dry_kill

iTrader: (12)

well my hours at my job have been cut significantly and i figured with all this free time, maybe i can go to school to be a auto mechanic. just wondering what classes should i take or what are some things i should do to prepare myself for a job in this industry?

i figure since cars aren't selling like they used to and more people are just keeping their vehicles, then that means more cars in a auto shop for service.

Anyway, any helpful information will be greatly appreciated. was thinking about SAM or UTI but not sure how much the classes are, anybody know what the classes usually run for those schools? thanks fellas

sonoma43

iTrader: (1)

SAM school would be awesome but it's fairly pricey and you are somewhat limited on what you learn. It is more of a specialized field.
UTI is def. a more rounded school for the general tech. but if I remember correctly its not cheap either, not sure on how much either of them cost down to the dollar though.
It would be helpful to take a machining class before going into SAM, to start learning the grinding and CNC machines, the controls can be tricky if you just dive head first into them!

cheyenne383

iTrader: (25)

I went to a local tech school and got an associates degree, got hired at a GM dealer during school and they helped with school and tools. You'd be suprised how nice some of the local programs are, a lot easier than dropping 40k on UTI or Wyotech too.

Grumpy5.3

iTrader: (14)

DONT DO IT!!! do something else. Shops are slow and probably not going to hire you for much more than an oil changer. Doing it for a living is so much diffrent than a hobby.

FLT

iTrader: (1)

+1 my hobby turned into my profession. I have to say that I might have taken a different path when I was younger if I knew how hard it was to make a living doing this. I have now been doing this for over 18 years and it has been a long hard road. My best advice is to get a good office job that pays you way to much to do next to nothing! Good luck in journey! Vince

Wilde Racing

iTrader: (26)

+2 It sounds great, but the pay is NOT there, ya you get to work on cool crap, but you never get to own it... When I was getting ready to go to "school", My dad and everyone else in the field told me the same thing. "Don't Do IT!" They said, but I didnt understand why? Now I know! I'm under thirty years old and already have back pain, and almost Nothing to show for it....

bigbadwolf54

iTrader: (14)

+3 It does sound great and all.....at first. I've been turning wrenches in GM dealerships for over 5yrs now, and I've finally had enough of it and quit recently to go back to college and earn a degree while I'm still young. If you enjoy it has a hobby, please don't ruin it by going to work on someone elses car every day, and like Grumpy5.3 said...its slow right now..and if they pay flag hour, you have no guarantee for a paycheck, which makes it very interesting to say the least.
but to answer your question, I started wrenching while I was in high school, went to college at OSU-Okmulgee and got my associates degree through the GM ASEP program. I know there is a college in Houston that offers this program if your interested, but cant think of the name.

RandomHero

iTrader: (24)

Go to a real college(sorry I guess I'm biased), get a mechanical engineering degree, and design cars for a living.

cheyenne383

iTrader: (25)

Well, I wasn't gonna crush your dream, but since everyone else has.... I don't work on cars for a living, did it for 3 years and hated life. I like having the knowledge and experience though, makes my hobby more enjoyable IMO.

00Silv4.8

iTrader: (10)

its not everyones cup of tea. I would be ok with it for a little while which I plan on doing. My ultimate goal is bounty hunting... call me lame but its true.

My dad's been in the business for 25+ yrs. As for money not there you're sadly mistaken. Dont go to some Joe Shmoe shop and you'll make decent money. Dealerships actually have just cut pay so find a decent independent shop. My dads back at an independent shop making $31hr+15% (parts). As long as your working your making good money.
Go to a CC and take an auto course. Thats what I will be doing here pretty soon. I was going to go to a local trade school (AAI) but I decided against it. its about 26k and it'd be better to go to a country wide school if you plan on moving out of state to go in the career. If not then go the cheapest route and start building a rep.