Hey guys and gals, This post is mostly aimed at shop owners/customizers, but anyone is welcome to chime in with they're opinion. So, for the last 13 years I have been working in the professional car audio buisness as a custom installer, and for the last 5 years a shop manager for a high end car audio installation team. For about the past 18 months I have grown very tired of my profession. I have accomplished pretty much every goal I have set for myself, installations featured in magazines, trophey winning SPL vehicles and sound quality vehicles and the highest honor available in car audio, MECP master certification along with ASE certification. I am looking to move on with my career and really wanting to break into the custom car and restoration field. Problem is that I make a decent wage and really cannot afford to start over at the bottom again. I am not anywhere near the level of being able to open my own shop and wouldnt even dream of trying. So for those of you who own, or run a custom car shop, what advice would you give to a 30 year old guy that has worked on cars for the last 13 years of his life, but who doesnt have all the skills to be self sufficent in doing all that would be required to be a full on builder? Whats the best way to approach a shop owner to make myself desireable? Just looking for ideas/opinions. Dont need a a life lesson or any of that, just some help in pointing me in a good direction. Thank You! Jaison
I think if you go to a custom shop be sure thats what you really want to do for a living. Its a very dedicated field....... If it is what you want to do and your sure of that, then you go in with the truth. I mean tell the cat runnin the shop that your tired of your current situation and want to learn and do it all, and be the best, and open your own shop some day. A kid came in my shop and said those exact words. I really didnt have a place for him at the time, but I made room. He was the best ever, and you wouldnt believe what good friends we are. He was honest, and I showed him everything I knew. He is doing great things with his life. He was honest about wanting to learn, not just there for a check.
Thanks BISHOP, I do feel like custom cars is the route I want to take in my future. Its more less just a new extension of what Ive been doing forever, just up to the next level. Always be learning and improving... Jaison
You make yourself desireable with the skills you have. Unfortunately, most custom shops don't really do that much high end audio unless you are going into a shop that does later model cars and trucks, in which case your skills will take you right back to where you are. In order to branch out into other areas of a shop, you will be starting at the bottom. I can tell you this, in our shop we wouldn't consider hiring somebody that has no background in building cars. I don't mean to be offensive, but would you hire me as a audio guy when I am a metal fabricator, and pay me the same money I currently make?
No offense taken T McG, thats the exact problem im up against. How does a guy that makes a comfortable living doing something that was "cool" to him when he was 15, make a life changing career move that starts him out at $10/hr and still pay the mortgage? Thats my dilemma..... Thanks Jaison
If you want to get free, you will have to give up some money....Your gona have to start from the bottom of the totum poll. If you really want somthing in life, wheather its a new way of life, job, or relatonship.........you always have to give up something in life to better yourself. Better yourself being the key words here.
I build cars for a living and have been doing so for a long time. To me, some days I have the same outlook you have. Other days it's very rewarding. I too have thought about a career change, but at 53 that wouldn't be very smart or easy. We have a lot of people come through the shop and claim they would work for free just to be able to be in this environment everyday. Those are the days when you stop and think how cool it really is to be able to build cars that cost the same as a house. It's all relative. Do what you are good at and make a good living. Building cars is hard work. The pay is decent if you get into the right shop, benefits are marginal. Most shops don't provide insurance, work on slim budgets and can be very hectic as I'm sure your business is as well.
That is the "life lesson" you don't think you need. Before you jump into the next "cool" thing, make sure its something you will be wanting to be doing when your 60. Starting over is a fact of life. Save up some of those big bucks your now making, and in a few years move on with some money in the bank. Gene
start to do it (customiziing) as a hobby for yourself, then take on small jobs for your friends, when you can pay your bills with your small jobs quit your day job and go full time. one of my best friends started his car building career focusing on car audio and he is in my opinion one of the best designer/fabricator/builders around and he just in his mid 30's. Brick
I'd be real tempted to try and find something 9-5 that pays the bills and go to work in my backyard. Build cars that get noticed and will turn a profit beyond the parts investment even if the labor pay is small. A couple of cars into the process people will start coming to you if you're promoting properly and building cars that really grab people. nothing worth having is easy, right? good luck
So far, you have knowledge in audio and are 30 years old. Custom car and restoration field is a very wide and far reaching objective requiring knowledge in welding, painting, body work, wiring, engine rebuilding, and the list goes on. The one thing often left out of the above list is the ability to run a business. Most successful business people are in the front office meeting customers, keeping the books, and the craftsmen are in the back doing the actual work. Salesmanship and marketing is, to me, the most important facet of business. Unfortunately what I have described is a life lesson, so you will probably ignore it. By saying you don't need a life lesson, you imply you are selective in accepting advice. Whatever you decide, you are running out of time.
After a little more thinking about that "cool when I was 15" angle. If it was cool to you then, it's cool to you now. There's millions of guys just like you out there that think those same things are cool. So sell cool to em. Pick a cool product and manufacture it. And manufacture it well, highest quality you can muster. Start on the side from your current job and grow til it's a full time biz. I think if you ask car builders, they'll tell you the most financially successful builders are those that went into mfg/sales of cool hot rod parts, not spinning wrenches on customer cars. Look at all the interest in hidden MP3 audio in vintage cars.....There are unfilled nooks around this hobby. good luck
You come across as a very well educated, learned man. I get the impression whatever you do, you'll find a way to make it happen. My question is this: Why are you unsatisfied with your current situation? Is it that you've truly hit the gl*** ceiling, or is something else making you feel held back? Its natural to envy what others do, believe me, but I think you really need to ask yourself some questions before jumping ship in a sinking economy. I think I would at least stay the course a couple more years while I went to school or got a second job working on cars. I wish you the best of luck, its obvious to me you'll come out fine either way.
If you want to be paid a decent salary at a kustom shop you have to have some sort of Tenure... In most professions that require a college education the school you went to is the tenure. In the car world the tenure is the cars you have built. If you want to start at a shop build One or Two really nice custom cars that have amazing work, at that point you can decide to get a job at a shop or start your own, if you don't have all the skills it takes to build a full custom then you probably need to start from the $10 an hour and work up. Look for a Custom shop in your area, become friends with the owner and see if you can work there after your 9 to 5, and learn the ropes. No matter what its gonna take some work.
If your in Fort Collins why don't you go talk to Eric at Pinkees about doing his audio stuff. Get to know him and see what you can't work out over there. The quality car comming from Pinkees is top notch.
Absolutely the truth.... love it or leave it, it will not make you rich. If you are lucky, and very lucky you can eek out a living....
I'm in a similar situation as the field I'm in (dealership service dept) jobs are non-existent.I started to see the decline in pay & jobs about 2 years ago but decided to stay in the field because thats what I know and when business was good the pay was great.Not so anymore.All these jobs now are based solely on commission and not salary and commission.Its not a good feeling when you go home after a 50 hour week and you made enough to pay for your gas and groceries for that week. From what you said in your post I would stay where you are until things/economy start looking better and see if you can get into a shop after your regular job sweeping,running errands...that good stuff. Thats my last 2 cents That being said-anyone hiring
When I'm not striping, I work with established and start-up businesses as a consultant/advisor. I want to see everyone in this wonderful industry succeed. The basics of running a business or working for another shop holds true everytime. If you want to do this seriously you gotta pay your dues like anything else. I talk to lots of dreamers (you must have dream) who would like to work for a shop or own one building hot rods and cool kustoms but the reality is there is no glamour in it. Just hard work, dealing with cry baby customers, trying to pay the bills, building a reputation, employee situations, learning to be a boss, your responsibilites as a business owner, dealing with failure and handling success. You won't get rich overnight. It's about p***ion and the desire to do something you love. Of course you will have to take what you do serious, but learning to handle the stress and resposibilites that goes along with this business and laughing of the tough stuff will help guide you along the wild and crazy journey to becoming an exemplary hot rod entrepreneur. Build a vehicle for yourself, go to car shows and show them what you can do. If you get someone interested in what you do, charge a fair rate do the best you can and make the client happy...oh and always do what you say and more. This industry is overflowing with shops who take your money and never get the job done. Change must happen or we may all die slow and painfully. Most importantly, don't quit your day job...yet. Mikey "I Do Bad things To Good Businesses"
I to face this delima, make good money for my age...but i what to build hotrods and the pay cuts is going to hurt, but I think in a few years im going to take the leap...i mean im 22 and i still got time, i just know i want to build rods and im lookin to prove myself.
also in another aspect, i had a great job and did this stuff on the side too as a hobby, but i really enjoyed the cars and all related. so i went into business for myself and still am. Enjoy it yes but by the same token i also ruined my hobby, it takes a really dedicated person to run a business, build cars 8-12 hrs a day, and after hours work on your own vehicle.because if your doing this to make a living, that doesn't leave much time for the latter. so as most guys have spoken, stay at what you know, do this on the side for a while and see where it leads. good or bad you'll be glad you did in the long run
I hear what you're saying about having done everything and your job getting redundant. I was in the same boat. When I started my business I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do because giving up a sure thing paycheck when you have kids and bills is scary. What helped me out was that I had built several cars over the years with and for my dad and those cars were all of very high quality and so I had already established a reputation and a several contacts. After a year in business I can tell you it is the best thing I could have done. There is nothing more rewarding than doing things your way, right or wrong and learning from those experiences. Now it ain't all fun and games, I routinely work 12 hours or more a day sometimes 7 days a week and I'm solely responsible for everything that comes in and goes out of the shop. One other thing, opening a resto shop requires a ton of equipment that I don't think you have in your car audio installers toolbox so either start gathering stuff up or take out a huge loan (good luck with that now). Anyways, good luck with whatever you decide to do.
From my experience ,keep your day job and offer to appreantice in a car/fab shops.So on your days off or after you get off work if they are still working offer to come in and apprentice.Therefore over time you will gain knowledge and skills and if over time you show yourself to be good at doing this then maybe they will offer you a job or the experience will get you a job elsewhere.Good luck in your search for new beginnings.I used to work in a grocery store,than taught myself how to do custom car upholstery and that's what I do now.
If I had to do it all over. I would have been a pinstriper. Show up at somebody elses shop with a beat up pickup, open my tackle box of tins, do my thing, get paid, and go home. No unemployment insurance to pay, no employees, no overhead period. Hell, I have to pay for a "pressure and vessell" permit now for my air compressor. OSHA came through the other day, and I have to have an MSDS sheet on file for the sand in my blaster. Stay in your clean world of interior/audio expertise. Enjoy the Hot Rods on the side, and continue to enjoy them. If you live and breathe them all the time....you tend to get soured....at least I have. Ever see any veteran musicians at a concert?
Wow, I really didnt think when writing my initial post that I would get so many well spoken opinions and ideas, thank you guys! 1950ChevySuburban to answer your question, I work for an incredibly great company that values my reputation in the field and treats me better in both pay and respect than I could ever ask for, but when it all boils down to it, I work a retail position and even with my experience and certification level, at many times Im treated as if I work at Mc Donalds, which unfortunaty is the nature of any retail environment. But really on top of all of this, I really feel like the 12volt side of cars is only the tip of the iceberg and that deep down inside I am capable of much, much more. Dont get me wrong, there is something very gratifying about building an incredible sound system, but theres always that "what if", as in what if I was heading up an entire car project, not just the stereo. Im just ready for that next step, the next big change, and to me it just makes sense that getting into the customizing/building stage is the most logical step. While it may be a step back in pay, its really been a dream of mine since getting into professional car audio in 1995. Brickster, I have considered many times talking to Eric at Pinkees, I also have an installer who works for me whos father is part owner of Scottys hot rods, both Pinkees and Scottys are just down the road from my current shop, but really im just curious what barriers I would be facing walking into these or any reputable shops. I know what I think of guys who walk into my shop with little to no experience, but hey, its all about selling yourself, right? Thank you all for your input! Jaison
The Jalopy Journal
