If you got a 2nd Chance what would do...

Ain't that the truth.

 

I would have started my business sooner.
Pretty much everything else I would do the same.

 

Im 38 now and have a car related project around me since 15. I know what you mean about wanting to be able to do it all the time but let me say this, for myself outta high school I first went into a truck shop(hated it) got lucky and went into the local rod shop here and found out quick that when you work on em all day for other people it loses its fun factor rather quickly. By the time I was 24 I was selling auto parts for carquest and from there well......I will say not all will agree and some can keep it fun for themselves but many cant. I am in an installing construction gig now where I do many different things and its always interesting and keeps me pumped for working on my car stuff after work. I will say if I could do one thing different it would have been to start my family sooner. Thats not for everyone either.........what Im getting at is do what keeps it interesting, find a job that may help your skills at building you may find its alot more fun winding the day down at home on your project.

 

Thank you Bill and Danny, for clearing up what I was trying to say.

Dave Ramsey's course typically utilizes a church meeting room. I wasn't being preachy. I was just alerting you to the typical location.

I don't make a dime off of Financial Peace University (and no...it's not a school...that's just the name he uses for the course), and there are other excellent courses out there that will teach you to deal with money. (I like Dave's because he's a funny speaker and his plan is easy to follow.)

My point is...take a course like this to help you develop a plan for your earnings. Even a barber can retire with dignity and live a peaceful, prosperous, happy life is he tells his money what to do and doesn't live his life in debt.

I guess I'm harping on it because it was the scary monster in my life for a while and it's simply not anymore. My mom and dad were (and still are) great people but they gave exactly zero training when it came to money. If I'd become the master of it at 24, I'd have saved myself a lot of sleepless nights.

 

Im 20 and i work full time at a restoration shop and still come home every night and work on my chevy II. Ive worked at the same shop for going on six years (after school up until three years ago) then went to wyotech and now do metal/ body/ paint work full time. I love to do it and when i get home i want to keep doing it. That being said, its probably too early to tell. I am still pretty young and who knows how long it goes until i get sick of doing it all day and switch into weekend warrior status. Plus you can really do whatever you want.
-ian

 

I worked as a Parts/Service Director at a new car dealership for 20 years. I bought a house (and paid it off) raised my 3 kids. Three months before my youngest graduated high school I quit the high stress job. I opened my own shop and for the past ten years I have been surrounded by old cars and parts. I worked very hard and planned ahead for my future so when it came time my skills were honed. I had enough money to run my business exactly the I wanted to. Also remember if your the boss you are the first one to work and the last to go home, I wouldn't have it any other way.

 

I'm only 23.......oh wait, 53. Where has the time gone?
When I was 24 I was married, had a kid and another one on the way and owned a couple pieces of real estate. No regrets about any of that, but I sure wish I had done a few things differently.
I wish I would have taken a different career path for financial and health reasons. I've worked in construction my whole life. It's always been feast or famine. And it's tough on the body.
And I wish I had been better at planning for the future financially.

My son was here and I mentioned this topic to him. He said he wishes he had gotten into the job market when he got his bachelor's degree rather than getting a master's.
I know several people his age that regret going to college or regret getting their masters.

I can't say whether the OP should make his hobby his job or not. The best advice I can give is invest in your future. Make the maximum contributions to your 401k and IRA. Get some buddies together and buy rental property. Live below your means. Avoid debt except for a house and rental property. Do these thing when your young and you'll live very comfortably when you're old.

 

Enjoy that shit while it lasts!


I wouldn't change a thing. I was in college when I was 24 studying Mechanical Engineering. Only difference was that I would've kicked to the curb my girlfriend at the time who hated me to do anything but pay attention to her.

As others have said I always keep cars my hobby, since it gives me something to look forward to every weekend.

 

When a youngin is smart enough to ask advice - it likely means he's smart enough to have a good life ahead!

I did pretty good - my only regret is wasting time getting off track. The essentials are: education, enjoy your hobbies, save and invest, wait to get married and DON'T get a divorce (I learned that one from others mess-ups).

 

Just the fact that you're listening to advice means you'll do well.

One thing I would do differently is, I'd never get a credit card. Not for any reason, it's totally unnecessary and a scam. You don't need it for a "credit score", mine is 801 and I haven't had a card in years. It'll fuck you over every time, as it did me until I had it figured out.

One thing I'm glad I did is I never borrowed money to buy a car. Only what I could pay for in cash, and my late models have always been cheap beaters. I know all too many people who sank their whole futures to buy a big fancy pickup truck.

At my shop (the Potter Meat Market), I sell parts for old cars for a living and I work on cars for my own enjoyment but not for customers. It's a nice balance between being in the hobby but not getting burnt out on the fun factor of builds. It's my calling and I love it.

If you keep a good work ethic and you don't rack up any debts, you'll always be successful.

 

If I could be 24 again, I'd get my masters in fine art.

 

If I had a 2nd chance at 24-
I'd buy up as many 32 3 windows, 55 Chevys & 41 Willys as I could find.
Back then- they could be had for a few hundred bucks.

 

I did a second chance, a bit later than 24. After high school I got a journalism degree and went into doing TV production, that sucked so I went into newspaper. Moved around the country to bigger gigs and better pay. Didnt take too long till my love of it was gone and working sucked.

Talked to a bunch of my friends and a few of them are in the medical field, so I got looking int Xray programs. Fast forward a couple of years and now I'm working as an xray tech at a childrens' hospital. Pay is great, job is awesome (most days) and I get to help out kids.

Here and there I've done body work at a few shops, even spent a year working part time at Zipper motors (best damned job ever!) but in the end, a job that i leave at the door every night and can go home and relax by working on my cars is great.

 

Too old and opinionated to go back,just working on staying forward.No regrets-they'll eat your soul.

 

Ok- now I'll be serious.
If I could go back- I would have said yes to being a photographer for National Geographic. Had the oppertuntity but blew it. Didn't want to travel.
What a fucking dumbass I was.

 

Buy the audio book, "The Power"

Buy the dvd, "The Secret"

Pretty much explains what every person needs to do in life to be successful and be happy.





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Well my Dad is a factory slave at a printing press (24years) and and has no interests in cars or trucks...granted I personally don't know any of you I value your opinons and just seek to be the best I can be...we all live through trial and error but if you fellas have lived it I might as well learn a thing or two..I love the variety of careers and financial advice and thankful for all your replies

 

I agree with the Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Institution. Wish I would have done that at 24 instead of at 50.

I was a lot like you when I was 24. Would have been ASA certified if it would have been around then. Really got into welding about then as well. At 24, I was married and had 2 kids. I spent a lot of my working life between auto repair and working in factories. I can tell you a car hobby was much more fun while I was working at the factories then when I was working on cars for a living. I also bought a couple of rental houses around that time. If only I would have know how to handle my money back then.

I thought I had it all figured out. I had money in my pocket, a great job, a great family, and a wonderful hobby. I was living the great life I had planned out, life was good. Then I got sick.

Everything unraveled except for the family. My wife stuck by me, and my kids loved me. I couldn't do any work I knew how to do. There was a 3-4 year stretch in my life that took all my financial gains away. We were barely able to keep our house, before I was able to find a job I could do with my physical issues. I ended up starting my own business because no one would hire me. I was able to use my welding background to make a living.

My life lessons were learned the hard way. I'll pass them to you for free.
1) Learn how to have a sound financial situation.
2) When you think you have everything figured out, life will throw you a curve.
3) We really have very little control over what happens in our lives, but make a long range plan, then be prepared for it to be adjusted.
4) The only thing in life you can completely control is your attitude towards life. People, things, and events can take everything away from you except how you view life. You have the choice of having positive or having a negative response to the things that happen. Gene

 

no regrets at 69. Had a great trade in the Utility industry for 45 years (linework)-sometimes felt like I needed a change but stuck it out and now glad I did. Lived below our means, had to buy some things on credit early on but paid off well ahead of schedule-then cash only after that. Both wife and I saved a minimum of 15% plus from paychecks and saved extra cash when available. Bought and paid off a couple of rentals and a nice home. Now retired with a decent retirement and substantial savings. Don't borrow for wants, only necessities-live below your means-read the little book "the Millionaire next door". Be prepared !!

 

POW!!! Beat me to it.

My Old Man INSISTED I go to college, get a white collar job. I did. Was successful too. No regrets. But wish I'd have taken one summer and have the man teach me to weld (his job). He could do it all.

 

acknowledge god. learn from others. get a good job with benefits. don't go into debt. keep your distance from too close of a relationship with a woman. enjoy them....but don't let them into your house. save money and make good investments. give generously. enjoy a single life, stay healthy. enjoy your hobbies. (I should have listened to this advise....)

 

I suppose I would have never got married at 26 and divorced at 29. Now that im 33 it would be great to scratch that out.

 

I was 24 in 1977, I knew jack-shit then.
And I know jack-shit now.

BUT re-living those years? - I would take more chances, - educated chances mind you!!

 

Twice now I have turned a hobby into a job and it takes the fun out of the hobby. If I could do it again I would get an interesting job that paid well (ie, get qualified in something that interests me) and use the wages to have fun with my hobbies.

How about getting a welding ticket and start doing some chassis fab? Some people are different and can build cars all day every day and if you're one of these, I wish you all the best. Trouble is you can only find that out by doing it. Good luck!

 

Find a vocation with ample remuneration to finance the hobby, and enough time off to enjoy it. A young guy I know (26) does powerline work from helicopters. Makes $300k, works 20 days, off 10. Now theres a job to support ANY hobby...

 

If, if, if.........

I would'a demanded a respirator when my boss made me radius all them relined brake shoes on the Raybestos machine in that little closet of a room....

I would'a worn a dust mask whenever I messed with brakes or clutches..

I would'a taken better care of my mitts by startin' ta' wear those silly blue laytex gloves in my teens, rather than wait 'till I was in my forties...

I wouldn'ta pulled transmissions without a jack....

I would'a saved all that R-12 I vented in'ta the atmosphere..

I would'a worn eye pro more...

I wouldn'ta welded without goggles or a helmet so much...

I wouldn'ta ever smoked, drank booze or ate all that shitty food and moved in with that crazy brunette dancer and wasted 3 years on her...

And most of all, I would'a gone to college and gotten a Masters in Mechanical Engineering just like my Mom and Dad wanted me to do (and would'a paid for), and then gone back to work in the biz...

 

I would have stayed in the military. Who knew time was gonna go by so fast!!!???!!!

 

Tons of good advice on here.....learn everything you can, the more education, certifications and experience you have, the more valuable you become and the more you set yourself apart from everyone else. Take chances, but not blindly, you're young enough to recover if it doesn't work out.
If I were 24 again........I got out of grad school in '84 with a great job and had some cool cars, the one thing I would do different, I would've invested every dime I had buying Microsoft stock!
(and found a 32 3W when they were still cheap)

 

Other than the money-handling stuff....here's what I tell my kids all the time:

Develop a skill or talent that sets you apart from the general population and that people or an employer will pay good money for. If you don't, you'll be stuck doing the jobs that the general population can do and competing with them for low wages.

There's lots of ways to develop a skill or talent....college, a trade school, an apprenticeship, and several others. Pick a skill or talent that you know gets paid well and preferably one that you like.

At 24, you're still young enough to change course.

 

I would have taken classes in body and fender plus welding classes.