Restoration firms around Yorkshire
Discussion
In a bit of a rut currently, just finished a full time restoration course over in Leeds (which was a great course for anyone considering it, if you've attended the NEC the past few years you might have seen the stand) it basically covers most things from fabrication & welding, to paint and mechanicals.
As great as it was as a stepping stone into restoration I always knew it'd be difficult to find employment after, especially as it was only a twelve month course, and I have no 'real world' experience. And while the course is backed by City & Guilds, there is no definitive 'restoration' qualification, though I do have a small portfolio of things I have done over the past year, both in my own time as a hobby and through the college, and I do have the certification for the body repair and welding aspect of it.
It is a bit of a niche, and a lot of the local companies I've been in touch with are relatively small with minimal staff, and are either not employing, or not willing to take on an apprentice as such.
I'm just wondering if anybody knows of any firm that would be interested in something like this, or any advice really as I am getting a bit demoralized over it all. As an enthusiast, with a hobby, it is fine, but turning it into a career is proving a bit challenging. (I knew this, but you have to try I suppose)
Thank you.
As great as it was as a stepping stone into restoration I always knew it'd be difficult to find employment after, especially as it was only a twelve month course, and I have no 'real world' experience. And while the course is backed by City & Guilds, there is no definitive 'restoration' qualification, though I do have a small portfolio of things I have done over the past year, both in my own time as a hobby and through the college, and I do have the certification for the body repair and welding aspect of it.
It is a bit of a niche, and a lot of the local companies I've been in touch with are relatively small with minimal staff, and are either not employing, or not willing to take on an apprentice as such.
I'm just wondering if anybody knows of any firm that would be interested in something like this, or any advice really as I am getting a bit demoralized over it all. As an enthusiast, with a hobby, it is fine, but turning it into a career is proving a bit challenging. (I knew this, but you have to try I suppose)
Thank you.
Hi Jimmy. FYI i did the same course some 17 odd years ago and felt exactly as you do. I really enjoyed it but always knew that restoration jobs close to Leeds would be few and far between and that my skills learnt over a couple of years would be far surpassed by many of the beardy old blokes who rattle of Healey wings in their sleep. At the time I did a few months in a body shop doing dinged Fiestas before deciding to change career paths. This was mainly due to personal circumstance + a lack of focus on my part + a lack of real experience which meant I couldn't expect to earn much and was of little use to the quality resto companys. As a result I got disilusioned with it as it seemed like catch 22 - you need to earn a reasonable amount in order to live yet you can't earn much whilst ever people only employ you to do the basic jobs - you can't improve unless you are given the opportunity etc etc..
Looking back I have mixed emotions. Cars have been everything to me from the off and so to find myself in a completely different industry is a real shame as I'd love to work in restoration, motorsport, specialist sales etc..On the flip side I earn a fairly good living in a job enjoy and it allows me to escape into cars in my spare time and just about funds a third car as a play thing. I've heard it said many times that the resto game is a tough one and that only the best make good money and based on the above it could take many years to become the best. Also I sometimes wonder whether the novelty would wear off if I worked on cars everyday just to make money and that actually I would view that awkward E Type project as a laboureous burden/risk rather than "the one to have" flat floor series one etc..?
My advice would be to stick with it as long as you can but try your best to get on board with a proper resto or specialist company as its to easy to take the bodyshop route which can see you just turning over jobs in order to pay the bills but can see you stuck for some time getting frustrated. Not easy to but to work in a top quality workshop must be a fantastic way to live life and it's worth trying every option to get a start.
And remember if this fails and you have to go down a different route then try to choose a path that will earn you enough to enjoy cars as a hobby.
I wish you the very best of luck!
Looking back I have mixed emotions. Cars have been everything to me from the off and so to find myself in a completely different industry is a real shame as I'd love to work in restoration, motorsport, specialist sales etc..On the flip side I earn a fairly good living in a job enjoy and it allows me to escape into cars in my spare time and just about funds a third car as a play thing. I've heard it said many times that the resto game is a tough one and that only the best make good money and based on the above it could take many years to become the best. Also I sometimes wonder whether the novelty would wear off if I worked on cars everyday just to make money and that actually I would view that awkward E Type project as a laboureous burden/risk rather than "the one to have" flat floor series one etc..?
My advice would be to stick with it as long as you can but try your best to get on board with a proper resto or specialist company as its to easy to take the bodyshop route which can see you just turning over jobs in order to pay the bills but can see you stuck for some time getting frustrated. Not easy to but to work in a top quality workshop must be a fantastic way to live life and it's worth trying every option to get a start.
And remember if this fails and you have to go down a different route then try to choose a path that will earn you enough to enjoy cars as a hobby.
I wish you the very best of luck!
benjj: I had to give my unit up several months ago unfortunately, it wasn't ideal neither, but I've got a serious lack of space now.
Ed: Thanks for the reply.
We've had a small but of interest from a few places in the south, but nothing concrete. You've more or less summed it up, it's about being given an opportunity and being taken under a wing of a well established company. It's just finding that way in. I'm not experienced enough to be thrown in without supervision, I am just a blank slate with the fundamentals down. Nobody wants to baby sit someone really, but if somebody were to take the time to invest then hopefully I'd make an asset in time. You can teach the basics to anybody, but like a a lot of things, the real learning is from doing it.
I gave up a well paid job (though it wasn't my idea of a career, and in hindsight it might have been the right time as they are now making big cut backs) to go back to college and it just seems an almighty shame for nothing to come out of it. I'm aware if I don't bother trying now and I settle for something else then getting back into it is going to be near impossible. I don't think I'd be satisfied with it just being a hobby, but given opportunities are thin on the ground and unfortunately money is a necessity it might have to be put on hold. I could go down the self employed route, but the fact is I am just not that good enough yet.
Ed: Thanks for the reply.
We've had a small but of interest from a few places in the south, but nothing concrete. You've more or less summed it up, it's about being given an opportunity and being taken under a wing of a well established company. It's just finding that way in. I'm not experienced enough to be thrown in without supervision, I am just a blank slate with the fundamentals down. Nobody wants to baby sit someone really, but if somebody were to take the time to invest then hopefully I'd make an asset in time. You can teach the basics to anybody, but like a a lot of things, the real learning is from doing it.
I gave up a well paid job (though it wasn't my idea of a career, and in hindsight it might have been the right time as they are now making big cut backs) to go back to college and it just seems an almighty shame for nothing to come out of it. I'm aware if I don't bother trying now and I settle for something else then getting back into it is going to be near impossible. I don't think I'd be satisfied with it just being a hobby, but given opportunities are thin on the ground and unfortunately money is a necessity it might have to be put on hold. I could go down the self employed route, but the fact is I am just not that good enough yet.
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