11 Comments

1. 

   If you like it …..Go for it .. all the way.

   Comment by postres20022000 — September 30, 2008 @ 7:33 pm

2. 

   i think your grandfather was just trying to say he’d rather you go to college you know, didn’t mean anything ba,d but i say do what you’d love to do especially when you don’t have to worry about the money, i was going to try to go to Wyotech and learn how to do stuff like that cause i LOVE muscle cars and also big trucks but my plans after high school didn’t quite come together as i planned and i got a class A CDL instead, so i say if thats what you love then go for it, don’t let anybody try to stop you or talk you out of it just because your a girl

   Comment by chevypride0310 — October 4, 2008 @ 12:29 am

3. 

   Go for it! you can start by helping me. haha. i have a 1974 Plymouth Valiant with a 225 3.7L slant six 1bbl Holley model 1946 carburetor. major body damage, bad head gasket and valves, and some brake issues. haha. i love restoring classics too! ive got a guy just a couple towns over who does antique car restoration. he makes big bucks. he charges over $200 per hour plus parts!

   Comment by Brian W — October 5, 2008 @ 3:03 am

4. 

   if it is something you have a passion for, you should do it. there are plenty of schools that teach all kinds of different fields in the automotive industry.

   Comment by Abaddon — October 7, 2008 @ 10:09 am

5. 

   if you are really good, you can make a very comfortable living at it.

   I would not look at pre-1980, but rather pre- 1960 – more money there, and even earlier.

   Look at Jay Leno’s collection, he has several people that take care of it.

   I have a friend with several “brass” era (1900-1914) cars. He has a guy that just does the leather interior, which might take six months for one car.

   You need top skills in one or more of the following areas:
   * welding
   * machining
   * wood working
   * leather upholstery
   * forming sheet metal (especially aluminum for the early cars)

   you need to find a collector who will show you the ropes – go the annual meet in Hershey PA.

   An example of a “brass” era car is:

   Comment by Nigel M — October 8, 2008 @ 2:48 am

6. 

   depends on how they pay most mechanics get paid by flat rate ( a form of commision) so if you run into problems like a broken or rusted bolt you spend more time and once you go over sold time you are working for free. and when the business is slow your pay ***** you dont work on a car that day you dont get paid that day. if you where a set hourly pay you would not have that problem. but very few place pay that way. Also only being in restoration it limits the job opertunities you have very few places to work during times when the economy is bad these types of places are going under people are putting these types of expenses off. dont get me wrong restoring cars is awsome but I would mabye do it as a hobby

   Comment by zack o — October 11, 2008 @ 2:07 pm

7. 

   Try it as a hobby/project first and see how you like it. Restoring is an intricate thing and eventhough you may do a good job (woman or man) a person HIRING someone to restore for them wants an experienced/proven person. Here’s an idea you might consider: buy a project car and restore it and sell it off for profit after keeping up with expenses and all the labor hours involved and ascertain in the end if it is a lucrative business or a fun hobby. The other thing that I might mention (you may not like this but it’s a real consideration) you said your husband earns enough to support both – what if you divorce or he dies ? The other thing is true for men or women – would you REALLY want to be doing hard physical work like mechanics at 55 years old ? I’m 56 and I really am getting to **** working on cars whereas I used to love it.

   Comment by hooyutoo2 — October 13, 2008 @ 2:27 am

8. 

   Amanda ! Hi You sound just like my grand daughter. She took auto mechanic in high school and once told me she wanted to be a mechanic. I’ve been a mechanic since the early sixty’s. Im still working as a mech. tech. and still love it. I learned to Mechanic, Weld, Body work,and can paint. This are the things you need to know to be able to do restorations on antique autos. That or have a lot of money and have it done for you. Takes a lot of work to do a good job. I have several old cars some complete and some still need a lot of work.I think that your grand paw and I are from the same ERA, we think a woman’s job is in the home. But we are wrong, a lady can do what ever she feels she wants to do in life and if you feel the desire and feel you can do it go for it.I don’t think that it would be a good career even though there is money to be made from antique autos. You will need a shop with plenty of space, tools major tool not just hand tools, machinery and other equipment. Even if you start small out of your garage . Again do what your heart desires you only live once so go for it I wish you good luck oh and find you a good starter car that’s complete and rust free.

   Comment by automechtech — October 14, 2008 @ 6:17 pm

9. 

   If this is what you want to do – go do it. In the UK we have equal employment rights and being a woman should not be a factor.

   What is important is your attitude, and you certainly seem to have the correct one, and of course you need the necessary mechanical aptitude and skills.

   Doing classic car restoration is the sort of job that will probably give great job satisfaction.

   Good luck.

   Comment by numsadog — October 18, 2008 @ 5:05 am

10. 

    I think it’s great when a woman can work with her hands & be good at it. I’ve known a few & they are very “strong” as people. Even better, I think it’s great for someone wanting to devote themselves to the old classics. There is just too much technology under the hood these days. Men’s work vs. women’s work in the 21st century is a myth.

    Comment by Trey F — October 18, 2008 @ 11:06 pm

11. 

    Hi Amanda!

    Someone else has mentioned that you might wish to get yourself a classic and work on it yourself as your own project first. I don’t know if you want to track your expenses and such, as you are doing this for yourself and for an education. If your husband knows his way around a car, or of your grandfather is willing to show you the ropes, you will find out by the end of your own project whether this is for you.

    I do believe that restoration mechanics usually get paid by the hour, as this isn’t a “Get it in, get it done” business, or it shouldn’t be. You will need to be very detail oriented, as 1 wrong bolt on a classic can mean winning or losing at a concors d’elegance.

    You will learn all about engines, fuel systems, transmissions, electrical systems, welding, interior, etc. You can specialize in a particular area, or a particular car/make. I know a few people that specialize in british cars.

    You will probably need to take a shop course or 2, check your local community college. After you get into your project, if you decide that this is a path for you, you will probably need to take a regular mechanic’s training course. Much of what you will learn will be for more modern cars, unless you manage to find something that’s more restoration oriented, and they might require you to have taken the basics first.

    You will also need tools; If you have a Harbor Freight store close by, this is a good source for inexpensive tools. Don’t get the cheapest they have, as these will not last you long. Their Pittsburg line is decent. You will probably spend about $150 for basic wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, pliars, etc. You will most likely need a set of metric wrenches and sockets, and a set of SAE. Don’t forget a floor jack and a set of 4 jack-stands. Also, you will need containers for draining fluids into, if you don’t have these already.

    Get yourself a ratchet from Sears, a Craftsman.

    These are to get you started. If you do go all the way, you will probably work at a shop that has a Snap-on Tools dealer that stops by, and you can get all the tools you need from them. Snap-On is expensive, and personally, I think overpriced, but they do stand behind the stuff.

    I have 2 classics, both ‘64 Triumph Spitfires, and while I most definitely do not consider myself a mechanic, I can teach other mechanics how to work on a Spit. I wouldn’t do this professionally, but I do enjoy it as a hobby. I used to work on all my cars, but as I’ve gotten older, I find it’s often cheaper in terms of my time to let someone else work it over. Sometimes, it’s the only way as I don’t know much about post 1975 cars

    Comment by bagrepulsor — October 21, 2008 @ 5:37 am

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