97badass

iTrader: (8)

Ok ive been in the car industry since i was 13 ive helped my friends dad at their bodyshop untill i was 18 moved to idaho and worked part time after school and on the weekends at a local body shop and moved back to missouri and started full time at my friends dads shop...neither place paid worth a crap...i love working on cars/engines. I plan on moving back to missouri in april and going to OTC in springfield but im not sure what there is more of a demand for...pcm and diagnostics/engine work or bodywork...i know the basics of bodywork. i can do everything but the frame machine and painting. basically what im trying to ask is which pays more and would keep me in business longer?

Grumpy5.3

iTrader: (14)

I am a mechanic, my best friend is a bodyman. We both work at a dealership and we end up making about the same at the end of the year. Some times I can beat him, sometimes he beats me. There are days he is busy, I am not and vice versa. It all kinda wahes out.,

BADFNZ-383

iTrader: (41)

i will say that if you dont plan on doing frame work or painting, then go with auto mechanics. you can do ok being a bodyman, but the real money in this trade is made on the frame machine or in the paint department. there will always be a demand for guys in this trade, because people wont stop getting in accidents. and let me be the first to tell you that there are no young people coming into the trades. so there will certainly be jobs available.

Supafli13

Dude ive been doin the auto tech thing at school (WYO) for 15 months...im burned out on cars. so now i pretty much HATE fixing stuff. Pick something your good at..and make it a specialty, you wont make money if you do everything.

i'm a welder/ fabricator...make 11/hr as a part time job @ school..which is not amazing, but damn good for my situation.

I d suggest doin collision tech..you get to tear stuff apart and start with new, its interesting, i did that for about 3 years in HS