ddcboyle Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Okay so im looking at swapping jobs but wanting to do something with cars, my aim would be to be an allrounder with vinyl, spraying and mechanics. Anyone currently one of those or know how much they get paid? Been told you dont get much for being a mechanic, but smething id want to do if the pay was just right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Mechanics do get good money if they are 1. good, 2. have been qualified 3. specialise Try getting a job in a body shop or a good garage with a body shop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 my garage charge £30 an hour don't know what the over heads are but i'd say £20 an hour seems about right. but he's motorsports qualified. some garages charge more in other areas or makes. jag dealerships in my area charge £110 an hour, but i'm confident the mechs dont see that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 my garage charge £30 an hour don't know what the over heads are but i'd say £20 an hour seems about right. but he's motorsports qualified. some garages charge more in other areas or makes. jag dealerships in my area charge £110 an hour, but i'm confident the mechs dont see that. I know a guy who does work for some bmw and other dealerships. He does the more advanced stuff and sometimes he gets paid £80 an hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveRS Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Become a very good sprayer and bodyshop worker and you've got a job for life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletMagnet Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Rather than looking at the pay side of things, you'll need to assess what skills you got or think you can accquire. Only when you are good at something can you expect good rates of pay. Sure, I can sand down a panel, primer and paint it, don't mean I'm any good at it tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choptop Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Do you have any qualifications? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddcboyle Posted September 9, 2012 Author Share Posted September 9, 2012 no qualifications but im looking onto doing some courses when i leave for spray painting and doing mechanical. thinking about going round some garages and seeing if i can pay to just hang around and learn sone stuff first so i pick something up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbeast35 Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 good luck with that it takes at least 3 years to do a city & guilds to any kind of decent level Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 some choices available. option 1 go do some qualifications in it. possibly train the next few years, join or start a company go from there. option 2 try to find a garage that will employ you as a basic. and then train you up. rare as rocking horse poop these kind of situations, but not impossible. down side is you start at the botom and work your way up. option 3 go into a career that you are qualified for, pick up some tools and spray kit, book on to some courses and train yourself. do it as a hobby to start with, maybe offer services to others on here. and progress form there. ..... there are wrapping courses that you can go on, to train up as a wrapper could be done over a 6 week period, but there are a lot of people doing it out there. so alot of competition, maybe start there and add to the skills basis over time. things like mechanics and painting take time to build up the skills required, same as flying and learning to drive. the more practice and time spent behind the wheel the better you get. what about looking at joining the AA or similiar, don't they train their own mechs up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Option 4 become a wrapper offer to do it at a bodyshop in exchange for training. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Option 4 become a wrapper offer to do it at a bodyshop in exchange for training. the vinyl route shows potential as the training is quick, so you can get yourself working and earning quickly. hexis do a range of courses from start up to goinging pro. all worth a doing, and once you have them all it makes you hexis certified. think you can do the same with 3M as well. get both under your belt. then do some discount work for forum members. get some good photos of work done, and start building a promo portfolio. i can help you with vinyl supply. and happy to do it at cost price i.e. 0 profit on my behalf. once your hexis qulaified you can do your own ordering sarah at hexis does all my stuff and she's great. even happy to take photos for you with my DSLR can even help you photoshop and put logos and watermarks on etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glrnet Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 Option 4 become a wrapper offer to do it at a bodyshop in exchange for training. the vinyl route shows potential as the training is quick, so you can get yourself working and earning quickly. hexis do a range of courses from start up to goinging pro. all worth a doing, and once you have them all it makes you hexis certified. think you can do the same with 3M as well. get both under your belt. then do some discount work for forum members. get some good photos of work done, and start building a promo portfolio. i can help you with vinyl supply. and happy to do it at cost price i.e. 0 profit on my behalf. once your hexis qulaified you can do your own ordering sarah at hexis does all my stuff and she's great. even happy to take photos for you with my DSLR can even help you photoshop and put logos and watermarks on etc. Top Man Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddcboyle Posted September 9, 2012 Author Share Posted September 9, 2012 I wouldnt mind going into vinyl wrapping, its more just the "not what you know its who you know" type of situation to get it going. Im sure once i have one of the trades and a job, it can only get better as ill be putting alot of work into it. Would love to own my own garage in maybe 10-15years, with spraying/mechanics/vinyl under my belt, but its just how to get them without doing a 3year course for each. Dont suppose anyone knows any garages that would take me on just to be there to help out and learn? My current job isnt a trade and nothing i can use on civilian street, so its starting from scratch again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 if your in the forces and about to leave, do they still invest in leaving, and pay for training etc, if so get something like your HGV licence. means you can go out and earn cash straight off, and if you are independent you have the freedom to pick up work when you need it. especially if you don;t mind doing the long hauls abroad. and if you pick up more HGV licences the money goes up. things like crane, haz chem, liquids etc. should give you a starting point where you can then go out and take time off from driving to do training in other areas that interest you like mechanics etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddcboyle Posted September 9, 2012 Author Share Posted September 9, 2012 if your in the forces and about to leave, do they still invest in leaving, and pay for training etc, if so get something like your HGV licence. means you can go out and earn cash straight off, and if you are independent you have the freedom to pick up work when you need it. especially if you don;t mind doing the long hauls abroad. and if you pick up more HGV licences the money goes up. things like crane, haz chem, liquids etc. should give you a starting point where you can then go out and take time off from driving to do training in other areas that interest you like mechanics etc. Yeah already tried that route, but i wont be able to get that through the forces. They only offer courses that are for maths, english etc, and driving courses are only availible (in my trade) to small people as their the only ones who fit in the vehicles we use. 6ft 3, i got no chance :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 could self fund the driving courses, and do them externally, my mates dad did many moons ago when he left the paras. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BulletMagnet Posted September 9, 2012 Share Posted September 9, 2012 its more just the "not what you know its who you know" type of situation to get it going. Well, I'd say a bit of both, if you get to know the right people AND show potential for a skill, that's where you'll go forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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