is anybody here a mechanic for a living?

[Nocturnal]

do you ever get tired of wrenching on cars? i plan to go to my com college's auto mech program. i plan to try that, go out into the field, if that doesnt work out, go to my uni and get my degree in psychology.

any one wrench here and got tired of it?

 

[rival]

well if you get tired of doing it as a profession, i imagine you would still save thousands doing work on your cars yourself, or for your friends...doesnt sound like too bad of an idea

 

[Mucman]

My brother is. He has been a mechanic since he was 18 (and he is 32 now). I don't get the impression that he is tired of it either.

 

[Nocturnal]

Originally posted by: rival
well if you get tired of doing it as a profession, i imagine you would still save thousands doing work on your cars yourself, or for your friends...doesnt sound like too bad of an idea

yes, definately, that is how i see it. if i do get tired, i can always do side jobs for money as there will always be a need for a mechanic. especially if i charge good rates.

 

[BatmanNate]

We're all just keyboard mechanics here.

 

[Brutuskend]

I was.

Jet Aircraft and Auto. (VW, Porsche, Audi) I did get burned out on it though. I still work on my own rigs though.

And to some extent I guess I still am.

But now I work on what was my first love.

Bicycles!

 

I've been wrenching on cars for 22 years now,I don't think I will ever get tired of it.
The only regrets I have is that I was not as careful as I should have been in my younger years with the digits on my hands.(Have had several fingers sewn back on)

There are several drawbacks ;

Cost of tools can add up to a very significant amount
Pressure to get the job done correctly and on time
The pay can be mediocre when you first start out

The benefits ;

Free schooling (At dealerships)
Challenging at times
Excellent health benefits
Purchasing parts just below cost
Purchasing customer's cars cheaply when the customer gives up on them

 

[Dhawk]

My brother started out as a mechanic 25 years ago. He eventually worked his way up to six figure job as a general manager at a Corvette and Cadi dealership. He got burned out by the stress of the job and just recently started his own buisiness building race engines. So I guess you could say he has come full circle in the automotive industry and is back to what he enjoyed most. Working with his hands.

I am a NGA (National Auto Glass)certified Master Technician, but I now work as a Regional Trainer for the largest automotive replacement glass company in the country.

 

[Ornery]

It would be very good to know how to repair your own car, but as a career, mechanics are poorly paid for their skills IMO. I still can't believe these guys can't command more money than they do. It's the same in my field, as a machinist. It's not horrible pay, just not what it should be. There are few kids coming up to do these jobs, workers are scarce, yet it still doesn't pay well... I DON'T GET IT!

 

[Bluefront]

Working on cars is one thing...it can be fun and challenging. Knowing how to fix your own cars is a valuable talent....gosh you may get to work on your GFs car when it breaks down. However, working on cars for a living gets to be an awful drag.

Things aren't the same with cars as in the past. They are way more complicated...you wouldn't believe how much. Keeping up-to-date is a time-consuming job. It's much like being in school and having home-work all the time.

Then we get to the size thing. Cars are getting smaller and smaller....parts are crammed together more and more. A normal-sized American male is already having trouble. If you are a large person....say over two hundred pounds, you'll have many situations where you just don't fit.

Then there's the electric thing. If you're not 100% on electronics, on computers, on wiring and related electronic trouble-shooting, you are SOL. Some mechanics, even with training, are never good at this. New cars are filled with strange new electronic controls....more every day.

Then there's the new attitude management has toward their mechanics....you are the lowest rung on the ladder. Some shops, dealerships will treat you as such. They all wish they didn't need mechanics. You will be treated like a POS in those shops. There's hardly ever any room for advancement.

In the whole company you will be the only person required to purchase and own your tools. A mechanic these days can easily have over 30k$ invested in tools and related stuff. They may give you a tool allowance....usually less than 800$ a year.

Then there's the health thing. It's bad. Dangerous chemicals, worn equiptment, heavy lifting, fire dangers from gasoline, loud noise all the time, sharp metal pieces that get in your eyes. Inside the car you get cut on sharp edges, you're forced to get in filthy, horrible cars where it looks like you'll catch something....not kidding on this.

I could go on....It's always rated as one of the most dangerous occupations. Don't do it.

 

[desertdweller]

I was a Tech for almost 10 years. I got burned out to the point that I can't stand to
pick up a wrench now. I made a career change into the IT industry almost a year ago.

I only worked for dealerships, Honda and Dodge.


DD

 

[Quixfire]

I was a mechanic for sixteen years before I left it for a desk job. It was the most satisfying career I ever had, and I miss it with a passion. You really need a good attitude to be a mechanic; otherwise the job will own you. Many times I have thought about returning to this field, but I'm torn between it and Web Design/Development (my new career). I still work on cars on the side, mostly A/C repair, to keep me busy. I haven't been able to walk away from fixing cars.

As Roger said, there is a great expense in becoming a mechanic; I have over 30K invested in tools (not including the box). And the health benefits vary among employers.

Good luck on you decision.

 

[Nocturnal]

my plans are, either open up a shop with the help of my girlfriend (shes majoring in business), or just do side jobs. like buying cars out of an auction and fixing them up and re-selling them. easy enough!

 

[yakko]

I only got tired of working on cars that people only repaired when they absolutely had to. I also got tired of working on filthy, nasty, smelly cars. I only quit being a mechanic because the shop I was at wasn't sure if they would be able to stay open because of money so I found a better job.

 

[GoodRevrnd]

Originally posted by: Ornery
It would be very good to know how to repair your own car, but as a career, mechanics are poorly paid for their skills IMO. I still can't believe these guys can't command more money than they do. It's the same in my field, as a machinist. It's not horrible pay, just not what it should be. There are few kids coming up to do these jobs, workers are scarce, yet it still doesn't pay well... I DON'T GET IT!

????
An experienced mechanic at my dad's place (average sized GM dealership) made about $90k one year. Granted most aren't going to get that high, but for the most part I don't think they're struggling. All of our mechanics seem fairly well-to-do.

 

[Ornery]

I'm just going by what the guys make around here at dealerships in Northeast Ohio. Got a couple aquaintences who work in the shop. One started his own business, but went back to working there instead. He gets paid OK, but no decent bucks. The other guy is a manager/mechanic or working manager, or something like that. He told me the same thing about hiring. Nobody wants to do this stuff for a living and who can blame them? I don't kknow what they would have to do to pull down $90K, but it ain't happening around here!

 

[Evadman]

I worked at a dealership for about 6 months, and I got tired of it. I would prefer to do it on my own time, and on my own cars. Or atleast good cars, not the POS's that I seemed to get

 

[GoodRevrnd]

Hmm, Ohio probably would have lower pay than SoCal. Cost of living type stuff.

 

[Ornery]

I've also heard the veterans get their pick of tasks, which can yield better pay. Not sure how that all works, but it sounds like a bitch for the new people. I'm going to be in touch with my wife's aunt, who is a shop manager in West Virginia. I'll ask her about the pay etc. after discussing a deal for a used minivan.