What would you guys do?, Working Professionally On Cars Options

[Eric Taylor]

I’ve been thinking about this post for a while and Britt’s thread about IT got me going again.

Right now I’m at a point in my life where I feel like I’ve got to make a few decisions. I’m about half way through school and finding myself really unsure of what I want to do. I’m currently a journalism major and am finding that I am not as interested in doing what I thought I wanted to do. The jobs I had always dreamed of in TV are starting to disappear and the ones I’m left with are not ones that interest me. So I got thinking about what really does get me going.

The part of my life that interests me the most is cars. In working with my little 914 I’ve learned a lot. It really keeps me on my toes, and while I defiantly don’t know everything I have a passion to learn and that’s a lot of why I like it. Right now I’m getting a great experience with a board member in building a 3.0 SC motor. While it’s mostly me watching and holding things, I really love the detail and the intricacy of everything and figuring out how it all works I really enjoy the puzzle of it and piecing it all together.

So I turn to my favorite group of car people for advice. What would your guys’ advice be for turning this passion into a profession? I know it would be really hard to walk into a Porsche shop and ask for a job with no actual on the job experience or training. How would you guys go about getting into this world if you were in my situation?

Eric

[drewvw]

When I was younger I too wanted to go into the Car Restoration Biz. You should have seen the look on my 8th grade guidance counselor's face when I told him in front of my parents that I wanted to restore old cars for a living: "Ummm, I don't have a profile for that..."

There are many people on this board who can speak about what it takes to get involved in that profession better than I can. Seems like one of those areas you kind of fall into though, unless you are really driven.

Maybe wait until you get out of school, try out a job or two and keep doing the car stuff on the side.

I am a firm believer that in life, the paths we take present themselves at opportune times. Enjoy the rest of college (for god's sake!!!) and give yourself some time to figure it out, cause you will.


Just my .02...more philisophical than job related I guess

[MoveQik]

Can't say that I know the best way to break into the mechanic's world. I would suggest however that you finish school and get your degree. Right or wrong, that degree will keep a lot of doors being slammed in your face, regardless of what you end up doing.

Good luck!

[914helo]

I considered not finishing college a few years ago, and I can't tell you how glad I am that I stayed and finished. If you are seriously interested in the automotive industry some schools have an automotive engineering program...

[jasons]

For me, there is a difference in working on cars for fun and working on cars for money or because I have to. I hate working on my daily driver and I hate working on my wifes truck.

I can't believe there aren't jobs in TV with so many channels and so many offbeat shows. How did that guy start the show "PINKS"? He had an idea, a couple of cameras, found 2 guys willing to bet their cars, now he has a cash cow. The guy that hosts Overhaulin' whatshisname Chris? He had to start somewhere. That show "Build or Bust" on speed, same thing. There are more shows on TV now about cars than ever before.

EDIT: Basically, sometimes (not always) Hobbies are better left as Hobbies.

[lapuwali]

Just being a mechanic in a shop is a great way to stay broke. It doesn't pay all that well. The restoration biz, however, can pay very well indeed, esp. if you own the shop.

Find a car restoration shop in a major city and offer yourself as an apprentice. You'll get very little money the first year, but it will teach you the basics and it will tell you if you want to keep doing this. Turning a hobby into a job can often kill the interest in the hobby. I used to be super into anything computer related. Now, 25 years later, I only do computer related things for work, or those car related things that involve computers, and it's pretty much been that way for the last 15 years. Computers are no longer a hobby. Cars are the hobby.

I expect the resto biz to continue to be lucrative for a very long time, as many cars will always be collectible even after they become undrivable on the street. I'm fully expecting that gasoline powered cars will be as common as a horse and buggy by the time anyone in school now reaches retirement age. However, there will still be plenty of cars in collections that need repair and restoration, and will depend on high-end shops that do highly labor intensive, small-volume work on them. The general auto repair biz, however, is going to get harder and harder to survive in outside the dealer networks.

Given your background, perhaps you need to look to auto journalism. That will also continue to be a decent field for a very long time. It's not high-paying, but the perks are pretty nice. Advertising and PR for car companies pays better, and still requires the ability to write and present.

Alternatively, drop the whole journalism thing, and head over to the Mechanical Engineering dept. If your school has a Formula SAE program, talk your way into it. If it doesn't, find a school that does.

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

Dude, I so feel you! I'm kinda in that position and I'm in the computer industry. Except I don't live in India (if you catch my drift) (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/mad.gif)

My buddy was booted from Adidas. With some help and encouragement from me, he started his own VW Type 3 repair business. He has no professional background in auto mechanics, just his PASSION for the T3 automobile. No business loan or investers. Just a small, two car garage, a field for parts storage, and our own personal garages for auto work. Now we have a shop and a steady stream of cars -- who'da thunk the Pacific NW would have so many T3's?

His wife isn't the most understanding (but she has a job so the income did help) but he stuck to his guns and now is able to stand on his own two feet. We also buy junkers, cut 'em up if they're a basket case, and sell the parts to the east coast dudes because they have to deal with LOTS of rust (due to salted roads in the winter time). That is our biggest source of income. We also will 'slide' and work on the occational Bug or Bus, but that's pretty rare. Simple crap like brakes, tune-ups, etc. are your bread-n-butter so get used to it. But when you get a customer that wants a polished big-motor with powder coated tin and ceramic this-n-that, it makes it all worth it!! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

Personally, I'd recommend that you include the VW bretheren if you decide to go this route. Any car with a Type 4 motor should be allowed into your shop, at least for engine work. There are a lot of Buses out there and they can keep you on your feet. Plus the fact that you're a "Porsche mechanic" adds to the boasting factor when people say, "Yeah, I have a Porsche mechanic fix my Bus' engine!" I'm serious. People are funny that way.

It's a huge and scary step. Do your research and see if there's enough work in Eugene/Springfield and surrounding region -- I figure U of O has enough granola stompers and we know how much they like the iconic Bus (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif) I know there is plenty of work in Portland -- heck, we get cars shipped to us from Washington! There's a car in the shop right now from Seattle and all the guy wants is a SIMPLE BRAKE JOB! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/blink.gif) But when you're good they will come. Back in the day when I was in college I would drive 4 hours back to home to have my VW mechanic work on my car (luckily, I eventually found a very good local mechanic). If you get good, particularly at engine builds, you could support the NW (look out McMark! (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif) )

[Pistachio]

I agree with the above - finish your degree.

Even if you decide to follow automotive pursiuts & never use it, you'll always have it to "fall back on". That's not a bad place to be, especially considering something over 65% of graduates end up working outside their field of major anyway. Once you do enter the workforce in whatever capacity, You'll find out that not having a BS/BA will slam many doors in your face no matter which way you finally end up going with a career.

Having a degree is worth the time, no matter where you go, & to a large part, it doesn't matter what it's in.

Trust me, it'll pay off in the end. Take your degree 1st.

[Jake Raby]

Think about it hard...

Then change your mind.

[drewvw]

QUOTE (Jake Raby @ Mar 29 2006, 11:32 AM)

Think about it hard... Then change your mind.

I was waiting for him to chime in. A lot of zen in that answer.....

[r_towle]

Working with your hands has a limited cieling on how much you can make.
It also has a timeline...when you get older you need more ibuprofen to go to work.

I would look at working your degree towards a future spot with either a car TV show, or a magazine...then you have the best of both worlds..

Become a contributing editor now for some of your favorite magazines, cover some of the car shows in your area,,,present a proffessional article to these magazines, and start making connections while you are still in school...

Rich

[Air_Cooled_Nut]

Agreed, get the degree. Change it if you want (eh, what's another year of being poor? (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif) ), just make sure you get it.

I know there's a demand for technical writers in the computer industry.

[BigDBass]

Finish college. It won't necessarily open doors, but it will prevent them from closing. You have a long time ahead of you (which will go by fast) so hurry up and take your time figuring things out. Heck, I'm gonna be a dad in a few months, and I'm still trying to decide what I want to be when I grow up. (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif)

Depending on how far along you are in your major, you may just want to stick with it. People often end up in different fields than they major in in school, but with a journalism degree, you should have well-honed, proven written communication skills. There are a lot of jobs/careers to which those skills can be applied. Also, consider taking some classes in technical writing. The suggestion about going into automotive journalism sounds like a great mix.

[Eric Taylor]

QUOTE (BigDBass @ Mar 29 2006, 12:49 PM)

Finish college. It won't necessary open doors, but it will prevent them from closing.

I completely agree. while I don't know what I want to do I'm almost 100% certain that I want to finish. In what major well thats kinda the big question here. Journalesm isn't really doing it for me, because i'm not a jounralist: i'm a video nerd. I love to play with and expand on video technology and from what i've heard the jobs focusing around this are dwindling. Looking at cars I guess I see something that I get the same if not a greater passion out of as playing with the video stuff.

So I guess more of what I'm asking is, how would you guys go about getting into this industry? I know I would like to do something like vw/porsche restor's but the field seems like one that you kind of have to be grandfathered into. Someone suggested that I could offer myself as an apprentiace for dirt cheap. This was my first idea of how to go about it but I wasn't sure if shops are interested in this kind of thing. What do you guys think? What steps would you take?

Eric

[lapuwali]

The only thing you can do is try. The worst that happens is a resto shop says no.

Certainly, while you're in school now, you can start taking courses to learn things like welding, metalworking, and basic engineering. Get a day job that pays the bills and start to restore something on your own time. Use that restored car as a tool to sell yourself to a restoration shop for work, or to prospective customers to set up your own shop.

You have to make this happen. There's no set career path, and there are a lot of ways to get there. Finish your journalism degree, then enroll in a vocational school to learn the shop skills. If you don't have the cash, get a job, save money, then start. Switch to an engineering major and get a car-related job right out of school with a car company. There's an auto manufacturer IN Oregon: they sell a US version of the Ariel Atom. Go talk to them. If you can convince them you're passionate enough, perhaps they'll offer you a job, or an internship.

[Cap'n Krusty]

Likie it or not, working on cars that aren't antiquesrequires substantial computer and electronics skills. The industry is hyurtinhg big time for qualified people who have those skills. Engine rebuilding at the shop level is becoming an uncommon thing. The engines are scary reliable, and often it's less expensive to just replace them. Back in the 70s, we used to have 3-4 911 engines undergoing overhauls at any given time. I doubt we've done 5 or 6 in the last 10 years. There are fewer early cars being used as daily drivers, and the cars we see now are in for electronic problems, services, and things like brakes and clutches. Each of those things is FAR more profitable than engine or transmission rebuilding, the "fun" stuff, and it's come to a point where the business plan for a real moneymaker of a shop doesn't allow for that kind of work. If you want to work on cars, go to UTI, take the full course, and go for it. BTW, I have a BA in art (practice) and was most of the way to an MFA before I got into this. Wish I had the training the young guys have. It would make life SOOOOO much easier! I still like what I do, but don't have anywhere near the retirement cushion many of my friends do, and that day is growing ever nearer. Whatever, GET YOUR DEGREE! The Cap'n

[race914]

Turns out some of the guys I've met at PCA events write for 'Excellence' Magazine. Now there's an option to combine your degree with your passion... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

I can relate to some of the comments above: I love working on the 914 but can't stand working on my daily driver. A signal to me that I should keep my hobby, my hobby.

[lapuwali]

QUOTE (race914 @ Mar 29 2006, 01:12 PM)

Turns out some of the guys I've met at PCA events write for 'Excellence' Magazine. Now there's an option to combine your degree with your passion... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/wink.gif)

The editor of Excellence is on this board, and visits regularly...

[byndbad914]

tough decision - but I will give you my BTDT story.

I started junior college right outta high school in 1989 to get a Mechanical Engineering Degree. Around 1991, Aerospace tanked here in SoCal and I was sorta dating a girl at that time and her dad worked in aerospace. He had lost his job, then he lost the house (because Aero was a huge influence here at that time, the housing market also began tanking so he couldn't sell his house for enough $ to cover the mortgage). Really sad deal. He was driving truck at one point just trying to put food on the table.

So, I said screw that noise and quit the engineering stuff and got my auto mechanics degree and started working as a mechanic around 94. Then, being somewhat smarter than you average bear, I knew being a manager and ultimately shop owner might be the best gig, so I got an AA in Small Business Management from the same jr college. Worked my way into manager positions, etc. Finally decided it was a hard living for not that much money compared to engineering. And engineering was on the rise by the end of the 90s. So I went back to school AGAIN and was cranking out 17 units a semester and working 40hrs/wk for about two years to "get er dun". I graduated and started a job at almost DOUBLE what I was making as a mechanic.

And I make more than many of my shop owner friends/acquaintances. The mechnic's life is a tough living and frankly my back is still a bit crappy from leaning over fenders and such, and I only did it for about 7-8yrs "professionally". Owning your own business is a whole other crazy dynamic with insane risk involved. BTDT too. And a big DITTO on the "hobbies aren't the best careers" comments - I didn't even want to change the oil in my own car at one point because I had done it all damn day.

That said, I am now going to be 35yrs old and make what most 28yr olds here do, but wouldn't trade it. I never intended to have kids, found a girl that doesn't either, so I didn't have a need for a family plan. I gained a ton of great "real-life" experience that has become invaluable to me as an engineer and a wanna-be racer.

My .02 - If you see yourself wanting to get married and start a family and have a nice house in the burbs with good schools and such, get a good degree and a good job. If you don't have a 10yr plan that includes that... man LIVE if you know what I mean. Screw the journalism for now and get a mechanic's helper job and go to school for an AS in auto mechanics if that appeals to you. Then, a few years down the road after you have "played that one out", maybe journalism will look better to you. Or something else. Hell, I could be diagnosed for career ADD at this point and I change my mind every 2-5yrs. I am already tired of engineering... and just finished my MBA in December.

Whatever the decision, make sure it includes getting at least a Bachelor's Degree in the end - that is becoming bare minimum for even a manager at a restaurant anymore. And remember that for many, it is really hard to go back to school if you stop going. I actually never quit going to school between 1989-2000. But I really enjoy learning, so I am a different bird in that respect.

edit - I echo the Cap'n - forgot to mention why mechanics was getting boring to me. All the "fun stuff" doesn't make any money. He is so right about that. Crate engines are killing some of my friends in the rebuilding biz. Machine shops all over are hurting because nobody resizes rods - they buy the Chinese H-beams for the same money. Blocks - just get a crate motor or buy an already machined one from the big 3s performance groups. Heads - buy aluminum already assembled and bolt on.

And I HATE, LOATHE - and whatever similar words are out there for hate - the whole fast and furious gay-ass ricer crap. And THAT is where the $ and work is these days frankly. For me, I love muscle cars and race cars, and a Honda or any FWD car will NEVER be a race car IMO. Even if they run 8s and 9s, it is just dumb to me. So, what I enjoy was becoming somewhat extinct from a career perspective.

[jhadler]

QUOTE (jasons @ Mar 29 2006, 11:24 AM)

For me, there is a difference in working on cars for fun and working on cars for money or because I have to.  I hate working on my daily driver and I hate working on my wifes truck. I can't believe there aren't jobs in TV with so many channels and so many offbeat shows.  How did that guy start the show "PINKS"?  He had an idea, a couple of cameras, found 2 guys willing to bet their cars, now he has a cash cow.  The guy that hosts Overhaulin' whatshisname Chris?  He had to start somewhere.  That show "Build or Bust" on speed, same thing.  There are more shows on TV now about cars than ever before. EDIT: Basically, sometimes (not always) Hobbies are better left as Hobbies.

Nah, it wasn't the show. It was the fact he was able to attract SPONSORS. Advertising is the life blodd of a TV show. Why do you think there are countless hours of bass fishing on TV? Sure as hell isn't as exciting as lawnmower racing, but both get lots of hours on TV because they conviced the advertisers that there would be people watching the show.

Money talks, all the rest, walks...

As for a career in cars? I fully support anyone who wants to make their passion their livelihood. However... Finish school, get the degree, and figure out what end of the spectrum you want to be on. I have a number of very good friends whose careers are in the car world. Most of them started in some other profession and took their passion to meet their carrers. Not all of them have happy stories. One is an engineer and race car driver who went straight to being a mechanic. He's a good one. But he got totally burnt out doing the everyday repair cr*p, and dealing with fussy customers, and all that. He quit. Doesn't even want to change the oil in his own car...

Another good friend of mine went there a different route. Was always into cars, but got there by being a manager. He found his way into being the GM of a racetrack (Seattle International Raceway) around 20 years ago. Realised that there wasn't any money in it, and went into show biz. Sort of... Become GM of a film company, and stuck with that for quite a long time. Decided to try his hand back in the car world, and went through a few unseccessfull gos untill he formed his own performance shop. He does okay now, but to use his words, "It's almost impossible to make really good money in the car business. Why? Because EVERYONE wants to, and there will always be someone out there that's willing to do it for less than you will...".

The best way to do it? Find a niche market and make yourself the BEST. Ask Jake, he's swamped in work, and has what I would imagine a healthy looking set of books at the end of the year.

How do you get a million dollars in the car industry? Easy... Start with two million....

-Josh2