Chris -- Trent made a good point, don't get stuck on hot rods. Consider hopping on a plane and coming out to the SEMA show. It''ll blow you away how huge the automotive industry is outside the OEMs. Good luck.
If you have no in shop experience, that is "hot rod shop" experience, you can plan to make $10-$15 per hour to start. There are not that many "big" shops that will hire guys without having any shop time under their belts. Working at home doesn't even come close to shop time. You will also find few places that can offer any real benefits, as well as regular pay raises. When you are young and single, it might not matter, but if you are really looking for a career, it makes a big difference. People come into our shop and think we are working the dream job. After a few years, it does turn into just a job like any other. I will say from 25 plus years in the hot rod industry, I do enjoy my job, but it does somewhat take away from my hobby.
i am a union glazier by trade but i want to work on cars after i retire.....so i started doing what i know and love on the side.started doing some gl*** for a couple of freinds hot rods, moved up to cutting curved windshields when i realized what some guys were charging to do it$$$$$$$$ and its been a nice little side job for years now.....i have built a couple of (i think) kool lookin rat rods,and all the while building a portfolio and a reputation that will (at some point )help me out if i decide to jump in with both feet,,as for now .i still love what i do for a living everyday and all these hot rod dreams will have to remain a hobby (at least untill the kids are grown) and good luck on whatever you decide to do
I own my own shop and 123% dissagree with your statements. I almost always have the cash to do a ton of fun stuff. Anything I purchase is paid for out of the shop cash. I own at least 4 decent old rides(which I drive something old daily) and have another bunch of projects in the works. I have not missed a show yet this year that I wanted to go to, not to mention I write off all my expenses as it is advertising for my shop or I am selling at that show. And I like cars even more than before, however, it does get old once in a while. But that is why I have employees to do stuff I don't want to do. If your smart about it, it can be fun. The reason that they end up like A-D above is that they either don't work smart or they just overwork themselves. You work as hard as you want when you work for yourself. If you have to work 80 hours a week to get the job done, it is because you don't work smart, have too much overhead or your too cheap to hire an employee. You do that to yourself. I have often worked one or two days a week and have enough to pay the bills and I have 6,000+ square feet in the city to pay for.
You might appreciate: ZEN and the Art of Making a Living by L. G. Boldt. He goes into detail and expands upon the wisdom expressed in this thread. I've learned that the place where your gifts, and the world's needs overlap, makes for a good start.
thats funny. I'm 17 now and plan on going into the business when i'm older. my dad builds racecars for a living so that kinda gives me a head start. but, the thing is, you completely agree with what PlowBoy said and Cliffy a few posts up, completely disagrees....i dont know who to believe. so, does working on cars for a living make you hate cars more and you end up not liking your job, or not?? this is stuff i need to know!! lol
I was thinking that if he had done some, or any art as a lad, or if this spoke to him, then the pinstriping and paintwork world would be a place to consider. Walter Reuther, UAW prez said, "I am the most fortunate of men, I have been living a life I believe!"
The Jalopy Journal
