New Here
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
New Here Greetings from Fort Worth, Tx. I'm a shop owner that is dealing with a 1970 Scout 800 with a 5.3 Gen III out of an '02 Tahoe coupled to an NV4500. I'm here to learn all I can and to possibly get into the LS swap "Cult". and also "Shelby-izing" some smaller cars like TR7, MG, etc. with the 2.4 Ecotec or 4.3 to 5.3 motors. Began my career in the automotive world as a porter at Moritz BMW/SAAB, in Arlington, Texas on April 1 1988. Went into the BMW apprenticeship program later that year. Moritz combined the BMW/SAAB and Cadillac houses under one roof around 1990. I was transferred to the Pre Delivery Inspection Department [PDI] where I worked for about another year and my mom fell ill and lived out of state so I left to care for her. Actually got out of the auto repair biz for a few years but still tinkered at my house.
Landed a job at the Tarrant County Central Garage about 2002 and mainly worked on Caprices [they were being phase out] and Crown Vics/Tahoes. I was assigned the NARC and Autotheft seizure stuff after a few weeks of hiring on. Worked on everything from a battery powered golf cart to a Dodge Viper for the Sheriff's,Transportation office, and other departments, as well as some of the Precinct stuff. I relished the challenge and appreciate the great experience I received. I stepped out of the boat, so to speak, left there, blew my retirement, and bought an existing full service shop in 2014 and that is my gig now.
The shop is Steven's Paint, Body and Automotive Repair Center, though I have gotten out of the Paint and Body stuff for the most part. Grew tired of dealing with insurance carriers and the market they control. Am not ASE certifiable as TC would not pay for it and to me ASE is an acronym for Ask Someone Else, not proof of one's ability to actually diagnose and fix a car. Had a couple certs back in my BMW days but they had long lapsed. Have just about every AC Delco Cert they offer but heavy Line and Transmission rebuilding, plus a couple other from Toyota and GM.
I tried to attend every school that TC offered, as it's free training and they even let you borrow a car to go. AC Delco school was in Garland, Tx. and had very good instructors. Cool thing about it was it was kind of close to Carlton's Autohaus in Richardson, Tx. where I did a stint under the tutelage of Carlton Chang, a BMW and MB Mastertech I had worked with at Moritz whom started his own shop. The last 10 years before buying this shop, I have worked on specializing in the Diagnostics and Driveability part of the automotive industry. I like the fact that I don't have to use my beat up, old body to make a living as much but still don't mind turning wrenches.
The mechanic that stayed on after I bought the shop is about 60 and has been turning wrenches since he was 12 years old. He's an old hot rodder that built his own BOSS 302 and put in the 66 Mustang he bought when he was in HS. He knows the older stuff better than me, and I the newer stuff, so we make a good team. He's one of the best GS/wrenches I've had the pleasure of knowing. My mistress is International Harvester and the wife approves. She is of the mindset, as all good wives should be, that it beats me hanging out in bars and chasing women and it's never interfered with raising our kids. She shares and supports my passion, of which I am eternally grateful for. I'll be searching and lurking. Are there local guys that have meet ups?
Landed a job at the Tarrant County Central Garage about 2002 and mainly worked on Caprices [they were being phase out] and Crown Vics/Tahoes. I was assigned the NARC and Autotheft seizure stuff after a few weeks of hiring on. Worked on everything from a battery powered golf cart to a Dodge Viper for the Sheriff's,Transportation office, and other departments, as well as some of the Precinct stuff. I relished the challenge and appreciate the great experience I received. I stepped out of the boat, so to speak, left there, blew my retirement, and bought an existing full service shop in 2014 and that is my gig now.
The shop is Steven's Paint, Body and Automotive Repair Center, though I have gotten out of the Paint and Body stuff for the most part. Grew tired of dealing with insurance carriers and the market they control. Am not ASE certifiable as TC would not pay for it and to me ASE is an acronym for Ask Someone Else, not proof of one's ability to actually diagnose and fix a car. Had a couple certs back in my BMW days but they had long lapsed. Have just about every AC Delco Cert they offer but heavy Line and Transmission rebuilding, plus a couple other from Toyota and GM.
I tried to attend every school that TC offered, as it's free training and they even let you borrow a car to go. AC Delco school was in Garland, Tx. and had very good instructors. Cool thing about it was it was kind of close to Carlton's Autohaus in Richardson, Tx. where I did a stint under the tutelage of Carlton Chang, a BMW and MB Mastertech I had worked with at Moritz whom started his own shop. The last 10 years before buying this shop, I have worked on specializing in the Diagnostics and Driveability part of the automotive industry. I like the fact that I don't have to use my beat up, old body to make a living as much but still don't mind turning wrenches.
The mechanic that stayed on after I bought the shop is about 60 and has been turning wrenches since he was 12 years old. He's an old hot rodder that built his own BOSS 302 and put in the 66 Mustang he bought when he was in HS. He knows the older stuff better than me, and I the newer stuff, so we make a good team. He's one of the best GS/wrenches I've had the pleasure of knowing. My mistress is International Harvester and the wife approves. She is of the mindset, as all good wives should be, that it beats me hanging out in bars and chasing women and it's never interfered with raising our kids. She shares and supports my passion, of which I am eternally grateful for. I'll be searching and lurking. Are there local guys that have meet ups?
Last edited by manchanic; Sep 9, 2019 at 11:28 AM. Reason: re format
