Auto Repair Careers

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'68cuda416

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I actually would be very hard pressed to ever recommend this type of work for a career to any young person but if you so feel the need and desire to do so then 100% DO NOT GET INTO GENERAL ACROSS THE BOARD AUTO REPAIR if you ever want to make any kind of serious money and specialization is the only way to seperate yourself from the crowd and be able to command good money.
 
Ya, let alone the toll it takes on the human body.
When i got out of the Air Force in 1980, i has to find myself a civilian job.
Fell into professional auto mechanics, and did that for about 30 years.
In that length of time bending over fenders, crouching down under cars on the hoist, working on your back under an instrument panel, kneeling down, getting back up, i have severely worn out my human body, and specifically my back.
I have a hell of a time getting back up, without a lot of grief these days, doing a simple thing like airing up the 4 tires on the car.
I'm now a walking, medical disaster area in my old age.
And i know it's only going to get worser, as i continue to age.
 
Ya, let alone the toll it takes on the human body.
When i got out of the Air Force in 1980, i has to find myself a civilian job.
Fell into professional auto mechanics, and did that for about 30 years.
In that length of time bending over fenders, crouching down under cars on the hoist, working on your back under an instrument panel, kneeling down, getting back up, i have severely worn out my human body, and specifically my back.
I have a hell of a time getting back up, without a lot of grief these days, doing a simple thing like airing up the 4 tires on the car.
I'm now a walking, medical disaster area in my old age.
And i know it's only going to get worser, as i continue to age.
Agree.....the wear and tear on the body, the year after year of harmful chemicals and fumes, having to buy expensive tools for what is not typically a great paying job at least in general auto repair, attending training classes on your own time and almost exclusively that is unpaid, etc.
 
It all depends if you are working for someone or have your own shop. You might get paid $25 an hour with some benefits working for the man but $75-$125 a labor hour working for yourself. Also as a shop owner you can pick and choose what jobs you take on as you are equipped.
 
It all depends if you are working for someone or have your own shop. You might get paid $25 an hour with some benefits working for the man but $75-$125 a labor hour working for yourself. Also as a shop owner you can pick and choose what jobs you take on as you are equipped.
The problem with even being a shop owner is when your doing the same things as every other shop in the area its easy for customers to just price shop everybody......I mean lets face it when your putting a water pump on its not like your doing anything way more special than the least quoted shop for the same job and parts anymore suck across the board so they are all a crap shoot......customers will typically go for the cheaper shop if they are calling around for prices. Yes shops do have regular customers but again if your pricing is way out of line eventually you lost them too.....only way to make real good money without having to worry so much about price shoppers is to specialize and be known exclusively in the area for it and then price doesn't really matter
 
It all depends if you are working for someone or have your own shop. You might get paid $25 an hour with some benefits working for the man but $75-$125 a labor hour working for yourself. Also as a shop owner you can pick and choose what jobs you take on as you are equipped.
Also an employee making 25 dollars an hour is gonna be a pretty decent tech......a guy out of tech school won't see that kind of money for a few years minimum. Plus 25 dollars an hour when having to also supply your own tools and lets face it probably doesn't include any health insurance is not much money.
 
Ya just don’t do it. Trust me. Go get a degree and sit on your *** like all these idiots and they make twice what you ever will and on 40 hours and have full benefits. I personal know of a lot of guys making $2.500 a week 5 days 40 hours. This is all bullshit to the working people. Wake up people, the min. Wage should be $20.00 per hour and if you don’t think so go buy a stick of copper. Also if you think being a mechanic is bad try truck driving they screw these guys so bad. Work 14 hours a day and at the end of the week they can’t even pay there bills. And they don’t even get overtime in most places. And no benefits. WAKE IP WORKING PEOPLE!
 
I can agree on the hard on the body stuff. I have been in the body industry my entire life. Currently a massive shortage in workers actually commands a pretty amazing wage. Body or painter techs WITH experience and flat rate average 80 to 120k a year. Hard to say no to that.
 
I can agree on the hard on the body stuff. I have been in the body industry my entire life. Currently a massive shortage in workers actually commands a pretty amazing wage. Body or painter techs WITH experience and flat rate average 80 to 120k a year. Hard to say no to that.
I guess it’s better to hold a paint gun than a wrench. Seeing you are a painter/ body man I have a question. New mopar mini van scratched door. The dealer told me if it will not rub out they will have to paint the whole side as they can’t match the orange peel. Does this sound correct? Thanks.
 
My grandfather (born in 1918) told me back in the early 80’s when I was first getting into cars and saw my obsession with my 70 Charger R/T that the only thing I’ll get out of being a mechanic is “grease under your finger nails” That’s exactly what he said. Working on cars is a hobby, fun. I could not imagine having to make a living working on the vehicles of today.....would be an utter nightmare.

Thank You Grandpa for your wisdom, as well as telling me to “save all you can.....even if it’s $5 a week.......you save” :thankyou:
 
I guess it’s better to hold a paint gun than a wrench. Seeing you are a painter/ body man I have a question. New mopar mini van scratched door. The dealer told me if it will not rub out they will have to paint the whole side as they can’t match the orange peel. Does this sound correct? Thanks.

Depends on the location of the scratch. Color match is a bigger issue than orange peel. Sounds like they need a new painter. Generally if the repair area goes too far to the end of a panel a blend is needed. I have never painted additional panels to match orange peel. I paint about 800/1000 cars per year.
 
I can agree on the hard on the body stuff. I have been in the body industry my entire life. Currently a massive shortage in workers actually commands a pretty amazing wage. Body or painter techs WITH experience and flat rate average 80 to 120k a year. Hard to say no to that.
I would agree with you, body techs make way more that automotive techs. I actually am self employed and am an outside vendor for body shops and do module programming, diagnostics and ADAS calibrations.
 
That would easily be 3-4 cars per work day. I thought Maaco and Earl Shieb went out of business years ago? Do you even have time to change colors? Or are they all the same color, like Model T's? Henry Ford would let you order ANY color as long as it was BLACK.
 
Line mechanics are trick turners...and the shops are the pimps.

28-35% commission.

You have to do over 1200-1500 labor before that kicks in.
 
Specialize in computer diagnosis and repair and you'll be good. Only problem with specializing is, that really ended a long time ago. Now, if you cannot pretty much do it all, you're behind the curve.
 
Line mechanics are trick turners...and the shops are the pimps.

28-35% commission.

You have to do over 1200-1500 labor before that kicks in.
That's a good way to look at it. As the business raises its labor rates, the mechanic rates stay stagnant or only get a fraction of the percentage of the raise. It's always the mechanic that gets the short end of the stick. Gets less for warranty work. Is expected to cut his labor to give the customer a good deal. Yet, it's the mechanic's job that always stays the same.
 
That would easily be 3-4 cars per work day. I thought Maaco and Earl Shieb went out of business years ago? Do you even have time to change colors? Or are they all the same color, like Model T's? Henry Ford would let you order ANY color as long as it was BLACK.

I average about 3 to 4 cars a day. Efficiency is key. We generally just paint parts now. New parts, and almost always loose parts unless it is a quarter or uni side. I average about 20-25 hours per day. I prep paint and polish if needed for 4 body techs. Generally rule of thumb is 3 to 4 body techs for one painter. Production tools like ultra violet primers and baking booths help with production as well. Standard is 15 hours of paint booth load. And yes I do multiple colors at once.
 
That's a good way to look at it. As the business raises its labor rates, the mechanic rates stay stagnant or only get a fraction of the percentage of the raise. It's always the mechanic that gets the short end of the stick. Gets less for warranty work. Is expected to cut his labor to give the customer a good deal. Yet, it's the mechanic's job that always stays the same.

Think about a shop that has it's labor rates controlled by the insurance companies. Body and paint labor is half a dealer labor rate and still has mechanical operations like suspension and front end mechanical parts that insurance companies refuse to pay mechanical labor rates.

I did a ton of warranty work in a Honda and Gmc dealer back in the day. Warranty work was paid at a much higher rate than body and paint labor. The dealership did in fact double our hours on the sheets due to them being set labor hours from the manufacturer that were insanely low.
 
I average about 3 to 4 cars a day. Efficiency is key. We generally just paint parts now. New parts, and almost always loose parts unless it is a quarter or uni side. I average about 20-25 hours per day. I prep paint and polish if needed for 4 body techs. Generally rule of thumb is 3 to 4 body techs for one painter. Production tools like ultra violet primers and baking booths help with production as well. Standard is 15 hours of paint booth load. And yes I do multiple colors at once.

I'm still confused how you achieve that kind of volume for one person. Also don't understand how you "average about 20-25 hours per day"? I'd be dead in two weeks time at that pace, plus there is only 24 hrs in the day where I'm from, so I'd already be 14 hrs behind in those two weeks alone.

Guess I'll just stick to engineering and design work, it has paid me very well over the years.
 
I'm still confused how you achieve that kind of volume for one person. Also don't understand how you "average about 20-25 hours per day"? I'd be dead in two weeks time at that pace, plus there is only 24 hrs in the day where I'm from, so I'd already be 14 hrs behind in those two weeks alone.

Guess I'll just stick to engineering and design work, it has paid me very well over the years.
Flat rate pay is based on the estimate. Say a bumper pays 5 hours to paint. I get paid 5 hours to paint it. If you're efficient you are generally 200% efficient. That means I turn at minimum 2 hours for every hour I work. 24 years of experience is beneficial. Prep and paint 4 bumpers in the morning you just made 10 hours in 4. Do 4 more in the afternoon and you just made 20 hours in one day.
 
I average about 3 to 4 cars a day. Efficiency is key. We generally just paint parts now. New parts, and almost always loose parts unless it is a quarter or uni side. I average about 20-25 hours per day. I prep paint and polish if needed for 4 body techs. Generally rule of thumb is 3 to 4 body techs for one painter. Production tools like ultra violet primers and baking booths help with production as well. Standard is 15 hours of paint booth load. And yes I do multiple colors at once.
Sounds like you're getting down!
 
I'm almost 51, not sure if I'm young enough to learn a lifetime of skills, in short order, to do it. It seems that.way in all the trades... most the young kids just don't wanna work hard. They wanna smoke blunts and " feel the beat"
 
Don't need a degree for that. Just have to be in the right field.
Ya but what field do you get in to work 5 days a week and 8 hours a day and make that kind of dough? I’m old and all busted up so it doesn’t matter to me but I just try to steer people in the right direction. It’s really hard to compete out there. Ya you can open your place but most people don’t have enough cash to pay the rent and bills till it gets going. I wish all the hard working people out there the best.
 
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