Starting a new hot rod shop thoughts?

[mach1stang]

Hey guys,

I have been working cars for as long as I can remember. I have really been working on improving my metal working skills the last few years. And I know for a fact that building hot rods is what I want to do for a living. I will be turning 18 in a few months And being homeschooled I can get all my highshcool classes done alot quicker then most can and I am working on some college classes now and after I get done with regular school I am off to a mechanical school for further education. My Dad has said on several occassions I got 20 years of experience in one summer vacation. But anyways I really want to get an early start so I can dissapear to the mountains (just playing, but I do want to want move to north or south carolina). What are some tips some shop owners would have for kid like me? I have been kinda worried about the economy... who's not been, my Dad is not helping that much but I tell the high end hot rods are like the ferrari and lambos the people that are serious about buying one has the money to do so. O well I really appreciate some tips and thoughts about this.

Thanks for your help,
Kody.

[bigvegan]

Learn skills, save your money, and LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE.

If you've been following this forum over the past few weeks, there have been a number of rather contentious threads, where people have paid a lot of money and not ended up with what they wanted.

In some cases, the buyers have been ripped off, in other cases, the buyer has been angry and clueless and the shop has taken the blame unnecessarily.

There will always be bad customers, but some customer service work experience (in any field, not just automotive) and lots of reading about managing customer relationships can definitely minimize the fallout.

I'm guessing the economy's not going anywhere for the next year or two, so take the time to gain as many skills as you can, and worry about opening your own shop once you've spent some time working for other people. (Getting training and experience on somebody else's tab is always a good way to go, especially if you can get paid for it.)

The more skills you have and the more you can offer a client or an employer, the more valuable you'll be.

Good Luck!

[jilge71]

X2 experience is the best way to learn

[Young Gun]

Id love to start my own shop one day... arent really any of em in Texas... and none of my friends are into muscle cars...everybody is in to rice and I dont want the good ol V8 to die... good luck with it!

[vintageracer]

Read a book a week. Concentrate on business and people managment subjects. At 18 years of age you are not as smart as you think you are.

Look at authors like Dale Carnegie, Chester Karras, Robert Kiyosaki, Stephen Covey, Zig Ziglar and more.

Look at books like The Millionaire next door, How to Win Friends and Influence people, Guerrilla Marketing, The Art of Negotiation, Developing the Leader Within You, The One Minute Manager and Financial Peace.

There are lot's of guys who are good with their hands and who are far more talented at the trades than you or I will ever be who are still broke and have no direction in their life or chosen profession. To be really successful you also need to be successful with business priniciples and interacting with people. You also must be passionate about what you do for a living. If you think of your profession as a job, you are wasting your life doing the wrong type of work. Find what you LOVE TO DO and make a career out of what you love to do!

None of these authors or books are the answer to everything however if you just learn 1 priniciple or idea from a book every week (that's 52 books a year minimum) you will be FAR ahead of all the college kids you went to high school with.

Just remember that Popular Hot Rodding and Hot Rod magazine DO NOT COUNT as weekly reading. Neither do the hours you spend on this site or surfing the web looking at cars. Turn off the computer and start reading!

[Hidro]

Read a book a week. Concentrate on business and people managment subjects. At 18 years of age you are not as smart as you think you are.

Look at authors like Dale Carnegie, Chester Karras, Robert Kiyosaki, Stephen Covey, Zig Ziglar and more.

Look at books like The Millionaire next door, How to Win Friends and Influence people, Guerrilla Marketing, The Art of Negotiation, Developing the Leader Within You, The One Minute Manager and Financial Peace.

There are lot's of guys who are good with their hands and who are far more talented at the trades than you or I will ever be who are still broke and have no direction in their life or chosen profession. To be really successful you also need to be successful with business priniciples and interacting with people. You also must be passionate about what you do for a living. If you think of your profession as a job, you are wasting your life doing the wrong type of work. Find what you LOVE TO DO and make a career out of what you love to do!

None of these authors or books are the answer to everything however if you just learn 1 priniciple or idea from a book every week (that's 52 books a year minimum) you will be FAR ahead of all the college kids you went to high school with.

Just remember that Popular Hot Rodding and Hot Rod magazine DO NOT COUNT as weekly reading. Neither do the hours you spend on this site or surfing the web looking at cars. Turn off the computer and start reading!

well said. very good advice

[DJW32]

Kody,
I have some questions for you:
Do you know how to run a business?
Where will you get the start up money?
Do you have the tools necessary tools for the job?

Have you thought about applying at a well known shop? If not, give it a try. If you have the skills you think you do, the shop owner will probably tell you. For example, see if Troy over at Rad Rides would hire you. If you can impress him...I would then think about opening your own shop.

Just an idea.

David

[b25]

All of the questions/suggestions above are good.

I'll only pile on to state that you should have work you can show as proof of your skills and abilities (lots of guys start out with their own car as the proof). A friend of mine who was seemingly pretty talented, opened a hot rod / fabrication shop almost 2 years ago - he picked up miscellaneous jobs here and there to pay the bills, but never could actually "build hotrods" like he had hoped.

I attribute the ultimate closing of his shop to two things - ADVERTISING and his INABILITY TO PROVE WHAT HE COULD DO. He needed someone to take a chance on him... but understandably, folks don't want to give a blank check to someone who may not be able to deliver.


Good luck.
-b

[trapin]

Make sure you have a solid dose of Humilty every morning with your corn flakes and don't be afraid to say no so as not to take on more than you can handle. At least that's the ideas I've gathered from what I've read on this site the past 9 years.

[70LS1NOVA]

My advice to you is to start small. Get a small two car garage and maybe just do it "on the side" for awhile. Build one or two really nice hot rods and people will take notice.

[mach1stang]

WOW! lots of good information!! Thanks for your help!! I have really been thinking about this for a good bit now, I think like 70LS1NOVA said I should start out small. My dad has been joking with me that I should build a appartment in the shop we have now and I said that would work out perfectly and in ways it would. It is 1500 square feet. Right now I have my truck, and the mustang in there and I have been talking to my uncle and I think he is going to bring his ford pickup (not sure on what year) to let me build it so thats cool. I also think that if I was to start a shop I think my dad would go in with me.

[mach1stang]

Ohh and tony about the a bowl of humilty with my corn fakes, I prefer lucky charms LOL...

There magically delicious!!

[Bigblue73]

Kody - Here's the little tid-bit that has about killed us here in Missouri. It's called usage tax and to the tune of about $11,000.00 that we now owe the state of Missouri after "tinkering" for around 3 years now. My advice is to learn the tax laws inside and out, know what you have to charge for and document all your purchases. Pay close attention to items that you purchase over the web and out of state. The "Man" will come and the "Man" will take in our case.

The advice that these gentleman are providing you is priceless, use it.

[Hogshooter]

I agree with the others, and add. Do you really want to turn your passion into your full time job right now? I am 38 and have been in the body business at least part time since I was 12. I have always loved hot rods and muscle cars, and getting paid. As everyone else has stated you must pay some serious dues. Right now I am an instructor at a large technical school in Tulsa Ok. and can tell you the paint end of the industry is going to change tremendously in the next few years. My part time job is building hot rods and customs or whatever for customers so I have extra money to tool up and also build my 69 Camaro. I think you would do well to learn your skills under a mentor and build a few cars in your spare time (in between the books). Move into the customer work slowly, and never let a job leave that isn't right with you and the customer. http://www.hogshooterhotrods.com/ This is my site and it has helped sell some work, I am finally getting close to my goal of making real money on these old cars and I still enjoy it.