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kuntry

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Posts posted by kuntry

    Quick question about buying a house...

    in Non Tech Board

    Posted

    We closed on our house last thursday. It appraised for 110k, but we got it for 99k. My wife has been friends with the seller since 3rd grade... so he really helped us out. Somehow on paper he made it look like we were paying the full 110k, but had give him 11k down. We're really happy with the house.... now for all the things to make it feel like home. Best thing is the garage is twice the size of the shed Ive been stuck in for the last couple years... cant wait to get the Z in there and get to work on it.

    Do you have a z and does it actually run?

    in Non Tech Board

    Posted

    Got mine in mid Sept, and immediately tore it apart. Wanted to have it done for the first of the year, but its been one thing or another thats slowed me down. We just bought a new house in a nice neighborhood and the old lady says I cant have all these projects just sitting around. Looks like the Z is going to get pushed back for a bit longer and my truck will be finished first since its alot closer to completion. Im hoping the truck can be finished before summer and the Z will take its place in the garage to be finished. So much for SEZ this year.

     

    ......edited cause its too early to spell correctly

    Advice for a starting mechanic.

    in Non Tech Board

    Posted

    At the Pete dealership, a low week for me is 50-60 hours. Although more than once Ive flagged over 100 hours. There were a few weeks last year when my 2 week paycheck was for close to 250 hours. Shop rate right now is 92/hr, and Im at 17.50.... so yeah its decent money. A few years ago, when I was still working on cars, I was making 22.50 an hour, but barely making my 40. There is no comparison in the money.

     

    As far as opening your own shop, the only advise I have for you is to work at some other shops first. For more than one reason. First, you gain hands on experience. Schooling is fine, but there is alot that books cant teach you. I went to 2 years of auto mechanics, and thought I knew it all. Come to find out, even though the book says 2+2=4..... sometimes it equals 5. Also, if you pay attention, youll learn how to run a shop and more important, how NOT to run a shop. Ive worked for enough a$$holes, that I know if I ever did decide to open a shop, how to talk to customers and how to treat me employees. There has been more than once, my old boss had customers steaming mad, yelling and cursing, and Ive calmed them down and by the end, they thanked me and appologized to me (not the boss) about their behavior. Ive always wanted my own shop, and who knows, maybe someday I will. But the experiences Ive learned from others has been invalueable. I know if I hadnt been thru half the hell Ive been thru, I wouldnt have a clue how to do it and would have failed miserably.

    Advice for a starting mechanic.

    in Non Tech Board

    Posted

    One of the biggest mistakes you can buy is go head over heels on the tool truck and get into ton of debt with them. Ive seen several new mechanics do this and when they cant make the payments, they get their tools taken back. Ive done it myself, not realizing that in the beginning, the money wont be that great. Just this past year I finally bought a box off of a truck, and only because I was trying to rebuild my credit. Sears sells some great tool kits with most of what youll need. When I got back into wrenching, I spent about 1800 and had all the basics covered, including a box thats now in my garage at home. They have a kit with like 350 pieces for somewhere around 300 bucks. Get a couple sets of duplicate wrenches (a set of combo standard and metric), a few good air tools (I prefer IR), some impact sockets and a few other odds and ends and your set to start. Of course youll have to hit the tool trucks for the specialty stuff, theres no choice about that. Later on, once the money is rolling in, you can slowly start replacing your tools with the fancy ones, at least you can spread it out over the years and take such a big bite all at once. IMO, craftsman is just as good as the tool trucks. YES I own snap on and matco tools. But I do my best to stay away from them because I feel like they are overpriced. I would rather spend money on parts for my cars than on name brand tools to fix them.

     

    Now, one other thing you might want to look at. I started working on cars in high school and went to a dealership after I got out. Ive worked at several auto dealerships and shops and made decent money. I got tired of working on cars all the time and my toys suffered. I made the switch to diesel mechanics at a Pete dealership and havent looked back. I still love to work on my cars, and the money is TWICE what I ever made working on cars. Just something to think about.... cars are my passion, but working on them all day kinda ruins it for me on the weekends.

    1" impact from HF for $100 worth it?

    in Non Tech Board

    Posted

    I work at a Pete dealership with a guy who bought that gun. Hes had NO problems with it so far. Yes the 1/2" hose will be enough to get good power out of it. Not sure what those wheels have to be tourqued at, Petes are tourqed to 450 ft lbs, so that gun should be MORE than strong enough.

    New Dad

    in Non Tech Board

    Posted

    Congratulations. nothing like it or ever will be.

     

    I can make a lot of things,

     

    My wife can go into another room and come back with another live person she made.

     

    I really can't match that.

     

    Good luck to all of you.

     

     

    Never really thought of it that way.... kinda puts stuff in perspective. Congrats to you, your wife and your new addition.

    Stroker clearance issues

    in Gen I & II Chevy V8 Tech Board

    Posted

    I have the cast crank and I-beam rod kit in my motor. It DID require the block to be clearanced. Its a great kit, but looking back I really wish I had went ahead with the forged/H-beam kit. It all depends on what you think you might want someday. The cast crank setup is good for 500 hp, and the hypereutetic pistons wont hold much nitrous (about 125 shot is what Ive been told). If you think thats more than youll ever need or want, it will save you a few hundred bucks. But if your like most of us on here... when is it ever enough hp???? IMO, the forged kit is the way to go, just from my personal experience. No matter what I build next, it WILL have the good stuff in it. Even if it does take me a little longer to save to get it, its going to be worth it in the end.

    Paint is done!

    in Body Kits & Paint

    Posted

    Yes, i sure did! Its good stuff and ive painted a few cars with his paint. I bought my own hardener and reducer locally. I painted a car 2 years ago with the same omaha orange, and it still looks as good as the day it rolled out of the booth!

     

     

    Great... Ive been looking for someone whos used that paint for awhile now. I was apprehensive about buying it since its so inexpensive. I didnt want to go thru the process of painting and then have it turn out like crap because of low quality paint. Glad to hear it worked out and great job on the Z as well.

    Stupid question on shipping

    in Non Tech Board

    Posted

    Ive ordered 2 engines from ebay. Both times I was required to have a way to offload the engine from the truck at the delivery site. Youd be better off having it delivered to the shop, unless you think your truck sits high enough for the tailgates to match up, and your not worried about the motor falling.

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