>>>I love this car "hobby" and would like to somehow be a mechanic, in some way.>>> A word from someone who has been there (I was a mechanic for 16 years and opened my own auto repair shop at age 23) being a "mechanic" and messing around in your "hobby" (hot rods/race cars) are 2 very different things. Working on Hondas every day will get old - FAST. Best thing is to stay in school and get your degree. You can always mess with fun cars after you get established in your career, and once you have some experience under your belt can always open up a hot rod themed shop down the road if you so choose. So as tempted as I am to say follow your passion, unless you can whip up an all aluminum Willys or supremely talented in some way then get that sheepskin, it'll serve you well over the years, just the experience of making it through college will be worthwhile even if you open up a shop the day after graduation. You won't regret it in 25 years......... Al in CT
I totally agree. Being a music teacher will give you summers off. You can always work at a garage over the summer and see how fun it really is. When you work on cars for a living it makes your hobby less important. This is only my opnion but use your mind while the rest of us will dig ditches for you. CheaterJack
Look at the locations of all the post you got - all around the us and most all say stay in school - good advise and just remember to DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND YOU WILL NEVER WORK A DAY IN YOUR LIFE - JAXX
Education, yes, very good. How you get it will be up to you. I went to collge in the early 70s and far too many of us just learned massive substance abuse back then, half of the kids there were there to party and live of their folks as long as possible. I had a loan to repay, fell into a good job and quit school. You have to do what you have passion for and if it's cars that's ok. Just be the best you can be, I would say specialize if you can. I would not reccomend your own business unless you have the background for it, like a business major. I have been there and done that and when the smoke clears you are old and broke down without a whole lot to show for it. Unless you are in a custom shop you are dealing with people day in and day out that do not want to spend the money for your sevice, very tiring. Living within your means is also as important as your means. Stay debt free, forget credit cards and car loans, and especially don't borrow money for toys like boats and 4 wheelers. A home mortgage is ok, consider it an investment. Other than that, buy what you can afford and salt away at least 10% of everything you earn before you even pay the bills or buy groceries.
School! I have pondered this dilemma myself. I'm an English/writing major. There's a saying that if you love your job you never work a day in your life...It can go the other way. As soon as you make your passion your work, it stops being fun. I go to work, I'm still in school, and I have a million things to do. The shop is where I go to decompress. After I beat on stuff, turn a wrench and bust my knuckles open, I feel better after a bad day. 4 year degrees rock! (I hate that they call them that, mine's taking 5, the dirty liars!) Best of luck and congratulations!
I've got a degree. Never been sorry. Now I've got a business that pays the bills and a fallback position that brings in extra loot when ever I feel like I need it. To me the next best thing to the education is a woman who will say "you work hard for the money ....go buy what you want, and I'll help pay for it!"....Got that too.
I've said it here before, but it bears saying again. Bout 25 years ago a grizzled old bodyman offered this just-getting-started car guy some of the best advice he's ever gotten..... "Bodymen drive rusty Pintos" Will you be happy driving a rusty pinto because the 9-5 grind takes the joy out of working on your own ride at home?
Thank you, everyone. Your advice has been everything I need and more. I will certainly be getting an education degree, I just need to find out where and what exactly. What worried me about my music education mess was that I completely pigeon-holed myself. I was planning on like a 5 year period, gaining two degree's in both vocal and instrumental music education. I'm just not sure if music is what I want to do, but I do know for sure that I want to teach. Exspecially because I know music teachers get thrown on the chopping block first. I'm considering taking a year (or two) and going to a smaller community college where the tuition is much LESS and I can stay at home, and not have to worry about housing/food costs (Thanks mom & dad!). I can then transfer anywhere in the UW system, maybe even go to Madison, which has quite an enginerring department. My biggest fear is of the price of the private school. Although they've given me money, they still cost the same as a state school before my gov't financial aid. And one of the gov't loans accrues interest while I'm there, so It's a whole lot bigger when I get out. I will get a degree, and a steady teaching job where I know I will have my income. This much I was pretty sure about, but you all really helped cement that for me. Summer's I will do the Marina thing, and see how far that can take me. The owner of a big Wisconsin marina chain (Heckel's) told me if I ever wanted a job, I had one. So I do have an open door there too. The advice I about how working on cars everyday takes away from the overall enjoyment, is just what I needed. I hadn't really thought about that. I don't know in my case, but I know I need a degree. The wieght of classes at the community college might also be light enough that I could also take some auto classes at the local tech school. One of my main pushes to having a business is that I want to hire my father. He's a genius. He really is, but. He stopped school at 8th grade (He did almost ace his GED though...). Went to tech school, dropped because It wasn't interesting him (motorcycles), and got screwed out of financial aid, so he had student loan debt until just a couple years ago. Now he's 40, makes like $16/hour, and he and my mother scrape by. She's had health issues so theres medical bills, they bought a (05) GTO when they were doing a little better (Dad did the truck driving thing for awhile but missed being home) so theres a car bill, they own there own house now, which really is truly and investment because it was a shack when we moved in, but we've really put effort in to it, and the values raising and its becoming a wonderful home. I just want to give him a job that actually fits what he is capable of, because he's never had it. Ever. He works at an interior decorating place where he's "Warehouse Manager". He cuts carpet and vinyl, make sure the warehouse looks neat, tear's out old carpet, stuff like that. Hates it. It bores him, he don't like it, but it's what he's got. So enough of my ramblings, Thank you all so much, you have really really helped. Going to school. I just need to figure out if I really want the private school, or if I want to go to a community college for awhile. Driving away in the Falcon for a year, stopping to work when I need gas, sure sounds like a good idea... Thank you! Gayl And I sure as hell don't want to drive a rusy Pinto!
I'm with the majority on that one. I quit college and started my own body shop. Had fun doing some restos and custom stuff for a few years, then it started getting old. My hobby had turned into a full time job and it wasn't fun for me anymore. So there I was uneducated and doing something I had begun to hate that I used to love. I eventually got a job building deer feeders of all things, shut the shop doors, and walked away from hot rods for 10 years. Been trying to make ends meet ever since and am now in the ATV related business working in the R&D shop. A steady paycheck, and I am finally pumped up about hot rods again and building my first one in 15 years, but with no degree I feel I'm pretty much at my max income opportunity. Stay in school, get a degree, and have fun wrenching on your own rides for a while. Ensure that you will have the money to build, buy, and enjoy the hobby you love. If you choose to get into the car scene as a living after you graduate you can always fall back on your education later in life, or you can use the education first, retire early and then start pumping out some killer rides in your golden years.... For customers or yourself. Wish I had taken my own advice. Good luck!
Dont be a moron, stay in school. There is about 40 thousand HAMBers and of all of us there is maybe 10 that have a succesfull well earning Hotrod Shop. Bad odds.
When I was your age(6 years ago) I was dead set on being an auto mechanic. Its the only thing I knew. Started going to a local community college that had a brand spanking new automotive facility(they were still finishing it when I started classes) I was originaly going to get my associates there in auto mechanics, then transfer to a well known automotive school north of me, Ferris State Univ. to get a bach. in Automotive Business Management or something along those lines. I ended up working for a product development company, while in school and have stayed with the parent company since. It has nothing to do with automotive, but it pays the bills and has tought me more about business and marketing then I will probably ever learn in class. BUT, I am glad I FINISHED SCHOOL and at least got my Associates degree, even if it took me 4years to get. I will always have a degree at least to fall back on. Long story short, go get a degree, you may end up changing your mind while your out there, as far as the degree you want, but stay in school. I would like to go back to the community college next year and get an associates in business just so I have the paper. I moved into the county that the school is located in, so next year(i have to live here 2years) I will get dirt cheap tuition. I decided long ago, that i didn't want to be a mecahic even though I was going to school for it, but I still finished school so I would have the degree, I would like to do something automotive related some day and hope the automotive degree will help get that job.
Sorry one last thing. Do whatever you can to STAY OUT OF DEBT IN SCHOOL!!! If you have to work your but off in the summer to pay for classes, DO IT! To many people go the easy route and get HUGE student loans. Then these "great" student loans are still hanging around like a family pet when they are in there 30's.
school-job with good pay and a retirement plan - keep the car stuff as a hobby and you will be much better off in the long run
My Dad was a Music Teacher for 30+ years. He was not a rich kid and was offered a scholarship to Occidental College, a very respected California private college. He got his teaching degree, got married and had my sister while still a senior. Got offered a good job right out of school and I came along. My mom also got her teaching degree. with summers off most years (some years he'd do the summer school thing for extra dough) He had the time off to pursue his hobby - cars and motorcycles! It also allowed our family to travel and I had seen 48 states in a Chevy Camper Van (that he built before you could buy Van conversions) by the time I was 8 years old! These are things that most people never get the chance to experience. In the summer there was always a major car or bike project going on. All this fueled my passion for Music and Cars/Bikes. I was only an average student, not for lack of intelligence (I was in advanced placement, skipped a grade, and offered into Mensa) I just never was challenged and didn't apply myself. I floundered around in college for a few years and never finished my degree - It's probably the only regret I have in life! I've been able to make a good living in both the Music Business and the Automotive/Motorcycle Industries but I've always felt I would have done more with a degree. If you really think you want a Hot Rod shop at some time, follow Troy Ladd form Hollywood Hot Rods lead - get a degree in business, write a really solid business plan, and go for it. You probably won't get rich, only a few in the hobby do but you will have a solid foundation to give it your best shot. One other thing to think about - my dad, the music teacher, had a few different Hobby Businesses over his lifetime. Teaching allowed him to have a slot car store in the 60's that he would run after school, weekends, and summers - the same time that his main customers, Kids, were out of school! same with the music store he had. You could do that with a part time Hobby Car Business. Don't mess with a 2 year if you can swing it, it's too easy to get distracted - i know from experience. Go for the best school you can right from the go and you'll never look back.
well being a business owner still i can thell ya a few things one is to stay in school get you ed. when your done there than you can figure out what you want to do second is that being a business owner SUCKS DUDE!!!!!!!!! its a 24/7/365 job, no 401 unless you stash away alot of it, medical expenses suck cant really take a vacation cause your wondering bout your business third thing is that you talked about a mentor or something like that, well my dad and grand father were 2 of my biggest helpers, but the guy that got me motivated was a guy named DESCHAMBO and he worked at ford II high school in sterling heights michigan, and all through school and shop class he told us the info to fix cars till one day he pulled me into the classroom and told me that "i wouldnt amount to shit in my lifetime" well this turned me around, mechanic in dealerships for 15+ yrs, tow company owner, landscaping owner, married and have 2 boys and a daughter ( tom boy )........................but still want my repair shop of 76 on back, yep i can work on anything but perfer oldies so stay in school and stay at home as long as you can and think bout what you want to do, then go do it
Stay in school, get your 4 year degree it will go faster then you think. After that if you don't want to work in your degreed field immediately try the car thing. However, you might need your degreed job as your income to support your car hobby.
Your chances of getting a hot girl are reduced exponentially the further away from the mecca/bonanza of school you go. ~Jason
Agreed, a college degree is virtualy a must. But, I kinda like the idea of taking a year off. I couldn't do that 50 years ago (we had universal military service). I liked to wrench on sports cars, and race 'um. I had a buddy, who was much smarter than me, that liked the same. We were offered a chance to go to Europe with a race team. He went, I didn't. I had regrets. The team owner, a rich man's kid, had his financial plug pulled. My buddy stayed in racing 'til this day. He's a highly respected consultant to many a race team. He has his own shop; but, no retirement pension (or savings). But, his wife owns a big house on a hill. I went to college, dug ditches, bussed and waited on tables; then went on active duty in the service. For awhile, I was miserable. I got into business (working for others). Saved. Invested. Bought businesses. Formed businesses. Sold businesses. Paid a bunch of salaries and wages. Made money and lost money. But, as somebody here advised, I always put some dollars aside. Now, I buy cars, work on cars, race cars; and literally do anything I want. So who's better off? I don't know. My buddy still knows more than I ever will about performance machines.
I think you picked the right place to ask about this. Among the HAMB community you will find those with nothing more than a few rusty parts and a dream to Jay Leno. I think you would find that the majority that have gone further to realize their dreams have an income with little or no relation to the industry.
Get a business degree, or you won't know how to run a business? Couldn't be more wrong. Evey one of the idiots currently driving the Dow below 12,000 has a business degree. For almost everyone intending to run their own business, a business degree just puts you back 4 years and a lot of money.
Definetly get the degree. I was in the same boat as you out of high school a few years ago. I wanted to paint cars and do custom body work. I went and got a teaching degree and love it. Plus you will have the summers off. Plenty of time to work and stuff and travel to shows everywhere all while getting paid!
College degree is priceless. My company won't look at you for a salaried position without one or 15 years experience. Tough to get the experience today without a degree. Nothing wrong with running a shop and no college, it is just easier to get through life with a degree - ask my coworkers that are being told up or out (enroll or move on).
I agree with most of the others saying that a college degree is important. Have you ever heard old guys/gals saying....."man, I wish I went to college".....I have, many many times and the older I get, the more I hear it. Have you ever heard of old guys/gals saying....."man, college was such a waste"......NEVER not once! I have never met or even heard of a person who regretted getting a college degree. The people I hear saying college isn't worth it, don't have degrees. One of my best decisions in life was to work myself through college. THE absolutely best thing I ever did for my financial well being was going to college. Owning your own hot rod shop and first going to college are not mutually exclusive.
Go to school, get a degree. If you dig music and have the inclination to teach, do that. I try to refrain from giving advice(especially to strangers), but a long time ago a man I respected quite a bit told me this: Love many, trust few and always paddle your own canoe. Go learn how to paddle.
Quite a Bunch of Pretty Smart Greasy ol Sons of Bitchs Eh? If you still have to ask go back and reread all this!
listen to this man and stay in school. I wish I did. Learn as much as you can now while your young and living at home with your parents. take business, computers, the arts and become a well rounded adult. Take it from a graduate of "The School Of Hard Knocks"
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