Jump to content
HybridZ

How many of us work in the automotive industry?


Guest JAMIE T

Recommended Posts

Guest JAMIE T

I'll start with myself. My full time job is not automotive related. I work for a VERY high end garden furniture manufacturer. There, I weld aluminum, form aluminum, and powdercoat. I do much more than that, but thats the jist of it. This job allows me to use the TIG welder, and bender, and have access to many tools most of us wish we had access to. This job allows me to do side work for a couple of local shops that are high end automotive shops. I build IC piping, block-off plates, gauge mounts, motor mounts for custom apps, and much more. I have even made one off parts to replace irreplacable rare body trim on 50's Italian sports cars. I made a front grill bar for a '56 Fiat roadster of which only 80 were built. Not too mention the tubuler rear control arms I have made with Mikelly(I did get alittle burned out from this for awhile, way too much going on, and many LATE nights). Well there you go, It's your turn.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest greimann

At a former job I was a project engineer for Metalcrafters in Fountain Valley California. They do all of Chryslers concept and prototype cars. They also do cars for commercial and movie shoots. I was involved in all of the projects linked below in one way or another as a project manager.

 

Dodge Sidewinder

Dodge Copperhead

Jeep Jeepster

Chrysler Chronos

Jeep Icon

Chrysler Phaeton

Dodge ESX 2

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I work with technical services for a large automotive paint mfg. I work onsite with the customer to ensure they get the maximum performance from our coatings.

 

I help oversee quality with 2 high tech spray booths over 300ft long each! and they paint 1100 cars a day. :eek:

 

Cool job that I love that lets me talk cars all day long. (ok not always Datsuns)

 

Yea I'm a car nut. bonk.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was in the car business for about 6 years (sales in Volvo, VW, Subaru, etc) and then I finally got out. I am a happy man to be back in banking (appraisal department) again. The car business is sssssllllloooooowwww right now and the poor sales guys are just about dying in this part of the state anyway. No income = no eat :(

 

Again, I am HAPPY and THANKFUL to be in a good job right now... smile.gif

 

BTW, Dave Greimann, Metalcrafters is the BOMB when it comes to putting together machinery like that! Very very trick 2thumbs.gif

 

Davy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest JAMIE T

Hey Greimann. Someone from that shop was on Monster Garage recently! It was the episode that they built the Pontoon boat /Skool bus. SWEET

 

That job would rock!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest 280Tom'z

not workin in it yet but training to be ASE cert. and going to UTI for farther schooling for hot rod U and the PTEP program (porsche) i have no special tools just the normal stuff and right now i work for DriecTV and Perfect-10 installing and book keeping for Harris multimeadia

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Anonymous

im in an interesting side shoot of the auto industry..... car audio (dont know if it counts) but i get to see cool and uncool cars all day, talk to people that have no clue most of the time, and occasionally get to challenge my creativity with a cool show car. ive been doing it long enuf to run my bay and make decent money at it, but i too am begining to look for a way out..... cant see myself doubling over under someones dash in another 10 years.

nic

Link to comment
Share on other sites

After going to school and working for several years, ASE and Nissan Procap cert. I stopped working on cars and equipment and went to work for Union Pacific Railroad. Now I manage a section of Houston rail traffic. I have all the unloading for Ford auto's in the city of Houston so I actually ended up working around cars again. Also I have went back to school again and am working on a business degree.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Zcarsmakemyheadhurt

I've always been in the automotive industry lucky for me the first car I ever owned was a turbo 280zx and learning about turbo cars was it for me. After years working as a Mecanic and in parts departments I realized I hated dealing with the unhappy public. So now I do automotive hi performance at a 39,000sq ft machine shop. The shop has always been a engine builder and I am bringing turbo and fuel injection performace to there market. I was forturnate to get behind the counter of a turbo manufacture that has been in business since 1975. They let me grab any combination off the shelf and put it together to see what happend and tought me a ton about how it all works. I still work for/with them and my current employer is not doing any of the talk he gave me to get me to move to this small dead end town. So I am likly to move back to Miami and work further with them or open my own performance only shop and sales. Either way you all will know because I love Z cars and Z car people. Zya....

 

Alex C

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been working with/on/under or around cars for more than twenty years.

I was proffesionally trained, but other than installing cell phones in cars (back when hand held phones were the size of a shoe box and cost $1000) I have never formally worked in an auto related shop.

That said, I HAVE been a proffesional "GARAGE GURU" for years. I have worked on all years and types of cars doing everything imaginable.

During the summer months I work on the farm and on farm equipement, and during the off time I PLAY (at least that`s what my wife thinks)in my garage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i work as a dealer tech at a ford dealer.i have all those ase certificates for cars plus a smog license plus a 2 year degree in electronics.the golf slacked types that own car dealer ships hate owning repair shops-not enough profit margin,too much paperwork.i am looking to sell my house and by some commercial property to rent out .this would be for a steady income while i get my own special type of fab/repair/assembly shop going.i would like to specialize in wiring autos,boats,race cars and get out of heavy repair.3 hernia operations in 20 years.my z is for track use but is also ugly daily driver.typical gearhead-speed is always needed or depression sets in .things are bad in the toy dept right now.z is limping with trans work needed.my 100+ mph boat is torn down for major maintenance-it was falling apart after 10 monthes of cruise at 90 +. my dirt bike needs prep for baja trip.just bought new rockit bike for street-cant get insurence.my van runs great-it only got 108000 on it.bad thing about being auto tech-the flat rate pay system wears you out.people ask me to do side work but i dont -i dont like to work on my own stuff any more.boat is for sale.need money for better investments.the new street bike has a 3 year factory warrenty.if somebody wants a trick z that drives like a new car-just needs paint -i will listen to offers.just got $1000 in new oem nissan weather stripping for it.will fix trans and sell with smog cert.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even though I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit I somehow managed not get a job at the Big Three and instead joined the Air Force then later ended up a Network Admin for a Hospital. Funny how life takes its turns... I wanted to be in the auto industry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I plan to attend Wyotech and get training for collision/repair, high performance engine, upholstery, high performance chassis building and body panel shaping. I hope to get a job at either a high performance custom shop, or at a high end car dealership in the service dept. I'd like to save/invest money and start my own High performance custom shop. Then build custom cars (from the ground up) for people that can afford it...:-)

 

Joe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I worked for alamo sports cars ltd in SA TX. worked on everything from a mini cooper S to the 86 F1 ferrari. it was nice to work in a shop that does nothing but vintage race car prep/repair/restore. altough i loved that job..and it payed mega $$$. my boss and i had had some problems..and i left.

 

I often think about starting my own shop...(especially as it seems that SA is really lacking in any type of "real" performance shop. but we have plenty of fart-can and TYPE-R sticker shops!)

 

seems funny to me that most people on here would love to start thier own shop...maybe we should all move to the same town and start a mega speed shop...with all this talent and knowledge thats on this board (an amazing thing) im sure that we could come up with some killer stuff! hail.gif

 

anywho...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...