Automotive Careers - I want to open up my own shop!!!

Ive been wanting to open up my own performance shop for a while, Here in northern california there is only 2 major shops. Currently im going to school for a buisness administration degree, I have a few friends who are ASE certified and that can build lsx motors by hand......Getting buisness isnt that hard, were already doing a few cam swaps with the guys. Being that it is northern cali, finding a good shop is expensive....To rent a small shop normally cost between $3,000-$5,000 a month. Im still a newbie at this but what advice can any one give me on opening up a shop, I aspire to own a nationally respected shop like W2W,TSP

The market is definitely up here. If u can grow into exotics and imports eventually I think that there would be a huge market. California Concepts btw, dont model after them, they want $800-1000 for a flowmaster 80 series installed

The market is definitely up here. If u can grow into exotics and imports eventually I think that there would be a huge market. California Concepts btw, dont model after them, they want $800-1000 for a flowmaster 80 series installed

wow thats crazy $800.........yeah id like to expand to vipers/vettes/and euros if it were to take off

good luck, I've heard it's very expensive to open shop in Cali, so many haz mat certificates and permits that are needed.

good luck, I've heard it's very expensive to open shop in Cali, so many haz mat certificates and permits that are needed.

Yup I know about all these things, darn cali hippies :bang:

good and quality service
great customer service
communication(i hate it when i call a shop and they dont answer even if its for something minor)
respect for what the customer wants done(just because he cant afford to get the parts to make big power dont put him on the backburner or put his car back together with 2 friggin bellhousing bolts)
do this and you got your self a shop. not only are people gonna come to you for performance work,they will come because they know you will treat them well for whatever it is they want done



good luck man hope you make it

Adam S.

My recommendation is to open a general auto repair shop that also does performance work. It takes awhile to build enough of a reputation to keep busy with just performance work. It sounds sexy to have a performance shop but I see a lot come and go. It may be boring to do water pumps + brake jobs on junk but it will pay the bills in between the cool jobs. I've owned a general repair shop for twenty years. It would be fun to do performance work but I think it would also have major drawbacks like working up tons of estimates that do not come to fruition because so many dreamers are blown away by what it cost to go fast. Also it would be difficult to give up front estimates on a lot of jobs because you don't know what you might encounter (no labor manual to refer to). I think the guys that really make the good money are the shops that have earned enough of a reputation to get customers that will pay as the work goes with a full understanding that the bill is open ended pending any issues that might arise.

good and quality service
great customer service
communication(i hate it when i call a shop and they dont answer even if its for something minor)
respect for what the customer wants done(just because he cant afford to get the parts to make big power dont put him on the backburner or put his car back together with 2 friggin bellhousing bolts)
do this and you got your self a shop. not only are people gonna come to you for performance work,they will come because they know you will treat them well for whatever it is they want done



good luck man hope you make it

Adam S.

yup i have learned from wathcing many of the sponsors here do buisness

My recommendation is to open a general auto repair shop that also does performance work. It takes awhile to build enough of a reputation to keep busy with just performance work. It sounds sexy to have a performance shop but I see a lot come and go. It may be boring to do water pumps + brake jobs on junk but it will pay the bills in between the cool jobs. I've owned a general repair shop for twenty years. It would be fun to do performance work but I think it would also have major drawbacks like working up tons of estimates that do not come to fruition because so many dreamers are blown away by what it cost to go fast. Also it would be difficult to give up front estimates on a lot of jobs because you don't know what you might encounter (no labor manual to refer to). I think the guys that really make the good money are the shops that have earned enough of a reputation to get customers that will pay as the work goes with a full understanding that the bill is open ended pending any issues that might arise.

i agree with that 100%

2001WS6Vert

i agree with you 100% when i opened i was trying to steer towards performance market. But that does not pay the bills as easily as repair/inspection work. Now i work on daily drivers regularly and have fun with performance when i am slow or working later in evening.