The Car Technicians thread.
Discussion
Following on from the car salesman thread, I thought it not a bad idea to see if this would be a good topic?
I follow a 'plane forum quite regularly and some of the stuff in 'Tech Log' is fascinating and eye opening!
Whilst in sales myself, I'm constantly amazed by the technology side of things. Any one care to share 'a techies life?'
I follow a 'plane forum quite regularly and some of the stuff in 'Tech Log' is fascinating and eye opening!
Whilst in sales myself, I'm constantly amazed by the technology side of things. Any one care to share 'a techies life?'
i currently spend my time building landrovers for people as a side line, also buy, sell and restore cars for people, nearly finished a mgb track car that will be forsale soon, then about to start on a mgb v8 restoration
in the mean time im trying to find time to rebuild my s2 rs turbo for myself
during the day im a parts guy, i can pretty much do anything to a car, i class myself as a mechanic but cant get a job working for a garage as i dont have sufficiant paperwork and the moneys crap, so i have to do it for myself which i quite like.
my grandad was an old school master mechanic he taught me everything i know, just wish i could have learnt more from him before he got alzheimer's
in the mean time im trying to find time to rebuild my s2 rs turbo for myself
during the day im a parts guy, i can pretty much do anything to a car, i class myself as a mechanic but cant get a job working for a garage as i dont have sufficiant paperwork and the moneys crap, so i have to do it for myself which i quite like.
my grandad was an old school master mechanic he taught me everything i know, just wish i could have learnt more from him before he got alzheimer's
NotReallyBored said:
Just wondering if it's still as dire as it always was in dealerships with useless bonuses, workshop controllers with megalomania etc?
Yep.Useless bonuses.. 'Oh it's the same as it was last year' - Yes, and we have less work than last year.
Workshop Controllers - What workshop controller? Workshop managing/controlling here is non-existant. Yet it's us front of house staff who get the angry customers etc.
Newly qualified technician here in a small independent garage, in the grand sheme of things a s
t job especialy between november and march. Its cold, wet, oilly, greasey, destroys your hands, stressfull, got to deal with some wkers that we call customers, jobs need to be done yesterday expensive spent atleast 7k on tool during the last 3-4 years while only earning 25k in that time scale.
Pay is rubbish being an apprentice and still on the same wage even though im qualified will go up when i turn 21, the boss is an absoulte cock who thinks he can do things a lot quicker than ous despite the fact he hasn't touched a tool since ive worked there and spends most of his time either playing golf or on holidays.
Other than that it's a ok job such a variety of jobs no one job is the same, working day goes by quickly and around a couple of good work mates, another benifite is i can work on my own car, get trade prices for parts and have a trade behind me which i see is critical these days.
At the moment my spare time is split between finishing building my kit car and starting up a unit with a mate of mine doing jobs for friends/ familys which hopefully in a year or so will turn into a full time buisness it's pretty hard going at the moment but im young have no ties, no relationship, very little outgoings apart from the car so why not ive lost some many family members in the last 5 years at young ages that im doing everything i can now not 5 years down the line as i might not be able to do so.
Also the last time i started a very similar thread it didn't go on for very long. But any questions needed answering fire away.
t job especialy between november and march. Its cold, wet, oilly, greasey, destroys your hands, stressfull, got to deal with some wkers that we call customers, jobs need to be done yesterday expensive spent atleast 7k on tool during the last 3-4 years while only earning 25k in that time scale. Pay is rubbish being an apprentice and still on the same wage even though im qualified will go up when i turn 21, the boss is an absoulte cock who thinks he can do things a lot quicker than ous despite the fact he hasn't touched a tool since ive worked there and spends most of his time either playing golf or on holidays.
Other than that it's a ok job such a variety of jobs no one job is the same, working day goes by quickly and around a couple of good work mates, another benifite is i can work on my own car, get trade prices for parts and have a trade behind me which i see is critical these days.
At the moment my spare time is split between finishing building my kit car and starting up a unit with a mate of mine doing jobs for friends/ familys which hopefully in a year or so will turn into a full time buisness it's pretty hard going at the moment but im young have no ties, no relationship, very little outgoings apart from the car so why not ive lost some many family members in the last 5 years at young ages that im doing everything i can now not 5 years down the line as i might not be able to do so.
Also the last time i started a very similar thread it didn't go on for very long. But any questions needed answering fire away.
NotReallyBored said:
Good luck with it MG CHRIS, braver than I was when I was young, free and single. It sounds like the trade has not changed in the last 10 years then!
Thanks to be honest it hasn't changed since my dad was in the trade 30+ years ago apart from cars getting massivly more complex.TheLordJohn said:
MG CHRIS said:
Thanks to be honest it hasn't changed since my dad was in the trade 30+ years ago apart from cars getting massivly more complex.
Tools more expensive, pay not proportionately increased, working conditions in winter usually very poor.In my experience.
P I Staker said:
I'm a third year apprentice, I don't hate it but its not great and the pay is ste.
Don't plan on staying in the trade for too much time but who knows what I could move to.
Yep very similar to me im a year ahead though im not planing to stay in the same garage for to long though. Hope it goes ok for you.te. Don't plan on staying in the trade for too much time but who knows what I could move to.
Left "the trade" after five years, would rather work mindless minimum wage jobs (still, not a massive pay cut) than put up with that st again. I haven't come across another industry that treats employees so badly, I had a massive culture shock when I went to my first none-mechanic job and was treated like a human.
t again. I haven't come across another industry that treats employees so badly, I had a massive culture shock when I went to my first none-mechanic job and was treated like a human.EDLT said:
Left "the trade" after five years, would rather work mindless minimum wage jobs (still, not a massive pay cut) than put up with that st again. I haven't come across another industry that treats employees so badly, I had a massive culture shock when I went to my first none-mechanic job and was treated like a human.
I usually manage to avoid the 'being spoken to like st again. I haven't come across another industry that treats employees so badly, I had a massive culture shock when I went to my first none-mechanic job and was treated like a human.t' side of being a mechanic. So that much isn't so bad for me.
I think for what I get (less than £11 an hour), a hell of a lot of work is expected of me. Mechanic, half electrician, body work etc etc.
Spent 20 years after I left school employed by vauxhall at various dealerships, poor pay crap bonus schemes, fortune spent on tools, if you were not one of the workshop controllers buddys you got all the st jobs etc, left about 11 years ago and moved over to the railways, bigger nuts and bolts basically, but huge pay differential relatively low pressure upon you, just wouldn't go back even if I was made redundant tomorrow, highly unlikely as although no job is for life these days, its pretty close as your gonna get.
t jobs etc, left about 11 years ago and moved over to the railways, bigger nuts and bolts basically, but huge pay differential relatively low pressure upon you, just wouldn't go back even if I was made redundant tomorrow, highly unlikely as although no job is for life these days, its pretty close as your gonna get.rigga said:
Spent 20 years after I left school employed by vauxhall at various dealerships, poor pay crap bonus schemes, fortune spent on tools, if you were not one of the workshop controllers buddys you got all the st jobs etc, left about 11 years ago and moved over to the railways, bigger nuts and bolts basically, but huge pay differential relatively low pressure upon you, just wouldn't go back even if I was made redundant tomorrow, highly unlikely as although no job is for life these days, its pretty close as your gonna get.
I'm going from Carlisle to High Wycombe come June this year and hoping to get into trains at that opportunity.t jobs etc, left about 11 years ago and moved over to the railways, bigger nuts and bolts basically, but huge pay differential relatively low pressure upon you, just wouldn't go back even if I was made redundant tomorrow, highly unlikely as although no job is for life these days, its pretty close as your gonna get.I've been an HGV technician for ten years, completing my apprenticeship at the same dealer after leaving school.
Although it has its ups and downs, I do enjoy the work.
As well as being a technician I am also on call 24 hours a day to attend and provide assistance wherever I am needed. It's long hours but pays well. I am also shift supervisor when the regular guy is on holiday.
One day I'll be up to my neck in grease, the next day I'll spend at a desk all day writing reports and compiling evidence to support work I have done (warranty codes, creating job cards etc etc).
I find both these elements interesting, although so much regular training is required to keep up date with technology is a challenge in itself, let alone successfully repairing a vehicle.
I have met some complete idiots, but have also met some of the nicest people I have ever known.
Whatever happens to me in the future, I hope I stay associated in this trade one way or another.
Although it has its ups and downs, I do enjoy the work.
As well as being a technician I am also on call 24 hours a day to attend and provide assistance wherever I am needed. It's long hours but pays well. I am also shift supervisor when the regular guy is on holiday.
One day I'll be up to my neck in grease, the next day I'll spend at a desk all day writing reports and compiling evidence to support work I have done (warranty codes, creating job cards etc etc).
I find both these elements interesting, although so much regular training is required to keep up date with technology is a challenge in itself, let alone successfully repairing a vehicle.
I have met some complete idiots, but have also met some of the nicest people I have ever known.
Whatever happens to me in the future, I hope I stay associated in this trade one way or another.
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