View Poll Results: What best describes you and your automotive credentials?
Voters: 1042. You may not vote on this poll
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lets just say im closer to age 30 than 20...lol....
ive only paid someone to work on an automobile one time....
The reason being I was wearing a neck brace and couldnt bend over...."severe cervical and lumbar damage"
Theres not much I havent done...I can rebuild most trannys,any rearend and alot of engines....I was ase certified but I let it run out last fall...."wasn't worth anything to me"....
I don't know why I just always loved wrenching....around here "hillbilly hell" it really doesn't pay very well....
In about june of 05 I was put on a permaneat Disabled list
so now I only wrench on my own vehicles...sometimes ill do an occasional rearend or engine build if i really like the person....
Ive come to find 4th gen fbodys are really fun to work on when you have a bad back....
ive only paid someone to work on an automobile one time....
The reason being I was wearing a neck brace and couldnt bend over...."severe cervical and lumbar damage"
Theres not much I havent done...I can rebuild most trannys,any rearend and alot of engines....I was ase certified but I let it run out last fall...."wasn't worth anything to me"....
I don't know why I just always loved wrenching....around here "hillbilly hell" it really doesn't pay very well....
In about june of 05 I was put on a permaneat Disabled list
so now I only wrench on my own vehicles...sometimes ill do an occasional rearend or engine build if i really like the person....
Ive come to find 4th gen fbodys are really fun to work on when you have a bad back....
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
i worked as a crew chief in the american lemans series i use to design and build engines for the bmw team in grand am racing i have had a custom auto shop for 20 years and we do everything from custom painting to building cars from the ground up as well as dyno tuning i worked for power house speed shop in the days of old building race engines i can go on but as i look back on what i just wrote it looks like i am bragging so i will stop but if i can be of any help please feel free to ask and i hope i can help.....and i would like to say a word of thanks to those who have helped me with questions..............THANKS!
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
From: Clovis, NM
-Tactical Aircraft Maintenance Tech (F-16 Crew Chief), USAF
-FAA Inspection/Servicing Station, Aircraft Engine Tech/ Test Cell Operator
-Now, employed as BNSF locomotive conductor
-plus I grew up on a farm and my family had love for automotive performance and my dad and uncle got me started in the world as a mechanic. Drag racing started in High school and was guided in the sport by my uncle from then to until my military service. Family bias to the ford and mopar side, but my mom side had the chevy love.
Despite, being involved in the aircraft and railroad side of the mechanical industry; I think I have a good grip on the automotive side. Not saying im an automotive engineer, but these fields and/or knowledge from them make them beyond a novice and make my opinion as valid as some on this forum.
-Plus I had some time after military to study in Industrial Design in the focus in Automotive, but the railroad proved better financially for me. This gave me a understanding of the marketing stand point, and realistic capability of the automotive companies. So that how i fit into the "Other" poll.
-FAA Inspection/Servicing Station, Aircraft Engine Tech/ Test Cell Operator
-Now, employed as BNSF locomotive conductor
-plus I grew up on a farm and my family had love for automotive performance and my dad and uncle got me started in the world as a mechanic. Drag racing started in High school and was guided in the sport by my uncle from then to until my military service. Family bias to the ford and mopar side, but my mom side had the chevy love.
Despite, being involved in the aircraft and railroad side of the mechanical industry; I think I have a good grip on the automotive side. Not saying im an automotive engineer, but these fields and/or knowledge from them make them beyond a novice and make my opinion as valid as some on this forum.
-Plus I had some time after military to study in Industrial Design in the focus in Automotive, but the railroad proved better financially for me. This gave me a understanding of the marketing stand point, and realistic capability of the automotive companies. So that how i fit into the "Other" poll.
Staging Lane
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 70
Likes: 0
From: Mokena, IL
BSME in mechanical engineering from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology ( 
). Work as a quality engineer now implimenting lean manufacturing and 6 sigma.
I still wrench on my own car all the time and have a lot of past experience as a mechanic.
). Work as a quality engineer now implimenting lean manufacturing and 6 sigma. I still wrench on my own car all the time and have a lot of past experience as a mechanic.
40 years old. Old enough to remember points (and know how to work on the oldies), young enough that I went to tech school in the 80s, so brought up on the computerized stuff.
ASE master tech (14 years), ASE advanced level cert (12 years). 20 years exp as professional mechanic. Diagnostic specialist for past 10 plus years.
Now perf shop owner, tuner.
Got good at what I do by not being afraid to screw **** up!
Advice to the youngsters; You're gonna screw stuff up. Deal with it. Learn from it. Have thick skin, and move on.
ASE master tech (14 years), ASE advanced level cert (12 years). 20 years exp as professional mechanic. Diagnostic specialist for past 10 plus years.
Now perf shop owner, tuner.
Got good at what I do by not being afraid to screw **** up!
Advice to the youngsters; You're gonna screw stuff up. Deal with it. Learn from it. Have thick skin, and move on.
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I like cars and do some wrenching. I leave the interal motor & transmission stuff to either of two my friends who are professionals (one Nascar & one with his own shop), pretty much anything else is game. Third friend is an electronics/maintance supervisor that's very hands on, most of the time we work on stuff together, like suspensions, brakes, water pumps, opti-sparks, etc. All three have excellent hands own knowledge and two have excellent theoritical knowledge about how to optimise engines etc. I'm 42, math degree and at work tend to focus on trouble shooting, every once in a while, that comes in helpful when, I'm working on stuff with friends. I'm also willing to listen and learn from the folks that know what they are doing & talking about.
I love to wrench it up, but the really big stuff Ill leave it to the pros or to my father who is a mechanical engeneer. He works on locomotive engines, not only on them but design and enhancement, so if he cant figure it out, well Ill take it to one of our sponsers. 
. What I do, well, lets just say what I produce is what keeps your houses warm and your bank accounts empty. LOL. Sorry.
and like robbyc said above, thanks to all who have helped me in the past and to those who will help me in the future. Thanks.
. What I do, well, lets just say what I produce is what keeps your houses warm and your bank accounts empty. LOL. Sorry.and like robbyc said above, thanks to all who have helped me in the past and to those who will help me in the future. Thanks.
Automotive college graduate, GM Technician, ASE Certified... all the good stuff. (paperwork for pay) I am not a line tech, i clear Repair Orders. Drivability, Transmission, Diesels, Suspension and Steering... whatever comes in, i am on the list. 
12 Second Club
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 222
Likes: 0
From: Vegas
Was always into cars, dad was a mechanic, so I asked alot of questions, built up my tools and was always too poor to have someone else work on my car. Franky it is hard to find a quality mechanic/shop these days. Before I get into a project I do some research figure out what is needed to make it happen then do it. Saves a lot of money and its fun to do it myself, the garage is like my spot to be alone and work.
I'm a 27-year old structural mechanic in the Air Force and always enjoyed working on cars. One of my earliest photo shows me in full racing garb (plastic helmet with chin strap, mittens...err driving gloves and sunglasses) on my little "racecar" that went as fast as my little 2-year old legs could propel it.
From the time I was old enough to hold a light, I was Dad's favorite little helper since he always fixed his own cars. I learned a lot from him. The first starter I ever changed was on a '89 S-10 in the cold *** Indiana winter. Dad wouldn't let me come out from under the truck until the starter was out.....I learned pretty quick. I worked the better part of my teen years on a farm and we pretty much fixed everything ourselves.....I was able to dabble in diesel repair somewhat. These days I don't have enough left over to pay someone to install mods on my car after I buy them, so I research a lot, ask a lot of ??'s and figure it out from there. My friends like me though. They let me try everything on my car first, then get me to help them do theirs.
From the time I was old enough to hold a light, I was Dad's favorite little helper since he always fixed his own cars. I learned a lot from him. The first starter I ever changed was on a '89 S-10 in the cold *** Indiana winter. Dad wouldn't let me come out from under the truck until the starter was out.....I learned pretty quick. I worked the better part of my teen years on a farm and we pretty much fixed everything ourselves.....I was able to dabble in diesel repair somewhat. These days I don't have enough left over to pay someone to install mods on my car after I buy them, so I research a lot, ask a lot of ??'s and figure it out from there. My friends like me though. They let me try everything on my car first, then get me to help them do theirs.
Last edited by 99Hawk262; Aug 12, 2007 at 09:51 AM.
Went to school for tool and die, ended up working for John Deere as a CNC machinist. Just wrench on my cars for the reasons of being cheap, and the like of going fast. Most experience is with older small blocks, but my brother is a driveability tech so I started getting into fuel injection. So far I have built a SBC S-10, a 79 camaro, a 81 LS1 z-28, and now I have a 2000 SS to play with.
Mechanical Engineer, Charlotte University
Graduate research with Warren Johnson Enterprises, Clemson University Motorsports Department, Masters in Mechanical Engineering
Working on PhD and Adjunct Professor of Solid Mechanics
projects: 1970 Camaro, 1991 Camaro, 1994 Dodge Duster (fun tiny car with V6), 1990 Jeep Wrangler, 2001 WS6
Graduate research with Warren Johnson Enterprises, Clemson University Motorsports Department, Masters in Mechanical Engineering
Working on PhD and Adjunct Professor of Solid Mechanics
projects: 1970 Camaro, 1991 Camaro, 1994 Dodge Duster (fun tiny car with V6), 1990 Jeep Wrangler, 2001 WS6
Last edited by danf1000; May 29, 2008 at 07:35 AM.
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
From: fresno, ca
metal fabrication/ specialty welding. structural dynamics and metalurgy.
i have my own shop now in fresno, ca. installs are easy... bending and joining metals is for men! haha!
go with the grain over thickness every time...
i have my own shop now in fresno, ca. installs are easy... bending and joining metals is for men! haha!
go with the grain over thickness every time...
