!!!!help save the autohobby shops!!!!

[SShep71]

I am currently building my project at an Navy MWR (morale Welfare Recreation) auto hobby shop in San Diego. There are hobby shops on most military installations. I was told today that there is a very good chance that the Coronado hobby shop will be closed soon and that the one I am doing the work at will be changing its "BUSINESS MODEL". Long term stalls like mine are no longer in consideration. The day stalls are the primary customer now, so if you want to use the hobby shop for a tire change,oil change,brakes, etc you are good. If you are actually involved in a project that requires a great deal of work you are written off. This is not acceptable! This needs to be stopped! I am three thousand miles from my garage, family, tools, and equipment and now the one organization that is supposed to support me is trying to take one of the only liberties I have here away from me. There are at least a dozen projects going on here that the owners are in the same situation. The small machine shop we had here at the shop is being shut down and the machines removed. Who knows what is next. I am including a link to the car I am building to raise awareness for the hobby shops. Please check it out and give me some input. The more people that follow and give their opinion the better chance there will be to save the shop. I am going to take this as high as I need, so those of us that decided to leave our own garages can still enjoy one of the best hobbies to take part in. Any support you can give is greatly appreciated!!


https://www.pro-touring.com/showthread.php?83512-New-project-VOODOO-CHILD&highlight=

[go-fish]

This sucks. I just got out and was thinking of joining the reserves for the perks like Commisary, Tri-Care, and the auto hobby shop. I live in Coronado and live in an apartment. I have to find other ways besides working in the alley on my car.
Do you know if the 32nd Street hobby shop is doing the same?

[SShep71]

My car is on 32nd street, im doing the work there, but they are changing. You should stop over with the car.

[andrewb70]

Is this some sort of military thing? You need to be a little more clear as to what exactly is happening for us civilians...

Andrew

[rrunner68]

Take your business to Miramar fellas. Tell mike that Dan sent you.

[SShep71]

Andrew, sorry I was a little vague. Its an organization that support armed forces personnel. Its supposed to be nonprofit, but it seems as if times are changing.

Dan, if it werent a 25 min drive i would. I originally looked in to miramar. The drive everday is just too much.

[Snake Eater]

I would get it on record with the post commander, hit up the IG (inspector general), file complaints with the MWR senior rep, and possibly write your congress-person. With enough response from the service members you can force them (MWR) to make concessions. MWR funds come out of the post's budget which is DOD funds and ultimately tax payer paid for. Get all your buddies involved and the problem may go away. Good luck and I hope that you can get this stopped. It's BS, when the post make decisions without polling the service members.

[73z-6sp]

fvgbhnjm

[shep]

When I was in the Navy the hobby shop was the one place I felt at home. Due to being an E nothing I never left anything in there long term. I have always wondered if this kind of business model would work on the outside? For those that don't know what it is.The one I used in Brunswick ME had a couple of drive on lifts and a couple of two post lifts, they also had an alignment rack a sheet metal break and a couple of welders as well as a couple of just empty bays for use and 4 or 5 wash bays. They had about every tool you could need, tire mount and balance machines, parts washer etc. I could rent a bay with a lift and use any thing in the shop for a couple bucks an hour. This is one thing that I really miss.

[Yelcamino]

It sucks to hear this is happening. I was stationed in San Diego from '93-'97 and I used the hobby shop at Miramar all the time. Being an E-4 car guy living in an apartment, the hobby shop was a great resouce to have available. Back then there was also a free car wash area that was like a multi-stall car port with a water hose in each stall. By late '96 they tore it down and built a coin-operated car wash across the street. When that happened, I figured one day the hobby shop would go away. I guess we're getting closer to the one day.

[Adrian's 71 Chevelle SS]

Sorry to hear that things in the military haven't changed. I was in the Air Force from 1976 to 1980. When I was at Columbus, MS I rebuilt the engine in my 68 Impala and a friends 67 SS Chevelle plus the occasional front end rebuild, brakes and replacing the rear differential and the usual maintenance. Then I went to Torrejon, Spain didn't do a lot of serious work there just a transmission swap and tune-ups. They didn't want you to work in the parking lot are have what they would consider an abandoned vehicle on base.
I guess the upper brass would rather you sit at the club and drink. Keep fighting to keep the shop open.

[mc84_zz4]

I hope you guys raise awareness, and get enough support to get some signatures requesting to keep them open and available for service members, not contractors.
I understand the need to generate some $$ on the bays, but there are some things that keep our guys looking forward to coming home, and working on their cars is a big one.
I could spend 5x the amount on beer that I spend on my car, but as entertaining as that is, it is not productive.
Working on cars can also provide a therapeutic effect, at least for me it sure is.

[rrunner68]

Well the sad part of this story is that with ever increasing pressure from "base environmental" and the costs of having bio-safe facilities to cost of doing business at these places is getting out of hand. They don't even come close to breaking even, and a lot of these kids think that because the can tear apart a helo and they've seen a couple episodes of pimp-my-ride or what ever, the come into the shop full of gusto, tear apart a perfectly good car, abandon it for 3-5 months without paying, costing the hobby shop a lot of lost $$ and aggravation. The space rental costs have gone up quite considerably and even the MCCS vehicle repair service centers are going the way of the dodo bird. Eventually it will get to the point where all you can do at the hobby shop is change your oil and maybe brakes and tires. Its a sad state of affairs, but as it was hinted at by Adrian, they'd rather spend 11ty billion bucks renovating on base drinking establishments and internet centers for the kids than improve the facilities that everyone use, but don't generate the $$ flow.

[SShep71]

Hey guys, thats for the response. It just shows that there is some support out there. Adrian and dan you are right, the constraints are tight to be complaint. There are a few cars just sitting here, but a lot of them arent being worked on because the owners are deployed. This shop is very good at moving cars out that go into lein, and working with those that are having trouble. The problem is the senior MWR personnel on base. I actually have a meeting with the base director today. I am going to approach him with my car design and possibilities for where the shop can go. I will let you all know how it goes hopefully it will go good.

[go-fish]

Good luck Shep. My car is at San Diego Superchargers but when I get it back I'll let you know. Maybe you could stop by the place after work and we can head down the Silver Strand and back.

[SickSpeedMonte]

Good luck, I work on a base as a civilian and have never used the hobby shop but know a few guys that have painted a car there. I think it is a great idea for our soldiers and I think they have earned the right to have it.

[go-fish]

How'd it go, Shep?

[SShep71]

Well I didnt get to talk to the main guy, I talked to one of the people that oversees the hobby shop. I just talked to him about the car and what I wanted to do with it and a little about the machine shop machines. I bought some more time I think, I need to talk to the main guy. I just hope the manager of the hobby shop isnt a vengeful *****. The last thing I need is a war. When is the car coming back from the superchargers garage?

[go-fish]

Is the main dude's name Thor by any chance? He is a big whig in the MWR office but I think he might be the head sprts guy. He's in my softball league out in town. He might be able to help. I'll see what I can do. Can't hurt.

[SRD art]

Man, sorry to hear about this Shep. I originally thought this was a military sponsored deal, npot and independent business. It's unfortunate that $ talks and whoever has more gets to join the conversation.

As you guys know at age 41 I decided to go back to school for a degree in hot rod construction so I can start working in a nice shop. Much like the hobby shop you have access to I've often wondered why there aren't more places for the average guy to get a little training like I am. The things I'm learning at school shouldn't be only available to those seeking a career in the field, I wish I knew this stuff as a teenager when I was building my first car.

Hopefully this all works out. If worse comes to worse I've built a couple cars in storage units. Kinda sucks but it worked while I lived in an apartment. Either I'd tap into the light socket for power or the tall lot lights often have a power outlet at the base and I'd run a long extension cord to my unit. It's not ideal but will suffice until a better opportunity arises.

Remember getting irate with people never gets you anywhere, but getting petitions signed and making a little civilized noise to the right people often works for the better. Imagine the power you'd have if you had every soldier on the affected bases get together to collectively seek a resolution. Good luck!