brundz

I've had a job in alot of the auto industry. i've worked in repair shops, i've sold cars, delivered them, worked in parts departments. i've always been into cars since i was a little kid and thought i would end up a mechanic. but after working in the repair shops i realized i didn't want to be wrenching on motors when i was 50. so i went into sales but it was just a **** job. good money but long hours and your treated like **** and not only your boss's hate you but your customers do too. which brings me to painting and body repair. i like to think i'm pretty meticulous in my work and i'd love to be able to do some crazy paint jobs but really as a career i dont think i would mind everyday body repair. i've never worked in a body shop tho so i have no idea what its like. Is it a career choice that can yield somewhere in the 40-50K per year salary. salary isn't that important as i do have another business that i do for money but i dont want to be working for nothing either. Anyway to you experienced auto body workers...how do you like your job?

Tainted

iTrader: (9)

if you get with a good shop or a reputable dealership and be there long enough yea

Beyond Static

iTrader: (5)

I've been painting for 2 years, and will have made around 55k this year. I work at a smaller shop, and we havent been very busy. Good friend of mine works at a dealership, and has made 118k this year painting. The bad thing about the bodywork industry is most every shop is full of drug attics and alcoholics, which makes work tough at times. In my area, bodymen are hard to come by, and make around $20 an hour commission, and can turn 80 hours a week easily. Painters are dime a dozen, so it's a little tougher getting started. I started out doing prep work, and worked my way up. I enjoy what I do, but I'm trying to get on at a plant, mainly for the benefits and work atmosphere. I don't see myself 40 years from now still spraying paint.

z2fast8

yea i used to work for a shop and made dirt (9 an hour) but then i realized they made almost 40 dollers an hour on the work i did and quite. now i build cars on my own and do custom work and clear an average of 500 a week after i figure in my exspensis and i'm in college and only 21. so if u do good enuff work u will make money

Whistler

iTrader: (46)

If you can "fast" on to your arsenal and still keep "meticulous" you'll do well. Here in FL the good shops do okay year round, so you can usually make a steady living. I'm with static on the addict statement. I worked at a collision shop for six months befor eI moved to Orlando to go to school and everyone on the place was hooked on pharmies, along with a few coke and crackheads, drunks, combination of the above etc.

brundz

haha yea i'm not an advocate of drug use but car sales is the same way. one of the salesman only kept his job because he was the dealer for the place and they needed him haha. although i dont like drugs it can make for more interesting days with all the crackheads walking around. i'm getting the impression that theres no benefits packages in this line of buisness tho right?

GEARHED

iTrader: (5)

I don't agree with the druggie statement, I work at a shop where most don't even drink and they've been there 9-17 years. Then again the owners take good care of you when you bust *** doing it right the first time, makes a difference.

Working paint prep and finish right now and start is 30K, caps at 45K. Paint bay is commission at this shop and we are behind on getting cars out, its so damn busy this time of year in particular. Paint lead is over 100K a year (probably closer to 120K) and he's been doing it for 30 years.

Body depends on what part you are on. Frame/suspension or skins? Some shops cut it down to each section and pay up to $35 an hour with benefits though you can go commission on that as well if you want. Just depends on how busy they are year round.

Think of it this way: if the economy tanks, what will still be paying and busy? Which of your friends will be on unemployment while you are working?
Sometimes its a good measure of what and where you want to be in 5 years.

brundz

correct me if i'm wrong but auto body and repair seems to be a business that wouldn't be paying if the economy tanked

GEARHED

iTrader: (5)

People stop buying new cars and insurance pays to keep the ones they have on the road. High end build/paint/custom will take a dip but those who do 70% or more insurance work will be busier than they have in the last 10 years.

The shop I'm at opened during the ression in the late 70's and haven't slowed since - if anything we are getting busier again because of the slow economy. We just did a hood, bumper and right quarter panel on a 1996 Subaru for insurance. That thing was a pile of junk overall but insurance won't total it. Same for the Escalade that had no right side from the front fender to the rear tail light. No total. Full repair. Their kids had already trashed the interior but again, insurance won't total.

In 1982 we were seeing worse in the market overall but insurance paid to repair my pos after someone crashed into me. That happened three times (yea, not a fun year) but they paid every time because I couldn't afford to not have a car so I kept my insurance and pos car.
Same thing is going to happen again. People will keep their cars longer and keep insurance instead of buying new or insurance paying for new.

02gtp4now

iTrader: (7)

if your going to get into it be a painter at a dealership, the painter where i work can knock out about 100hours in a good week. thats a hell of a check, but be aware he also has 20hour weeks when it gets slow

02gtp4now

iTrader: (7)

then go for it and if it dont work out then rent the space

brundz

yea its soundin better and better the more i think about it

redramair98

iTrader: (74)

All depends on who you work for, and there are defineatly not to many sober body men. all and all, its not bad, but i think there is alot better career choices out there. I always hear people saying this guy that guy made 100 g last year, i have yet to see a rich body man..........

Boosted 99 TA

iTrader: (1)

im in the same boat as you...ive sold cars and wrenched on them, i love wrenchin on cars but not everyday, i just went to school for body and paint, im really diggin it, **** i was takin cars to school for my friends and fixin them there and that actually paid for the classes. I really enjoy it. If you love it why not try it out see what you can do.

brundz

cool glad to hear ur diggin it. i'm not looking to get rich, it'd be cool but i'd rather have a job i dont dread going to everyday. and the ultimate goal is to make this a side job. thanks for all the insight tho. extremely helpful

reelmcoy

You will have to start as a helper and learn how it is really done, you aren't going to learn it in school. You will need tools, lots of tools. I have about 100K in tools, been in the collision industry for 23 years now. You can make money, but you need to be good and fast. Anytime you have a comeback you fix it for free. And just because you want to do it doesn't mean you will have the ability. I have seen many people that wanted to be a collision tech and just can't. I work in a highend dealership and don't work with any drug addicts or drunks. Drug screening and background check to get hired with random drug tests throughout the year. If you are working with those types you are in a shop that I wouldn't want my name associated with. I know many bodymen that make 80K plus but these are the top of the profession and in the right shop. If I had to do it all over again I would have chose another career, but I do have an ability that will make a nice hobby when I get out of this friggin business. Good luck if you choose to try it.

socmguy

iTrader: (18)

dude, it's all about getting your name out there and being reputable.

brundz

i deleted a post about what i was planning to do with this because i thought i sounded like an *** in it. but i'm going to be inheriting a family business which is a facility that rents out space for businesses to store vehicles or work in. i won't be aquiring that until my dad retires which is a few years down the road but the plan is to go to school for collision repair. get out and get a lower end job thats enough for a 20 something year old to get by/pay off student loans and learn the trade further. then when my dad retires i will take over that business and use one of the units for my own little low volume high quality shop that doesn't really turn a huge profit but will keep me busy doing something im thinking i'll like and help put some toys in the garage. i dont want to sound conceited or anything because i'm very grateful and realize that i'd be very lucky to be where i will be if it works out as planned. thanks for your insight because before talking to you guys this was more of a dream opportunity but as i think about it more and more and hear some others stories its becoming more and more a reality.

reelmcoy

If that is the case then you better learn the office more than how to fix a car. If you plan on doing insurance work, which you will have to to make a profit, you will need to learn which operating system each insurance company uses. Not to mention no matter how good your quality the insurance company will still steer the work to the cheaper shop. Hard to do quality work cheap, doesn't really work that way. The overhead in a body shop is huge. Good primer is $100+ a gallon without reducers or hardners, paint is just as bad. Then you have to learn about paint match, which can be a bitch and burn up materials very quickly with color tinting. Don't forget a frame rack and measuring system, you will need to measuring system to prove the car was in factory spec in case of another crash and pending lawsuit. Collision business goes by the rule of "you touched it last." As I said before, good luck if you venture into this area.

reelmcoy

Check out the forums here and ask some questions.

http://www.autobodyonline.com/