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Customs Looking for bodywork/metal work apprenticeship in L.A. area!!

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Ian Berky, Apr 13, 2009.

  1. Ian Berky
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 3,644

    Ian Berky
    Member

    Well i've been thinking about this for a while now, and i have finally decided to ask if any of you guys ( shop owners ) in the L.A. area are looking to bring in somebody for some help or apprenticeship?? Im not looking to make a fortune but more to learn and help around the shop. I started building a 51 chevy 15 months ago and i just have such a p***ion for customs that i'm seriously thinking of making a career change. Im currently a teamster for motion picture and i've been unemployed for 5 months now, i am pretty tired of that business and my wife and i were talking and we both agreed that it would be a perfect time to pursue this p***ion of mine. My wife has a very good career so financial incentive is not the reason i'm doing this, i just want to build and help build custom cars and like what i do for a living. I am considering enrolling in some cl***es but would much rather learn from working in a shop and paying my dues. I don't know to many custom car shops in L.A so that's the reason i decided to post this thread. Thanx for your time guys!!

    Ian
     
    Last edited: Apr 14, 2009
  2. notebooms
    Joined: Dec 14, 2005
    Posts: 2,077

    notebooms
    Alliance Member

    once you figure out the shop you want to apprentice at, just go there and volunteer.... it's cheaper than school and if you're valuable (yet not yet proven,) you'll prove your worth and then make money.

    i was a troubled kid who dropped out of school. i wanted to be around drag racing and learn to build motors & work on race cars, so i picked what i thought was the best race team in my area-- walked in and started sweeping floors for nothing. over time i was porting heads, building and dyno testing motors. never made a lot of money, but got to travel the country, work on high dollar stuff and LEARNED A LOT.

    if i had kept it up, i could have made a living at it. along the way i learned that it's way more fun having cars as a hobby than a full time job though.....

    -scott noteboom
     
  3. baggedmitsu
    Joined: Mar 3, 2006
    Posts: 213

    baggedmitsu
    Member

    my buddy started sweeping the floors at bio kustumz, they build big dollar cars for some big names, with in a few months he was a tweaking on cars a bit, within a year he was a fabricator. Now hes the main guy their six years later and he kicks *** at it. so good luck with it, definately pays off to start slow and work your way in.
     
  4. Just to let everybody know, Ian, is a nice and trustworthy guy, I would hire, in a New York minute, if I could. Just an all around good guy.
     
  5. Ian Berky
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 3,644

    Ian Berky
    Member

    Well that's nice Chris!! Thanx for vouching for me bro!! Im so serious about this too.

    Ian
     
  6. Ian Berky
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 3,644

    Ian Berky
    Member

    Thanx guys!! Great advice, i just need to figure out where to go?? Not too many shops around here that i know of. There's seems to be more going on up in NORCAL.

    Ian
     
  7. Flatheadguy
    Joined: Dec 2, 2008
    Posts: 2,037

    Flatheadguy
    Member

    Ian, I stumbled across your posting and I wish you all the very best good fortune in your quest. How about keeping us updated on your situation?
     
  8. Ian Berky
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 3,644

    Ian Berky
    Member

    I will!! I just made a list of a few shops not too far from my area and i'm gonna get in touch with them.

    Thanx!!

    Ian
     
  9. notebooms
    Joined: Dec 14, 2005
    Posts: 2,077

    notebooms
    Alliance Member

    in so cal, i'd want to learn custom body mods from bill hines-- which makes me think of brad masteron, who's doing great stuff out of his shop in lynwood. for paint, i'd love to learn from donnie at imperial customs. jimmy white knows his way real well around hotrods. hell, you could take a pilgrimage to the desert and try to spend time with gene winfield-- who is a master of about everything in the universe.

    lots of amazing talent in socal. chase down your dream and make it happen. im stoked for you...

    -scott noteboom
     
  10. Ian Berky
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 3,644

    Ian Berky
    Member

    Right on bro!! Yeah Brad is pretty much AMAZING to say the least!! Im friends with Donnie, but what i really want to learn is custom body mods and all the good stuff that comes with it, learning to work with better tools, metal, different types of welding.....etc....... It's quite intimidating to walk in a shop and tell them that you want to sweep their floors when you don't know anybody there but i'll get over it!! LOL!!!!

    Ian
     
  11. lownslow
    Joined: Jul 16, 2002
    Posts: 1,920

    lownslow
    Member

    what up ian . yeah guys . ian is a cool dude . lemme think try to othink of anybody who may be in a position to help you . also i wanna cruise by and see the chevy in person man . talk soon buddy ,
    donnie
     
  12. lownslow
    Joined: Jul 16, 2002
    Posts: 1,920

    lownslow
    Member

    and thanks scott for the compliment ... see ya soon i hope man .
     
  13. Psycho66
    Joined: Mar 9, 2009
    Posts: 57

    Psycho66
    Member
    from Buena Park

    i remember coming across a shoebox on ebay and went to the guys site i think it was lordz of customz. anyways they did pretty good work (or at least looked like)and they were out of LA. im sure they have a website you can check out
     
  14. Ian Berky
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 3,644

    Ian Berky
    Member

    Donnie, you're the man!! Thanx bro!! You can stop by anytime man! 213 804 4503. Im in the garage everyday between 6 or 7 am until about 5 pm , im in burbank, alameda/griffith park dr. 213 804 4503.

    Thanx Donnie!!
     
  15. Ian Berky
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 3,644

    Ian Berky
    Member

    Jesse is the owner and he seems to be a good guy! I should stop by their shop and talk to him. Thanx man!!

    Ian
     
  16. Psycho66
    Joined: Mar 9, 2009
    Posts: 57

    Psycho66
    Member
    from Buena Park

    sure. i just checked out the site again and they seem very legit and im sure you can learn a few things.
     
  17. knuckelhead
    Joined: Jan 31, 2007
    Posts: 210

    knuckelhead
    Member
    from socal

    dude go for youre dreams man .who knows whats up for our industry .**** you might just make it and look back and say man i use to work 80-90 hours a week for someone else.
     
  18. Ian Berky
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 3,644

    Ian Berky
    Member

    Right on man!! Nice truck!!!

    Ian
     
  19. Ian Berky
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 3,644

    Ian Berky
    Member

    I just thought i would bring this back up for the morning crowd since i posted this pretty late last night. Thanx for all the help and advice!!

    Ian
     
  20. VonZipper
    Joined: Sep 2, 2007
    Posts: 33

    VonZipper
    Member

    I've known Ian for 10 years and everything he does, he does with style an grace. he definitely would be a solid addition to any shop. his workspace is always tight an clean (I've worked with him on a few different projects an me being a bit of a clean freak I was impressed) he's a true gentleman, insanely honest and well respected in his field.
     
  21. Bad Bob
    Joined: Jan 25, 2006
    Posts: 24,334

    Bad Bob
    Member
    from O.C. Baby

    Hey,here's a tip Ian...take some pic's with you,of the work you have done on your Chevy. That should convince anyone to hire you! Good Luck buddy...
     
  22. scootermcrad
    Joined: Sep 20, 2005
    Posts: 12,383

    scootermcrad
    Member

    In response to Bob's comment...

    http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...viewPicture&friendID=32455272&albumId=1637533

    http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...viewPicture&friendID=32455272&albumId=2635994

    http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/ind...viewPicture&friendID=32455272&albumId=2711549

    And what else does every dude in search of a metalworking apprenticeship need to brag about? The ability to do a *****in' hand plant like this!!! :D

    [​IMG]

    Ian rules! Haven't known him very long but I generally have a good sense about how people are and he's a ruler in my book.
     
  23. Ian Berky
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 3,644

    Ian Berky
    Member

    Bad Bob! thanx so much bro!!



    You ****ing rule homie!! That's so rad you posted this stuff!! That pic of me skating is so funny dude!! I love you guys, ****!!

    Ian
     
  24. Ian Berky
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 3,644

    Ian Berky
    Member

    I ****ing love you bro!! True friend!!

    Ian
     
  25. notebooms
    Joined: Dec 14, 2005
    Posts: 2,077

    notebooms
    Alliance Member

    i'd hire you on the spot with the picture alone, lol.

    that handplant totally take me back to the 80's. i used to practice those damn things for hours on my driveway..... then in an act of even more 80's coolness, drop the other arm down into a ho-ho. lol.

    streetplants, wallrides and bonelesses, oh my! i blame it on brain dramage from eggwhits and aquanet in the hair :D

    -scott noteboom
     
  26. Ian Berky
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 3,644

    Ian Berky
    Member

    21 years ago homie!! LOL! I was 16 i think? PUNK TIL' YOU DIE, YOU KNOW WHY!!!

    Ian
     
  27. lownslow
    Joined: Jul 16, 2002
    Posts: 1,920

    lownslow
    Member

    haha ian the ruler . only thing that would have been better would have been a table top on a vintage bmx bike ! .
    still trying to think of something for ya buddy .
    donnie
     
  28. Ian Berky
    Joined: Nov 28, 2007
    Posts: 3,644

    Ian Berky
    Member

    LOL!! thanx homie!! I think im gonna go see this guy at this custom shop soon, he built some of my favorite customs and somebody recently told me he's a super nice guy. their yearly BBQ is coming up so i think it would be a good opportunity to introduce myself.
    Ian
     
  29. pimpin paint
    Joined: May 31, 2005
    Posts: 4,937

    pimpin paint
    Member
    from so cal

    Hey Ian,

    If sombody would have told me that the metalwork and paint business " is what it is" nearly fourty years ago, I'd still have jumped in with both feet! Having said that, it ain't often, no Disney movie! Plan on goin' hungry, goin broke, or damned near, and some years having to do collision work on total ****boxes, jus' to cover your overhead, at times.

    As far as getting your feet wet, I'd get into several of Gene Winfield's cl***es, Ron Covell's and the online metalworking sites: metalshapers.org & metalmeet.org? None of the above will cover building kustoms, but the skills you'll need will be offered, there. Today, unlike the past, there are a ****load of books, tapes, discs & workshops all related to metalwork. Knowledge is a tool, knowledge & experience = money!

    S****ey Devils C.C.
    " Spending A Nation Into Generational Debt Is Not An Act Of Comp***ion!"
     
  30. scootermcrad
    Joined: Sep 20, 2005
    Posts: 12,383

    scootermcrad
    Member

    There's even some good stuff on YouTube! Gets addicting, actually... :rolleyes::eek::D
     

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