Excal

if so..how much did u spend on tools when u started out? no 1965 prices please.

I'm looking at a Trade school to try to get started maybe an intership at a shop..got any advice about life as a Tech? i plan to become certified and all the stuff..anyone got any regrets?

2xLS1

iTrader: (25)

I know that when your hobby becomes your job it is no longer fun.

ta12sec

iTrader: (3)

You should read this post
https://ls1tech.com/forums//showthread.php?t=92831

1RawTA

iTrader: (1)

Excal if ur looking to be a tech working on cars u may want to check out UTI. i just enrolled there the other day and it is a reall good school. and now the best part is they got another campus opening up in exton pennsylvania only like an hour away from jersey

wrencher

iTrader: (2)

It all depends on what kind of shop you start out in & what they got you doing.
If your gonna be doing under car work(most likely)
you'll be spending 1-2K easy.
What will help if there is alot of shop tools/or toolbox that your able to use.
It will get expensive, but once you start getting those nice tools & see how much they help speed the jobs up, you'll wonder how you ever managed w/crastsman & the like.
It is not a easy job it is demanding for the novice tech, & most little shops push you to go faster & faster.
Take your time do it right & then the speed will come.
Dont take no crap from any shop if they encourage you to pad bills , or treat you like crap, go elsewhere asap.
These are the scum of the field & they couldn't care less for you or me.
Nothing but headaches & you'll have to deal with it.
Nothing will make you hate working on cars faster, it's hard enuff already.
I centered alot of studies on electronics & diagnostics.
That is the pearl in the industry & you'll be in high demand & well compensated.
There are not alot of top notch techs out there, if there was you wouldn't hear all the horror stories.
I went to this dealer & they @#%! this well the crappy tech gets work too.
The only drawback is my hobby is also my carrer, it can get old.
Hense the screenname.

ta12sec

iTrader: (3)

"you'll wonder how you ever managed w/crastsman & the like"


I like my craftsman thank you very much........

wrencher

iTrader: (2)

LOL your right, there's nothing wrong with 'em.
Thats what I had when I started, but outgrew them.
Now there at home, & work fine for that.

Excal

thanks for the replies, I'll definetly hit an intensive tech school with some advance electronics classes..

Also thinking about Make specific training..

Brandon Boomhauer

iTrader: (10)

One of the techs i used to work with got a very nice deal on tools after he started school. I guess some of the schools get you deals on tools.... You might check with the school(s) and see what to do before you start spending tons.

LS1derfull

I dont remember what my starter kit cost but, it was S+K tools and i still use them at home to this day. As for advice on being a tech, i wish i went to college and became either a mechanical engineer or electrical engineer. Auto techs get zero respect and no retirement benefits, union priveledges etc. The quality of your work experience is totally dependant on where you work and whether or not you fit in with the politics of your place of employment (especially dealerships) I am a GM technician and i love working on GM cars more than any other brand in respect to difficulty in servicing them. Dealing with GM warranty times is another subject with plenty of unsatisfying headaches.
Techs are still burdened with" oh this is how its been for ever" responses to low pay, working holidays that almost everybody else gets off, no paid training, no unions and their benefits, no retirement or respect, expected extra long hours and saturday work scheduling. I am bitter but with very good reasons, hopefully you can find correct shop with fair dispatching of work, you techs on here know what i mean, playing dumb gets you gravy work that pays the best where A-techs like myself are strangled with low paying warranty nightmares most of the time. Remember in comparison doctors have it easy, they only have to know two models, male and female!

ta12sec

iTrader: (3)

Yeah but whens the last time you changed an oil pump with the patient running?

wrencher

iTrader: (2)

Ya but we're asked to revive the most dead or something that should remain that way.
A doctor looses one O-well tried our best, our problems dont go away or die .

ta12sec

iTrader: (3)

Youve never had one that didnt get revived..........usually the 75$ car that needs the 2500$ repair usually get abandoned behind the shop

wrencher

iTrader: (2)

No usually on of us gets it set for the dirt track speedway nearby & go drunk racin'

LS1MONSTER

iTrader: (1)

I'm finishing UTI in 2 weeks. I ended up going into VolksWagen training. And will be schooling with VW for 4 months..then off I go to a VW dealership. VW is Audi, Porsche (Cayenne/Touareg) and they own Lamborghini. And they have a huge number of dealerships in California. So I hope to do good with them and make a good living. Just have to wait and see.....

wrencher

iTrader: (2)

With the crap VW been putting out the last 5 years you'll do great.

LS1derfull

Yeah i'm not a big VW fan either, i dont agree with most "German Engineering."
Ownership of more expensive German cars may be wonderful, but repairing them is another horrible story!

Pete2k_Z28

I switched over to this trade a tick over a year ago. I've probably gone a little crazy but I don't doubt that I've spent around $15,000 already, including my box. I'm pretty set now though, there is little I really need outside of luxories. I went a little nutty the first year as I knew I would learn fast and didn't want my experience to be withheld by not having the tools necissary to complete a job. It's helped me push myself farther and faster as a result.

If you go to a good school you will probably have huge discounts on Snap On, Mac, or Matco tools. My neighbor started at a local college that is a GM and Toyota sponsored school, and he gets 60% off Mac tools and mabey Snap On also. That can help out a lot. And be selective about your tool purchases. There are some things items that are worth spending the extra $$$ for from Snap On, and others that Craftsman, Lisle, SK, etc. are more than sufficient for. Also a lot of Mac and Matco stuff (mostly non hand tool stuff) is rebranded, and you can usually get the same tool 20-30% cheaper somewhere else.

Your best bet is to get into a dealership early on. Dealerships have excellent training programs after you've been there a little while. Also, working on only one brand of car makes you more productive and limits the amount of tools you will require. You won't need that special wrench for Ford dohickeys, and the wacky screwdriver for that Dodge thingamabob that you'll only use twice a year. Plus, you'll have access to ALL the special tools and technical data that make some jobs 1,000 times easier.

I worked in a few garages, then went to a Honda dealer for a few months, and finally recieved a good offer at a Chevy dealer. I've been there now about 3 weeks and loving it. The pay, training, and benefits are much better. You're also more likely to find a union shop for domestic dealers than import. Although the shop I work in is non-union, I know a few local Chevy dealers that are.

Serious discounts on parts for your LS1 are nice too Speaking of, make friends with the parts guys. Nothing is worse than spending 15 minutes at the parts counter waiting for an oil filter. If they like you and you take care of them now and then (do them little favors, look at their cars for free) they can make your life so much easier, and will go the extra mile to find you a part you need.

Good luck!

BAD ASS TA WS6

iTrader: (5)

I highly disagree. Working with the cars YOU'VE chosen is a PITA. No offense I've worked on Porsches as a summer job (knew the owner) and I learned a lot. Mainly, you've gotta be awesome at dropping the motor out the bottom real fast to get things done on time and to make money. But if your fast, and know the cars, you can make some serious money. I've never worked on the new SUVs though.

Volkswagens have crazy problems. I've got a buddy who works for a dealer and they are buying Jetta's back, more than a few too. He was telling me about how there is a problem with the way the coolant lines are routed, and the gauge clusters were filling up with antifreeze...LOL. What a pain in the ***, at that point the car is basically unsalvageable because it gets everywhere, hense having to buy them back.

Right now I'm working on BMWs at a specialty shop. It's AWESOME, the cars are a dream to work on. I've been spoiled with them and last weekend installed headers on my TA. IMO, working on American cars is the biggest headache. It's great for a hobby, but not a profession. I'll be attedning UTI in the spring also, and will go on to the BMW Step Program. This way, I can sign on with them and work at a Dealer for 2 years. If that is an option for you (Excal) go for it! This way you can get them to pay for your school, and some tools to help get you started.

Right now I've got a mix of Snap On, Craftsmen, and Ingersoll Rand tools. Just the basics, thats all you need right now. If your planning to attend and complete schooling in UTI, they give you more of the stuff you need when your done anyways. Good Luck and which school campus will you be attending? I haven't decided, but it will be either Houston or Phoenix.

Rob

BAD ASS TA WS6

iTrader: (5)

Awesome advice Pete2k, I work at a GMC dealer for 2 hours a day also. I would definately choose domestic over japanese imports anyday. It all depends on what you like, and have knowledge about really. Great advice on the tools. I spend my money on 1/4 inch and 3/8 stuff mostly, 1/2 I have craftsmen drivers/ breaker bars etc.