Automotive Industry (?Quiet?)

[Farbin Kaiber]

Warning to the remaining 47 of the lower 48... Slumps are comming...
Hopefully this turns around, or,

ALL YOUR BAYS ARE BELONG TO EMPTY...

[MoparJ]

There is definitely a slump in SoCal. I work in the wholesale parts dept. at a major dealer, and our warehouse stocks $2.5 million worth in hard parts; average monthly sales are around $1 mil a month. The past few months we have averaged around $700,000...not good. Shops are our main customers, and they aren't ordering because there isn't shit in their bays. Hell, there isn't shit in OUR bays either; today they let go 3 techs and a service writer (new guys) simply because they have nothing to do. It sucks seeing as how no sales = no raises/bonus...

[jflip2002]

Business has been slow for everyone around here. I slang them the parts, so I know this. We went from doing 235k this month last year, do being at 155k to this day. We totally fell off this month for some reason. Lets hope it doesnt continue, otherwise I wont be able to feed all 4 dogs, pig, cat, and fish tanks =\ oh and GF

[Farbin Kaiber]

^^^^^^^^^
good to hear...

[Midnight Sun]

Slammed.

Completely and utterly slammed.

Not just bumper covers, door skins and 2hr quarter repairs. I am talking full on "winter" hits. We are replacing frame rails, floor pans, quarter panels. I cannot fucking believe it. Our bullpen is full of undriveables that we do not have the time to get to, and our lot fence is lined with totals.

Summer is always our slow time, 2 years ago it was your average dead time. Nothing really happening from the end of June untill Mid September. Last summer we got a little more busy, and this summer... We had a lull right before tax time, and have been at least 2 weeks out ever since. We are currently 4 weeks out and not looking forward to winter.

/Rant because we have so much shit to do... But still thankful we are doing well as a business.

Ready for winter boys?

[VacMan]

I'm not in the automotive industry, but I am part owner of a chain of retail stores in SoCal and we are feeling what you're feeling.

[atomic]

being in the foreclosure business we are seeing business get crazy around here and from what the attorney's we do work for say that it will peak sometime mid to late october. so until then hang on people.

[backtrail69]

I work at a body shop and usually summer months are slower, but this year we have been backed up like crazy. Never been this busy EVER the owner has been saying.

[Farbin Kaiber]

I had one customer come in and tell me their note came in, after having financial issues for 90 days, a 6,000 bill came in for 18,000. he moved two weeks later.

[atomic]

i really dont feel bad at these investors that are being foreclosed on becaus they started this mess.

its the home owners who are being foreclosed on and not the investors. the lending companies are the ones who started this mess allowing stated only loans on people who had poor poor poor credit and then hooked them into a arm mortgage were their payments have basiclly doubled in recent months

[BDSax]

i know Florida is feeling it too, at least South Florida. Not to sure about Auto but Construction. Im an electrictian and our company is luckily very steady but we were 2 weeks backed up. alot of major companies are laying off lots of people. People also dont want to spend their money.

Im also in the process of buying my first home. i really dont feel bad at these investors that are being foreclosed on becaus they started this mess.

[Farbin Kaiber]

Thanks guys, I'll kep my head up. But like you guys said, SoCal feels it first. So if this is the case, Heads Up!! out there.

[atomic]

Nice to hear people are staying busy. No one from Cali hs chimed in yet, but housing/mortgage mkt. slumping, 0% refi's costing people in the fine print, everybodies wallet sphincters have puckered out here.

I would guess that so. cal. would be the first to feel the extra output crunch that the arm mortgages are doing to people since you guys have some of the highest cost of living in the country. Hang in there I am sure between that and school starting back up has alot to do with things slowing down some...

[Jon325i]

Nice to hear people are staying busy. No one from Cali hs chimed in yet, but housing/mortgage mkt. slumping, 0% refi's costing people in the fine print, everybodies wallet sphincters have puckered out here.

My brother has worked in the mortgage lending business for the past 5 or 6 years so he's seen the entire rollercoaster ride from start to finish. Fortunately he works for a big financial company and not one of those mortgage brokerage places *cough* Countrywide *cough* so his bacon is safe even as the market continues to implode. At any rate, this market slump is also effecting the car biz. My friend Ron runs a Porsche/BMW shop here in Sac where his crew of 5 mechanics do everything from basic maintenance to some custom fab work and race car preparation. I was at his shop about two weeks ago and asked how things were going given the slump in housing. He said the winter months were slower than what he's used to but currently we're in the midst of club racing and HPDE season so he's got more than enough to keep his plate full. He thinks this coming winter could see some more slow days since the market will still be in its funk for some time to come.

Jon

[Jscotty]

Coincidentially I was driving around last night and I pulled into an auto shop parking lot after hours and I was shocked to see the parking lot and all of the service bays empty. Usually an auto shop with more than 8 bays would have at least 4 to 5 drop-off customers and/or unfinished cars sitting on the lift.

Maybe the surge in new car sales over the last couple of years caused fewer people to need their cars repaired.