72 replies to this topic

[Noah]

1984mini25.

Precisely. I feel like i'm doing three years worth of work for...well jack ****.

But I suppose it's the same with everything, all people want is workers with experience, but how are people supposed to get experience then!

[F1L8EY]

are you willing to upsticks and relocate to work ?? motorsport engineering/mechanics ??

I have many aeronautical engineering friends as you can imagine, one in particular after working for years on Lynx (small helicopter) left the RN and is now working for an F1 team as a mechanic.

in my opinion although slightly biased, with the level of engineering training to a high standard. if in life you may wish to change careers you might have better opportunities.

But good money and training do not really go hand in hand, if you are little use to the company they will not pay top dollar for your employment, but be patient the money will come

[Noah]

Not at 16 I'm not.

I like where I live, I don't particularly want to leave London. its where all my family are. It may be expensive and dirty and have a high crime rate but I've been here all my life.

London is the capital of the UK. If there is any place to find work, they'll be work here. Though it is grossly over populated.

[F1L8EY]

lol OK well london has great transport links... Endless possibilities

[valve bounce]

It's not even if most garage work is complicated anymore, all you do is remove parts, throw them in the bin and replace with new ones.

im sorry but this is rubbish! its more complicated than ever before, few examples, multiplexing, hybrids, dpf, variable valve timing and a whole other multitudes of technical systems. within the last month ive, rebuilt a gearbox (new bearings, syncros), done a top end rebuild after a cambelt snapped bending several valves, replaced a head gasket for leaking oil on a petrol 308 with variable valve timing and variable valve lift, rebuilt a 206 rear axle, welded a sill on a fiesta, had a van with 4 warning lights on the dash had to find the cause (damage wiring inside the loom under the bonnet) then cut of the affected area and repair it, have you tried replacing a broken egr valve on a peugeot 4007 jeep?

i would say in the 40 hours at work each week its probs 50% easy replace this (brake pads, cam belts, servicing etc) and the rest will be technical rebuilding/diagnostics work. later in the year im going on a technical courses to learn about working on/repairing hybrid and electric vehicles

you obviously haven't worked in the trade recently

[minilee94]

Noah I work in central London I'm 18 work not bad hours 8 till half 4 and get £4.86 an hour in my apprentership and I don't get treated like **** as I am straight with who ever takes the piss . At the end of the day to get a career you need training and you won't get trained up to do a job over night so if it takes 3 years so be it depends what company you go for

[JustSteve]

in my apprentership and I don't get treated like **** as I am straight with who ever takes the piss

I think that's the key to success. If you take they will carry on, but the chances are if you stand up for yourself, as long as you do it in the right way, it'll earn you their respect usually.

[1984mini25]

It's not even if most garage work is complicated anymore, all you do is remove parts, throw them in the bin and replace with new ones.

im sorry but this is rubbish! its more complicated than ever before, few examples, multiplexing, hybrids, dpf, variable valve timing and a whole other multitudes of technical systems. within the last month ive, rebuilt a gearbox (new bearings, syncros), done a top end rebuild after a cambelt snapped bending several valves, replaced a head gasket for leaking oil on a petrol 308 with variable valve timing and variable valve lift, rebuilt a 206 rear axle, welded a sill on a fiesta, had a van with 4 warning lights on the dash had to find the cause (damage wiring inside the loom under the bonnet) then cut of the affected area and repair it, have you tried replacing a broken egr valve on a peugeot 4007 jeep?

i would say in the 40 hours at work each week its probs 50% easy replace this (brake pads, cam belts, servicing etc) and the rest will be technical rebuilding/diagnostics work. later in the year im going on a technical courses to learn about working on/repairing hybrid and electric vehicles

you obviously haven't worked in the trade recently

It's also probably more due to the fact the majority of garages to me are just no more than fast fit stations and even then some garages only replace components (including looms, gearboxes etc) as it's faster and easier, at least that's my experienc anyways.
I also did an electrical diagnostic course a year or two back, so ain't completely clueless, but without working etc....

[Noah]

@Valve Bounce.

Thats the type of thing I enjoy, but what i don't want to happen is to spend 80-90% of my time, changing oil. etc.

Exactly the same reason I wouldn't work at Kwik-Fit, Yes I can fit tyres, exhausts and brakes, but I wouldn't want to do it all day every day.

[valve bounce]

i know what your saying but i find its doing the bread and butter work at makes the better jobs better if that makes sense. heres a couple of days for last week. started wednesday morning with washers not working (fuse) and a rattle (heatsheild) found the headgasket was leaking oil, did an mot on a different vehicle whilst waiting for go ahead on head job, then did a pair of tyres. got goahead on head job so did that, finished it around 3 and was given a much more complicated head job. finished 2nd head job 4ish on Thursday then a quick service. friday was just mots(4 of them) 1 bottom balljoint and a major service.

just got to take the intresting with boring really

[Artful Dodger]

Classic Motorsport. Enough said. Absolutely HUGE money in it at the moment. Team I work for now in mainly classics bar the caterhams. Get paid well and the work is just awsome fun!!

You do have to have skills and lean FAST though. I have been really thrown in at the deep end, but I'm coping and enjoying! Just doing fabrication work at the moment. Love it. So rewarding8)



As you can see, I'm fairly passionate about what I do:P

[Artful Dodger]

It's not even if most garage work is complicated anymore, all you do is remove parts, throw them in the bin and replace with new ones.

im sorry but this is rubbish! its more complicated than ever before, few examples, multiplexing, hybrids, dpf, variable valve timing and a whole other multitudes of technical systems. within the last month ive, rebuilt a gearbox (new bearings, syncros), done a top end rebuild after a cambelt snapped bending several valves, replaced a head gasket for leaking oil on a petrol 308 with variable valve timing and variable valve lift, rebuilt a 206 rear axle, welded a sill on a fiesta, had a van with 4 warning lights on the dash had to find the cause (damage wiring inside the loom under the bonnet) then cut of the affected area and repair it, have you tried replacing a broken egr valve on a peugeot 4007 jeep?

i would say in the 40 hours at work each week its probs 50% easy replace this (brake pads, cam belts, servicing etc) and the rest will be technical rebuilding/diagnostics work. later in the year im going on a technical courses to learn about working on/repairing hybrid and electric vehicles

you obviously haven't worked in the trade recently

Ahh the classic 'just fitters nowadays' comment:) my parents run a repair workshop, and it is as technical and difficult as ever! Old cars were simple to fix as everything has a definite reason and a bit of skill could fix it. Nowadays, you could be told one thig, and it's exactly the opposite. Electronics have made it so so
Much more involved and difficult.

It also doesn't help that all the jobs are the orrible hard jobs because people think they are saving
Money not getting their car serviced and then having a serious issue...

Bleedin non-mechanical people, service your cars on time! Servicing jobs is where the money is! In and out and charge thank you very much

[1984mini25]

It's not even if most garage work is complicated anymore, all you do is remove parts, throw them in the bin and replace with new ones.

im sorry but this is rubbish! its more complicated than ever before, few examples, multiplexing, hybrids, dpf, variable valve timing and a whole other multitudes of technical systems. within the last month ive, rebuilt a gearbox (new bearings, syncros), done a top end rebuild after a cambelt snapped bending several valves, replaced a head gasket for leaking oil on a petrol 308 with variable valve timing and variable valve lift, rebuilt a 206 rear axle, welded a sill on a fiesta, had a van with 4 warning lights on the dash had to find the cause (damage wiring inside the loom under the bonnet) then cut of the affected area and repair it, have you tried replacing a broken egr valve on a peugeot 4007 jeep?

i would say in the 40 hours at work each week its probs 50% easy replace this (brake pads, cam belts, servicing etc) and the rest will be technical rebuilding/diagnostics work. later in the year im going on a technical courses to learn about working on/repairing hybrid and electric vehicles

you obviously haven't worked in the trade recently

Ahh the classic 'just fitters nowadays' comment:) my parents run a repair workshop, and it is as technical and difficult as ever! Old cars were simple to fix as everything has a definite reason and a bit of skill could fix it. Nowadays, you could be told one thig, and it's exactly the opposite. Electronics have made it so so
Much more involved and difficult.

It also doesn't help that all the jobs are the orrible hard jobs because people think they are saving
Money not getting their car serviced and then having a serious issue...

Bleedin non-mechanical people, service your cars on time! Servicing jobs is where the money is! In and out and charge thank you very much

Or and I've got a neighbour that's guilty of this. By taking a vehicle in because of one problem, being told it's one thing (witch it isn't) and then when that doesn't fix the problem, having something else replaced, etc, etc.
Still I've managed to keep several minis (one used daily) going for the last 8 years with only mots to worry about. But then I was told a few years back from a few 'garages' I tried when a clutch went in the daily mini it would be cheaper to replace the engine completely and those were the ones willing to. Still £30 and 3 hours work to replace the clutch in the end anyways.
But then mots have always been a problem, but maybe it's when they realise after failing it (after picking holes) followed by the stupid repair quote only for me to do the work (including a subframe swap, welding etc) and bring it back for the free retest.

And don't get me started on servicing, as long as it goes and just barely scraped through the last mot 8 months ago... According to some of my neighbours a car is unreliable if you so much as have to put petrol in the tank, let alone open the bonnet to check the oil or top up the washer fluid.

[Alex_B]

I would seriously look into motorsport engineering, its great fun course and opens doors into lots of occupations, I am hoping to go for automotive design or historic racing because one will provide me with the money for my own hobbies and a good life, the other will provide me the thrills and I can always go from that into design work and visa versa.

with the grades you have you should be able to get onto the same course I am doing (I had worse qualifications than you and managed to wing it onto the course) its a lot of maths but im managing just needs work :)

[The Matt]

I did an apprenticeship as a mechanic. Started in 95. By 97 I was doing MOTs. By 99 I decided that being a mechanic wasn't for me so retrained. But in no way do I regret doing it. Completing the apprenticeship shows future employers that you're willing to learn. You'll learn a trade that you can always fall back on if you do decide to take a different career path and you'll also have learned a very useful set of skills that will be with you for life.

I design aircrafty stuff now for a living but I'm bored of it. Considering going back into the motor trade after a 13+ year break.