O/T Questions for you florida guys

Moved there in 1980 and woke up in 2006 and realized it was no longer the place I moved to. Went west to NM. Well kept secret and I ain't talkin'.

 

I've been in Florida for 22 years now and love it. I've got a lot of good friends, a great business building cool cars, and you can't beat the weather. Yeah it gets hot but it's worse up north in summer, and my shop has A/C. As AHotRod, and hotrod mike have said, the Gulf coast is the place to be.

 

I suggest finding a job that does racecar work. My buddy has a shop in Jupiter and the local Porsche club keeps him busy all year long.
BTW...Mosler Automotive, in West Palm, is hiring as we speak. Might be a good place to get a job and the pay is pretty decent. They build Supercars for the wealthy ($190k apeice)
Nads and I live in Orlando, good music scene there. Just get your *** down here, you won't regret it. Your only 20 yrs old for Chris-sake. I was 37 when I moved here from Cleveland. Have a deluxe apt. with atached garage for $950. Most nice places are from $650 to $1000.
Sounds like you already have some freinds whom are willing to help you out if and when you get here. PM me if you are in the Orlando area and we'll show around.
JT

 

As of right now I am working on getting some change together to ride down next week to check out jobs and places to stay. planning to be down there Monday through Friday. I wasn't initially gonna check out to much of the gulf coast but after reading AHotRods post I'm defiantly gonna be hooking up with the guys in that area and taking a peek around.

Thank you to everyone who posted there opinions and experiences, I greatly appreciate it.

Brian

 

Give me a shout when your on your east coast tour!

 

I have been just about everywhere in the US, and I'd have to say that we have more hot women per-capita than any place else I've ever been.

I used to travel a lot for my old job, and my old joke was that I'd see more hotties at the airport in Tampa than I would on my whole trip.

I guess it's the year-round pressure to look good in a bathing suit.

Sure, we've got more than our share of white trash and garden variety s***bags, but you take the good with the bad.

It's sunny and 70 degrees outside as we speak.

Fishing's good, surfing is good sometimes.

Sure it ain't SoCal, but it ain't Minnsota either.

 

My folks moved to the Tampa area when I was 8 and I've been thankful to them for the move all my life. I have good friends and raised a fine family. I've lived on the outskirts of Tampa since I got back from Nam and I could be on a country road riding my motorsickle in less than 5 minutes. I moving to our property 30 miles north this summer as it is too crowded around Tampa now. Dade City west to Spring Hill/Weeki Wachee is great riding country and there are good back roads to Daytona

 

"Sure it ain't SoCal, but it ain't Minnesota either."

HEY! Watch it!

Lived in Tampa for about 23 years total (when I was a kid and then later as an adult). Lots of what has been said is true. Good and bad.

Lots of good people, places to live. It can be expensive. There's a lot to do. Humidity will take some geting used to. Traffic can be a bear around the big cities (live near your job). Many cities have grown together and you can drive for 100 miles and never leave the city. Start at New Port Richey and drive south, You'll damn near run out of gas before you run out of city.

Should be plenty of work for someone in your field. In many jobs, wages are low because you aren't the only person moving there. You need to be good at what you do, and be driven to excell. That will get you the good position and the good pay. Plenty of average workers moving there. They can pick and choose. Be above average in your skills, knowledge, at***ude, work ethic and drive.

You're young, I say go for it. Work hard, play hard. Live life.

 

i live in gainesville, it is nice if you can find a good job, housing has gone thru the roof, 3 bed 2 bath averages $140k-$225k , which is way higher than 3 years ago. Gainesville is a college town, so you got to deal with all the students. It is 1-1/2 to the eastcoat beaches and 50 min to the west coast. there are tons of springs to keep cool in. tons of stuff to do outside. the schools **** in florida. The influx of snowbirds and retirees can be a bit to deal with at times. I am not all pro-florida by any means, i have considered moving to north and south carolina and tennessee a few times.

I would definatly recommend visiting a few places before you decide. if i were to move in the state, i would look at jacksonville, tampa ,marion county, levy county, or flagler county. they are all better than alachua county(gainesville). but obviously gainesville is not that bad, i have lived here almost my whole life and i havent moved away yet.

 

i moved here(daytona) 7years ago i'm near the beach and my taxes have gone from $680 when i first bought to $2200 this year and homeowners insurance from $575 up to $2100 this year and i expect it to be cancelled when it comes renewal time in june then i'd have to go on the state sponcered insurance for maybe $3500. this is a quarter acre lot 4bedroom house. i've found car supply prices about twice or three times as much locally as they were in long island
love the weather and theres always something to do but am trying to sell but a very down market right now because the tax/insurance issues. might relocate to the carolinas where my fixed income will go further

 

If you are starting out and looking for a place to plant roots, Florida is as good as any other place. Better if you are looking for things to do when you are not working.
What ahotrod was saying pretty much sums it up. The central west coast and central Florida is a great place to be, especially if you are a car guy. Especially north of Tampa and west of Orlando. Spring Hill, Weeki Wachee, Brooksville, Dade City, Crystal River, Inverness, Ocala, to name a few towns. I live east of Brooksville close to Interstate 75. I can be to alot of great places in 45 minutes to 1hr 30mins. I can be to Orlando in 1hr 10 to 20mins.
There are always car things going on. If you try to go to all of them you will actually get sick of it. Lots of hot rods, muscle cars, cl***ics, etc. In our area there are a few traditional hot rodders and growing. There was an article in a national magazine(I think-choke,cough,cough..StreetRodder) where they did a study and said that Spring Hill, FL had the largest per capita of "street rods" to the population in the country.
As far as work goes? If you got skills in automotive, especially auto body, you can do pretty well. I managed a body shop in Spring Hill for awhile. 3 to 4 body men, 2 painters, 1 combo man, 1 detailer, 1 parts man, and 2 estimators. There was usually only 2 or 3 weeks out of the year that we would be slow. I had a very talented body man who could churn out 150 to 200 hours a week if you gave it to him. He would bank hours when we were really busy so he would average 100 to 120 hours a week all year. most everyone else would do 60 to 80 a week in a 40 hour week. this was back in late 90s 2000. I don't know what rate shops are at now but then we were paying $12 to $15/hr flat rate.
There are quite a few custom and restoration shops around here also. Most of them you don't really know about until you get in here. They all seem to stay busy and most by word of mouth.
If you want to work there is work here. If you have skills or a degree you do better, just like any where else. Nobody hands you anything here, you have to make it happen. If you are ambitious and a self starter you can do it here.
Yes property insurance is high when you can get it. Property values and thus taxes have gone up in places too. I have been here most of my life, 32 of my 43 years. I got spoiled here. Started out when things were dirt cheap. My taxes went from $500 to $1500 a year and I was *****ing. When I first bought my place the taxes were $150/year. But it's all paid for now so I'm really just *****ing because I can. 2 1/2 acres, 3 bdrm, 2 bath, 36x20 barn/garage. The house is a mobile with additions and completely roofed over. It's not the Taj Mahall but it is a comfortable affordable home that fits my needs. I like the car hobby too much to live for a house. I realized my limits and stayed in them.Start out modestly and work up. Don't go for the 4 bedroom 3 car garage and pool right off and you will probably do fine. In my research the cheap places to live have no jobs or at least decent ones. Those places are for people with retirement or residual incomes.
If you can deal with the hot muggy summers then Florida is a great place to live. There is always something you can go to and you will be located ideally for all of it. Especially central Florida. You can adapt to the weather here. If someone says "what about the hurricanes?" just ***** slap their chicken little ***. Like I said, I have been here 32 years and I haven't been taken out by a storm yet. (now that I said that lets see what happens this year) If you are really concerned look inland at least 25 or 30 miles. I'm not saying don't plan for them, just don't worry about them too much. That year with 3 in a row was a flook. I don't expect to see that ever again, at least in my life time.
Basically there is good and bad here. If you really like the car scene, and like to go to attractions and entertainment, then you should most likely love it here. I would suggest that if you can decide on a general area of the state you are interested in, get with some Hambers that are familiar with that region, to get a feel first, and find out about the area.

 

Well said Skippy! I'm really tired of hearing about hurricanes too. You're right, this is a great area to live. Mike

 

Plus, Florida is the epicenter of the traditional rod and custom world (just ask anyone out west).

The whole scene practically revolves around us! (yes, that's a joke).

And no disrespect intended to the Minnesota guys. I'd rather be up there with you guys in the summer.

 

Alright guys, its official. I'm planning to leave my house at roughly 10 am Sunday morning (maybe sooner) and driving straight down 95 to Florida. I figure ill get there sometime in the noon area Monday and will proceed to immediately fill out applications. Right now I'm in the process of getting finally route planned for once I get there. I'm gonna be there till Friday evening when I will be heading back to to Boston, and hopefully will get back by for 11 Saturday night.

You guys better believe I'm glad I have 3500 songs on my iPod so I don.t have to **** with radio stations every half hour.

 

Gulf Coast rocks. Born and raised in Tampa, and I love it. Heat? It's not that bad, but then of course, I am used to it.

Obviously, there is something worth being here for, or why else would everybody want to come here to retire?

You will always have 'the gr*** is greener' crowd...but hey, whatever.

The difference between us (Florida folk) and them??? We can't wait to take a vacation in the snow (it's still white, right????).

Charles

 

yeah its still white, well except that spot over there *points that way* thats yellow, but as Frank Zappa once sang "Don't eat that yellow snow...."

 

Insurance rate will be dropping as soon as next month as directed by the state of Fla , along with this is the fact that property tax is looking like its going away to be replaced with an 8.5 % sales tax.

 

Born and raised in St. Augustine, Actually lived on the trird block of St. George Street. Aint what it used to be, too many people came down and retired. Can't blame them but changed things too much to suit me. What used to be a 20 minute ride in the county is now a 40 minute ride past the malls and fast foods. Yeah now I live in the piedmont area of South Carolina.

 

I have lived in the Gainesville area for over 30 years. I work at UF. Really low wages for staff but the area is not bad to live in. College town with 40,000 students. Gainesville raceway is close by and the Gatornationals is alot of fun but $$$ and terribly crowded. Been going to the Gators for 17 years. Close to other race tracks if you are a drag racing nut like me.

The summers are hot but you do get use to it. I prefer the humidity to the dryer climates. Winters are awesome here. My favorite place of all is St. Augustine, the Nations oldest city. It is really, really beautiful. Just my thoughts.

 

Well guys i made it down here safe and sound, this is my second complete day down here, sorry i didnt post sooner but my motel didnt have wireless, right now im hijacking some free wireless from the motel 8 in west palm beach. I just finished my interview at Mosler Auto and I was offered that possition. I'm loving the weather. In a few minutes im gonna leave here and head toward Spring hill where I have another interview set up for later this week. When I get there I think I'm just going to hit the beach and enjoy the sun.

BTW, to get down to Dayton from my house it took 21 hours, including 2 hours of power-napping, 8 Mountain Dew Code red's, 2 Sobe energy drinks, 6 Zebra cakes, and two Burger King stops.

 

Brian! ....... you'll never sleep with all of that in your system

Drive safely.

 

Wow, glad you got to check out Mosler. What did you think?? May be a bit pricey to live in that area. Between us Florida Hamb'rs, we should be able to network some freinds and find cheap digs. I have a good freind in the area, from Switzerland, whom may know of a decent place to live.
Well, good luck in the job hunt. Keep us posted. If you wind up in the West palm area, make sure you get over to Moroso racetrack. Both dragstrip and roadcourse, and go-cart track too. Sebring isn't too far away, and the 12hrs is a must see!
JT
P.S. any one else going to Sebring for the 12 hour race? PM me and will try to get a camping spot together.

 

Moved to Jax from Dallas 10 years ago. Have no major complaints. Roadsters, shorts, beer, pool, beache, A/C for July and August. 70's today - 30's up north. Job should not be an issue anywhere if you're not afraid of work. "Gators" ****.

God hates a coward - no respect for a fool either...

 

I've talked with Brian last night, all is well, he is loving it here

We hope to meet up tomorrow night at a local HotRod gathering.

 

so glenn where is this here gathering so i can find my way there tomorow night?

 

This Saturday is the Dade City show and the Bushnell swap meet is Sunday.

 

Not sure where Glenn is but if you come north on US19 turn to the right at US 50east (Cortez Blvd). This is the intersection where you'll see the Weeki Wachee Murmaid park on the left. Go to the 5th or 6th traffic light and you'll see Applebees, Chick Fillet, etc on the left. That's the place. Starts getting busy about 6ish. Come on up. Hotrodmike

 

florida is great it grows on you, the longer you live here. I have been in gainesville for about 16years just cant seem to leave it!

 

So I just got home safe and sound and managed to do it without getting pulled over once during the entire trip! which for me is a record!

But onto the important stuff!!

I'm scheduled to move into the room I'm renting in New Port Richey on March 17th-ish. And I start work the 19th. So all hell is gonna break loose up here till then. And hopefully a good time will ensue in Florida!

Brian

 

Glad you made the trip OK.

We had a blast hanging out with you Thursday night.

Stay in touch with us Florida HAMB'rs !