business, yes you could say that! I started young, tech school in high school then went to automotive trade school, automotive training center, and started working at an independent garage while still in trade school, about 10 years later I took over the lease to that same garage and worked out of there for 4.5 years when I purchased the current garage I run my business out of. As said by others, it is a difficult career that can be very stressful and you may begin losing some of your passion to work on cars, at least to some degree. For a while I was questioning my decisions but in the end I am happy I stuck with it so far and made it where I am at today, couldn't imagine doing anything else at this point, but there are quite a few vehicles that are just terrible to work on and I cant just turn all of that away or I would never make it, so just some words of experience. If you are young then it doesn't hurt to try, that's for sure, can always make something with the career especially since good technicians are in high demand.
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09-01-2020, 11:57 AM | #5 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 492327
Join Date: Oct 2018
Location: A car lounge in the midwest
Vehicle:19 WRX 16 STI 17Mk7R 20Supra 20Forester |
I had passion early on, but decided I'd enjoy it more as a hobby than becoming a pro.
I'm a white collar business guy by profession, but on the weekends I don't mind getting my hands dirty. I have a decent paying job so my 900 sq ft finished garage has a pretty wealthy amount of tools to match. |
09-01-2020, 12:22 PM | #6 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 29292
Join Date: Nov 2002
Chapter/Region:
SCIC
Location: Orange County CA
Vehicle:2004 WRX wagon silver |
if you enjoy wrenching, dont become a mechanic. its the easiers and quickest way to kill a passion the other problem.. has to do with cheap people and the crap parts that seem to be out there. I think my friend said it was a 1 to3 that were bad
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09-01-2020, 02:07 PM | #7 |
Add Lightness
Moderator Member#: 13699
Join Date: Dec 2001
Chapter/Region:
NESIC
Location: Hopkinton, MA
Vehicle:2021 Building It Better |
I went the route of oichan, although with a smaller garage (864 sq feet) and a 4 post lift. I work on quite a bit of my own stuff. Built a FFR Cobra 20 years ago, worked on a roadrace car for a while. These days, most of my work is either maintaining our cars or adding offroad stuff to my Jeep. I'm an engineer by day. I know for sure that if I did the mechanic thing for a living, I would not stay with it. But that's me.
I'd love to be as good a mechanic at Eric on the Youtube channel south main auto, but know that I don't have that much skill. There are tasks that I recognize are beyond what I can practically do and those get farmed to a really good local mechanic. A real mechanic would need to usually be capable to do nearly everything himself. I guess things like alignments and other very specialized things...no. |
09-02-2020, 01:04 PM | #8 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 149347
Join Date: May 2007
Chapter/Region:
NESIC
Location: Tolland, CT
Vehicle:05 LGT ,09 SpecB Black/silver |
IMO a good mechanic these day's is like a Doctor. Look at all the different systems you have to learn, let alone work on all the different cars made by all the different manufactures.
At least all human body's are the same. A trusted mechanic is priceless. |
09-02-2020, 04:01 PM | #9 |
Scooby Specialist
Member#: 34361
Join Date: Mar 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: MI
Vehicle:04.7 STI WRB IG @got2boostit2 |
Hahahah, OP hasn't been back online since original post.
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09-03-2020, 12:43 PM | #10 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 470845
Join Date: Jul 2017
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: Iowa
Vehicle:2011 Sti DGM |
It's because of all the dream crushers!! Haha, jk! I like to call it being a realist. We all have had this struggle. I am a mechanic of different sorts. I work on large mechanical pipe systems for power houses and hospitals. 22 years in and only being 40 I can tell you to make sure you pick something you want to do for a long time. My job pays great especially as I am the general Forman for a large company. However, I realize now it's not all about the pay.
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