History The end of another auto parts store/machine shop, im jobless

at least they didnt put us out of business, the boss just decided it was time to retire and they had a standing offer.

jeff

 

I've been down the no job road a couple of times. Here's what I found one dat that made a lot of sense to me.

You can only work for pepole you like.
If you have a choice, never have a job.
Some people are toxic, avoid them.
Professional is not enough.
The good is the enemy of the great.
Less is not necessarily more.
How you live changes your brain.
Style is not to be trusted.
Doubt is better that certainty.
What ever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.
There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but very few that will capture your heart! Pursue those.
Just my opinion, I could be wrong.
___________________________________________________________________
Like I told the kid, "Your music's not too loud, it just sucks and so does OKC!"

 

Good luck to you, It would be my guess that in a few months you will have more work than you want. I've always said that if I had a disk/drum lathe and a good valve griinding an head work setup I could stay as busy as I wanted to.

 

Well said.

 

You have a great clean shop there with great american tooling . you will do just fine.

 

Good luck man. My only advice is to buy the equipment on the cheap, if you want it. Don't pay more than you can re-sell it for and you're golden, otherwise wait for a better deal.

 

I wish someone like you with this opportunity was around here. I need a machine shop close by that know what they are doing...
r

 

Sorry to hear that you lost your job. Maybe this will be the start of something good for you instead of a bad thing. Hope your new business takes off for you. Brian from Milltown

 

Fresh out of high school I was working in the auto-repair bizz and it made me sick to see what the owners of shops could do to people and get them to believe. And I was fed up with the wages compared to what the shops were charging for repairs. Guess I was tired of making the other man rich. So I opened my own joint. Now some 31 years later I couldn't be happier and guess what ?? I'm still tired of making the other man RICH !! LOL And you know what they say ""The end of one thing is just the beginning of another"" >>>>.

 

if they aren't doing seat/guide work and block work buy the stuff and be THE MAN

 

I have not worked for anyone else since 1984. You will LOVE working out of your own house. No commute, no gas, not losing all of those 30 minute trips out of your life EVERY day. As far as cash coming in.... Put a constant listing on craigslist that you do machine work and ALSO buy cars that need work. You can pick up cars needing headgaskets and other repairs for pennies on the dollar, fix them between jobs and sell them. There is always a way to make money with the skills you have.

 

i see that some of the shop equipment is on Craigslist now

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/pts/1014097652.html

 

Yep, i listed some of it for him, i basically bought what i could afford, i ended up with:

bore bar and stand, hone cabinet, valve grinder, seat grinder, rod heater, press,storm vulcan blockmaster head and block mill, brake drum lathe, a soiux tumbler, sunnen bore mic, vacuum gauge, a nice neumatic valve spring compressor, and a bunch of other stuff, mics and stuff, i also got a kwik way seat cutter (for like flatheads and stuff) and 2 bore plates for 60hp flatheads and 85hp flatheads that alow them to be bored with out taking out the head studs.

so, i have enough stuff i can basically do alot of what i use too.

so whats left is for sale

JEFF

 

Cool Jeff, glad you got some of the goodies!

 

good luck titus, we know you will do good, and i hope to see you at the 50's

 

This is great. Its going on the "board"

 

So, are you going to be set up to put hardened valve seats in older heads? I'll have a set of 61 Ford 352 heads that will need a little lovin'.....

 

Not at the moment, i may buy the tobin arp but not just yet, well see what happens with it and if i come up with more money.

If not i know guy that i can recomend.

jeff

 

That sucks Titus, but on the other hand, congrats on the self-employment. I know you'll do just fine.

BTW, did you ever get your hands on that 371?

mike

 

I've been doin' all my business with some small shops, tune up parts, filters...you know all the regular stuff. There are still a couple of great machine shops around here that haven't been affected by these big parts conglomerates. It does seem that the small parts houses are slowly going away though! Even the one that I have been dealing with was just snapped up by a bigger fish. They still operate under thier old name and in the same building....but big brother is watching!!!