professional mechanic

[b*saint]

Auto mechanics are a dime a dozen. I would stick to it as a hobby. But I wouldn't go into designing cars. You're not the only one designing cars. I would get into something electromechanical.

[evil_twin]

Dont do it. Do something better with your life, keep cars as a hobby. I'm a professional tech, worked for Nissan, independent shops and now for the government. Technicians don't get paid what they really should be getting, and when you're in the private industry, you won't make money if you're an honest tech. Paychecks will bounce all around, so you really won't get a steady paycheck.

[ortholithiation]

Listen to the older guys on this board. I used to work at a garage in HS and my boss told me to get out and go to university. And I’m glad I did. Working summers fixing trucks also helped motivate me to finish. I swore when I was working 8 hours a day in the hot sun that one day I would have a job with an office, air conditioner, and benefits.

That being said, education isn't the answer. If you don't like engineering/design don't do it. But if you had the opportunity, money, and parent supports to go to university do it. Engineering can teach you a lot and open doors. Do a business degree if you want flexibility is key and go work in the automotive industry, at least there you will hold some of the keys. How cool would it be organize promotions for turbochargers, or get to sell performance parts/tools to shops especially if you can speak their language.

I am a big fan of the trades, but go long. Eventually you should think about owning your own shop/business where you do not have to work so much and pay other people less to do it. Can you manage that?

[jbsjunk]

+ 1 on everyone's post. I've been doing this 25 years professionally and now have the dream job of sorts. I get to lift and trick out 4x4's. But even that turns into a job after a few days. Whatever field you choose, and want to do until you retire without killing your body, do it.

Now, I have a hard time doing what was easy several years ago. Between back pain and getting smashed or cut up isn't really worth it anymore. I won't leave this job tho because there is nothing else better out there that pays what I'm making now, so I trudge on.

[z31maniac]

Go to school and get a degree, so you can do fun stuff like sit behind a desk in a climate controlled environment, whilst playing on the internet and only working 4 day weeks.

I don't really like my job, but the pay/perks are enough to let me deal with it.

[daniel]

Go to school and get a degree, so you can do fun stuff like sit behind a desk in a climate controlled environment, whilst playing on the internet and only working 4 day weeks.

I don't really like my job, but the pay/perks are enough to let me deal with it.

i am on r3v right now while at work. can you be on r3v and work on a car at the same time? not really.

[e30e]

If your smart enough to be a mechanic, your smart enough to not be one.

[balooshinakus]

i am on r3v right now while at work. can you be on r3v and work on a car at the same time? not really.

ditto

[Need4Speed1299]

There is a lot to know about the industry. You have to bust your ass. Its good to be able to fix anything on your car yourself though.

[kylekrueger]

I work at a BMW repair shop right now. I do like my job quite a bit, I think it is something different every day. However at the same time I see the people I work with and for them its the same old shit everyday. The only reason they are there is because they have to, because they didn't go to college or dropped out of HS and that is why they work there, not because they particularly love being beat to shit repairing the same old cars or dealing with retarded clients. Ill be going to college next year and I am very thankful for the opportunity because, yeah my job is fun most of the time, but its not something I would love to do for the rest of my life. If you have the chance to go and get a higher education then grasp the opportunity.

[xwill112x]

I plan on working at a dealership, then eventually owning my own shop and not doing shit but writing service, bullshiting, busting other peoples chops, and living life. Automotive industry is a great industry, maybe try to specialize in writing service or something with electronic diagnosis. All you bring to work then is a DMM, and a pen. lol

[mr.vang]

thanks, glad i found this thread...i admire you old folks in here...

[george graves]

I want to say one word to you. Just one word. Plastics.

[payney8]

I can tell you that there are two things you're going to be perpetually pissed off at:

1. Engineers haven't ever had to work on anything, and thus tend to design things that are easier to assemble (under corporate pressure, perhaps) than to work on.

2. Owners of said vehicles get pissed off about untimely maintenance/repairs and the associated costs and down-time for cars they already dropped huge cash on, simply because they don't understand what a cluster-fuck you're having to deal with.

^^^^^^ this x100000 Im a diesel mechanic. I mainly work on medium speed engines. And the amount of stupid shit ive seen that makes you wonder how the engineers keep their jobs is amazing :hitler:

[JeffRR]

I'd love to do this.. But the opportunity isn't out there, even with a mechE degree. :???:

There are opportunities in powertrain R&D, You might not be able to open the classified section of your local paper on find them but there certainly good powertrain R&D engineering positions in this country.