Looking to relocate. Need advice.

That's good advice, but can be remedied as matter of discipline though. I live rural too. If I get stuck I just stop what I'm doing and mail order the part, and go work on something else. When it shows up in the driveway I continue working. Nuts and bolts - I ordered just about every size from 1/4 to 7/8 diameter and 1" long to 6" long and built a shelf to organize them. Cost maybe $400 but then you're set for life. Overall much cheaper than the hw store. Even being in the city I found a trip to HD to take 1-2 hours.

Our internet is expensive though, like $350 a month. Paying for 26 miles of leased line because they just don't bring that stuff out of the city at all.


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I am the same, I have bolt bins of new bolts and when I strip cars, I keep the bolts for whatever. Im talking ANY supply. You are right it is dicipline, but everyone forgets SOMETHING now and then. I cant tell you how may times I ran into town only to get back and have my wife say "oh, by the way, I realized we were out of.....".

We had wireless internet, but it ****ed. $90 a month at the great lightning speed of 1meg. What a deal

Not saying it cant be done, billions of people do it, my point is, consider EVERYTHING.

 

Check out Edom, SE of Dallas toward Tyler. It is a very small, kind of artsy community with antique look in a ranch/agri area. It is near the piney woods, so has more trees. Too far to commute to Dallas, but close enough to Cedar Creek Dragway.
Another friend had a shop in Terrell and seemed to love it.
Others like the area south of Arlington (not that far from Kennedale 1/8 mile strip) Arlington Area Street Rods is a great group.
If you want the action, beautiful women, and great Mexican food of Dallas, how about finding a mixed use building where you can have your shop and a living space. You may have to look in the County, not the city, to pull this off. Hamber Brian B*** has a shop there and may be able to help.
Kellers Drive In on Northwest Highway east of Central Expressway still has cruise nights, I think Saturdays, where you could meet some car folks.
As mentioned before, you may find towns around Ft. Worth comfortable and not experience the culture shock of a move to Big D, which could come later. Denton, at the top of the Golden Triangle may feel like home with advantages.

 

Couldn't have said it better myself. Use the internet to sell your products. If you want to do custom work you'll have to figure out something else as a way to earn an income. Work on daily drivers for income and the cool stuff will emerge.

 

I always wondered if there would be a business selling "certified used" cars. Buy a 10yr old car with say, a blown headgasket, but otherwise in nice shape, for $500-800. An expensive job to have done, and most buyers will run. But you can fix it up and drive it for a week or two to make sure all is well, sell it for $2500 , and point out the fact that you own a mechanics shop and you have personally gone over this car to make sure it is reliable. It will not make you a living but it's one of a handful of things you can do to supplement your main business.
In the meanwhile have a couple of cool older beautifully restored cars out front to attract the main customers you're after.


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Completely aside from the car business portion, I really just want to get closer to an area with more to do. I have friends in Dallas and that general area is where I have my mind set on.

I do know who VC is. My dad David Shumard raced go karts around ks back in the early 80s.

 

cost more than 2500 in labor on a headgasket job