To old to be a mechanic?

[Wilksy288]

So just seeing what peoples views are on this. Having wanted to be a mechanic when i was young i unfortunately had some brains at school and was persuaded not to go down that route and do science instead. Then went to uni to again study science but never finished my course due to family problems. I now work with my family running a building business and the money is ok but i dont really enjoy it that much. Now at 30 im feeling like my days are numbered to do something about this, but having looked about i think im to old to train as a mechanic and actually be employed by some one. Is it worth me trying to become one at this age? Im not worried what i would work on as i love pretty much anything with an engine and wheels.

Thanks

[Gooose]

Could you do some kind of apprenticeship?

I did a mechanical fitter apprenticeship at 30, best decision I made, but I earnt more money before in my previous job and any movement up the ladder takes you off the tools, so I’m stuck in this position until I want to go back in the office again.
I’m not complaining as it’s what I wanted and I don’t plan on moving up for a while but the money ain’t great!

[Dave.]

Do you want to be a mechanic or do you like tinkering with cars?

Working on your own stuff can be great, but doing it for someone else on a customers car where money/deadlines are tight day after day etc, might not be.

I love pratting about on evenings/weekends on mine, but much prefer doing mods to actual fixing/servicing, and any really stty job gets taken round to the local garage (I think he hates me! )

[227bhp]

Too not to.
Can you support yourself for a few years before you start earning any half decent money is what you need to ask yourself.

Edited by 227bhp on Sunday 26th August 13:55

[MrAverage]

Your never too old to learn a new skill or get a new job.

Is it just mechanics your interested in? Or just a job on the tools.

Utilities and railway are pretty good for hiring regardless of age/background. I'm a trainee at the moment, my colleague is 40 and I have met a 52 y/o apprentice.

The biggest issue with re-training a bit later in life is taking a paycut, as long as you can support yourself financially then go for it.

Edited by MrAverage on Sunday 26th August 16:36

[DaveGib]

Personal experience but being a mechanic isn’t the dream you think it will be. It’s not like tinkering in your spare time and enjoying the car. It’s all pressure, time restrictions and quick turn around a. Not to mention the thousands you have spend on your own tools. Mechanics don’t buy tools just for the love of them (although it is a very satisfying feeling getting something new and shiny for your tool box). Plus generally the money isn’t fantastic.

Look into it as a hobby you’ll get far more enjoyment from it. In my opinion anyway.

[burritoNinja]

I’d imagine being a mechanic would only bring in decent money if you owned the garage or in a joint patnership. I know a mechanic and he only earns £8.50ph and he has been doing it for near ten years. However the boss drives a Ferrari. Would you consider mechanical engineering at college or maybe university. I don’t think you’re too old. When I was at university we had some in their late 40’s trying to move into IT. Go for it.

[Classy6]

Wilksy288 said:

So just seeing what peoples views are on this. Having wanted to be a mechanic when i was young i unfortunately had some brains at school and was persuaded not to go down that route and do science instead. Then went to uni to again study science but never finished my course due to family problems. I now work with my family running a building business and the money is ok but i dont really enjoy it that much. Now at 30 im feeling like my days are numbered to do something about this, but having looked about i think im to old to train as a mechanic and actually be employed by some one. Is it worth me trying to become one at this age? Im not worried what i would work on as i love pretty much anything with an engine and wheels.

Thanks

Don't bother. If you're passionate about cars, the last thing you want to do is do it full time working for a greedy dealer, it'll ruin the love. You don't get to tinker when you're on the clock either, you get on with it at warp speed and pray you made the right diagnosis!

I'm not sure what your idea of an 'alright' wage is but pay isn't that great in the trade, you can expect ~30k when you hit the top of your game on average but it'll take you another 6+ years experience/training to get there. To earn the money you need to move to a breakdown firm and work long unsociable hours on shifts. That work is a different type of work to a garage has you don't really 'fix' cars.

The dream would be to restore cars/work on classics, high end motors but unfortunately those jobs are few and far between and typically pay absolutely peanuts, a point where it would be a lifestyle choice to sacrifice the money.

[Gooose]

I have to agree on most of the comments here, I would go the route I took and do an apprenticeship with a big utility company or the railway direction. The benifits of this is that the work isn’t too difficult most of the time and will leave you free for evening and weekends to tinker around. Plus the pay is way better than a car mechanic

There are a few guys who I work with who do a bit of servicing in there own time, and brakes and stuff.

I also work with a guy whose brother is a mechanic for BMW and he said the basic pay is aweful but the bonuses are great, but it does mean they work like crazy all the time to finish the jobs before their allocated time is up.

[DaveGib]

Further to my comment I moved to working for one of the top breakdown organisations and the money is good. But you have to be able to hack the hours, working in every weather condition and the pressures are high than being in a garage. Targets to be hit.

[Wilksy288]

thanks for all your replies

It is the actual mechanic side of things that i would like to do.

Has anyone worked on LGVs or buses? That appeals to me more then car mechanics as a career.

Thanks again

[MrAverage]

My best mate is a bus mechanic, he likes his job and says he prefers it to working in a car garage. He works 4 10hr shifts a week.

The apprenticeship pay was around £12k for 3 years then up to £30k on completion. I looked into this myself.

The only thing I have noticed is his complete lack of enthusiasm when working on his own car, he'd rather do some o/t and pay a car mechanic.

[Tempest_5]

One thing to think about is do you still want to be doing it in 20 odd years time?

I've just got to 50 and although I still mountain bike and am fairly fit, I was lying under my old Land Rover the other day and the thought occurred to me that maybe it wasn't quite as much fun as it used to be, maybe I didn't want to be crawling about under an old car so much now, not in the cold and wet anyway.

[anonymous-user]

MrAverage said:

he'd rather do some o/t and pay a car mechanic.

If he is a bus mechanic, why would he want to fix his car and not get paid for it when he could fix a bus, get paid for it and have left over for the mechanic a lot of people do it to save money, he's obviously found that it works the other way around for him smart

[DaveGib]

Wilksy288 said:

thanks for all your replies

It is the actual mechanic side of things that i would like to do.

Has anyone worked on LGVs or buses? That appeals to me more then car mechanics as a career.

Thanks again

I spent 6yrs working on buses for Go North East. It’s not a bad job, actually it was dealing with breakdowns on the roadside with this that lead me wanting to work for a breakdown organisation. A lot dirtier and heavier work than cars. One thing if you do end up on PSV’s and your any good at it you’ll always find work.

If you have any specific questions I’ll do my best to answer them.

[Wilksy288]

DaveGib said:

I spent 6yrs working on buses for Go North East. It’s not a bad job, actually it was dealing with breakdowns on the roadside with this that lead me wanting to work for a breakdown organisation. A lot dirtier and heavier work than cars. One thing if you do end up on PSV’s and your any good at it you’ll always find work.

If you have any specific questions I’ll do my best to answer them.

Thanks for that! I wouldn't mind doing roadside repairs on the trucks or buses! Going to find a course that I can do to get some qualifications so that I can at least try and get into the industry!

[DaveGib]

No roadside stuff I went back to under 3.5t generally cars, vans etc. Best of luck though.

[Wilksy288]

Do you mean courses or actual work?
If you don't mind me asking what qualifications have you got so that you can work on buses? How long have you been in the industry?