Morris Minor Owners Club

Hi all,
Two years ago I graduated my BSc in Marine Biology. Thinking back, my main reasons for this were that I wanted to go to uni, Biology was the science I found easiest (I studied Biology, Physics and Chemistry at A level), and I enjoy the sea.
Having been extremely lucky and managed to hold down a Job in the sector for 2 years, in which I have been able to experience all areas of the profession from Taxonomy, to Ecology, Oceanography and Microbiology, I have (rather unfortunately) discovered that doing any of this for the rest of my life would quite possibly drive me to an early grave and/or insanity.

From an age where I was capable of rational thought, I have dismantled and rebuilt everything that surrounds me just out of interest. Since I can remember, and especially since I started driving, lying under anything with an engine has been the thing that makes me happiest. I think my reason behind not studying engineering has been that academia often takes all the fun out of what you love the most.

However recently I have decided that a career in the automotive trade, particularly fabrication, modification and restoration, is what I crave. If I had the confidence and experience, I would jack in my job tomorrow, rent a garage, and start taking in vehicles to repair.

For my year 10 work experience I worked for a local garage. The first day I was allowed to do nothing but make tea, and it was explained to me that every previous work experience student was capable of little else. After half a day of observation and talking (and making tea) I was allowed to work on the cars. By the end of the day I was working along side one of the mechanics. By the end of the week I was entrusted with a cam belt change on a customers car with observation and advising, and the complete replacement (minus observation or checking of the final work) of the brakes of the owner's brand new Audi A8.

Since then I have put in several hundred hours of work, welding, fabricating and spannering my Land Rover, including the complete rebuild and retro-fitting of a new engine and gearbox (My next victim will be a Morrie, no fear ). I have also worked on many other friend's and family's cars, and I honestly can't think of any other thing that I would be excited to go to work to do every morning.
My issue is that I don't have the faintest clue about how to enter the trade. I'm particularly interested in modification of vehicles from spannering to welding and fabrication. I don't have as much experience in the latter, but only because I haven't had the time or necessity for this most time-consuming part of vehicle maintenance on the vehicles I have worked on.
I can't afford the long-term commitment of becoming a full time apprentice, but I also don't have the proof of skill, arrogance or naivety to just start out on my own.
At the moment my main plan is to talk to a local one-man-band restorer of VW campers that I know. I also have a friend who has recently inherited an entire lifetime's worth of tools, including several vintage motorbikes that the previous owner had been unable to restore. what he wants the most is to be able to restore them himself, but he has little to no experience with vehicle mechanics. I am proposing to him that I will provide the skills that I have free of charge, on the understanding that I could use the finished product(s) as an aid to my CV.
What I want to know is how those of you in the trade worked your way in, and whether you think there's anything else I could do to help my situation? Do I need to consider any qualifications in the area? BTEC or other? I have looked at OU courses but even holding down an full-time job they are economically inviable at present.

O damn, I appear to have rambled on more than a politician at this point.

Tom.

Try mechanics course at night school welding fabrication perhaps ?i wish i had a degree in oceanography

Tom
The website http://www.businesslink.gov.ukwill give you everything you would possibly need to set up in business on your ownas a sole trader, other than the actual knowledge/ skills of the trade.You can tap into any local schemes/ potential grants/training schemes for the business aspects, etc.

One of the big hurdles will be suitable premises with the right planning permission.Local Councils pounce on
" that man in his garage fixing cars for a living, banging and genearally making a noise at all hours of night and day and
customers parking their cars so the residents can't get in their drives, etc, etc. " when the complaints pile in.

The Council will issue an enforcement notice if there is no appropriate planning permission and your business will cease to operate at those premises on the day the notice is served.Unless of course you want to clock up a few fines to add to your financial woes.
More rules and regs if it is a paint/ bodyshop set up, Environmental Health get seriously involved.A modern spraybooth set up
needs a very wealthy Dad to set you up.
Insurance, security of premises with all your tools....the list of things to think about is endless...but it's all on the website and the offical info is free !!

Bob

I think the most important thing if you want to get involved as an employee is to be able to demonstrate some experience...

You could find a local classic car restorer (There are a couple around in this area) and offer to donate some time, say Saturday Mornings, and explain why and what you want to achieve. If you can show some passion I would imagine most would be interested! (free labour!)

Once you have done that for a while you will be able to say I have worked for X doing Y for Z and you will instantly sound more credible! It will also let you decide if it really is something you want to be doing

I hope you can make a go of this if it's what you really want then as Matt has suggested work for free and gain experience and most impotantly a reputation for quality work. If you go down this route do it properly with correct business practices (receipts, records of income and outgoings and insurance for vehicles on your premises and liability cover in case the worst happens). Also stay open at your advertised times as I hate calling round to a garage at 8am or 5pm only to find it locked up.

Lots of weekend amateur car mechanics probably consider this sort of thing but it's one thing fixing your own and friends/families cars but quite another when you have to deal with people you don't know who may not pay you on time or want more done that you agreed to do accuse you of not doing what you were paid to do etc....

I worked for myself (not as a mechanic) for a few years and it's one thing getting a regular wage every week regardless of how much work you do and quite another having the hassle of looking for work, estimating for work and then chasing someone for payment or being chased for payment if you can't afford a bill. Self employment isn't an easy route to making a wage, that said it is also immensely satisfying when it's up and running and good well.

If you go down this route let us know and you never know some Minors might turn up. Good Luck

If you go down this route let us know and you never know some Minors might turn up. Good Luck

But remember to abide by the T&Cs

Matt, have you been brainwashed

sorry to be devil's advocate here... When I was in my late teens, my goals were similar to yours.
Fortunately I was well guided and avoided limiting my career path. I was guided towards doing engineering together with a part time college course, and I've never looked back.

discovered that doing any of this for the rest of my life would quite possibly drive me to an early grave and/or insanity

The thing about having a bright & able mind and doing spanner work is that it is a fabulous hobby and seems like a fun career. Rather like oceanography, the reality of doing it for a living for the rest of your life may not be as rewarding.

I'd really recommend a B-tech course in Mechanical Engineering. They teach engineering at a very useable level. You can get a HNC on one day a week + one evening. Doing part time college whilst working is not for everyone (I preferred working to studying but managed to get through albeit leaving my assignments to last minute)

The kind of work you can get with an engineering HNC is usually decent technician stuff which can involve anything from spannering to a fair bit of brain work - and usually a mix of both. The majority of graduate engineering jobs keep you away from spannering - unless you can get involved in test rig development.

I followed my HNC with a degree in mech eng, and have done all kinds of fun stuff in my day jobs. The degree was not nearly as well pitched as the HNC and taught you much less about real engineering, however the people who can put the high level theory into practise make excellent engineers. I only did the degree to get a more rapid career path - 90% of what I've done since, I could have done with just the HNC, but usually wouldn't have got as far as a job interview.

I've kept the car mechanics to a hobby - but can afford some nice toys to play with ;-)
Working on my own cars has saved me a packet, and everything saved has been put to use.
I'm hoping to retire sometime in the next 9 years and then have enough time to play with cars...

You can get a HNC on one day a week + one evening. Doing part time college whilst working is not for everyone (I preferred working to studying but managed to get through albeit leaving my assignments to last minute)

The kind of work you can get with an engineering HNC is usually decent technician stuff which can involve anything from spannering to a fair bit of brain work - and usually a mix of both. The majority of graduate engineering jobs keep you away from spannering - unless you can get involved in test rig development.

Sounds Familiar - Doing the last year of a Mech Eng HND at the moment and will be doing a degree in "Engineering and Management" in a year next year...

I have had 17 years working for myself and wouldn't change a day. To be your own boss is a great feeling, which if you can make a go of it will bring great rewards. I set up during a recession so go for it. Be realistic about your goals in the first 3 years as they are the hardest and keep overheads as low as possible.
Good luck with your potential venture.