How many mechs here? Poll

[Redshirt]

graphics go-to guy

gladly, nate!

*edit previous post to "Theyre bites..." to "Their bites...". I do pictures, not words

[ManagerMike]

Trained in High school voc-ed to be a machinist, trained in college to be an electronics technician, worked as a machinist/toolmaker a couple of years after college, then the Reagan era recession left me without work in either field.

Landed a posistion as service writer/assistant manager in a muffler and general repair shop in 86 which led to my doing most of the work before long. I began accuiring certifications in 86, master mechanic in 87, went to a different shop in 90 where I got to just fix cars and trucks instead of also running the joint.

Moved to a GM dealership in 92, and found myself branded 'service manager' in six months, and was right back to fixin' em and running the place again. Left there in 04 for a fleet repair job (where I am still). Again I'm the manager, and still wrenching, but at least no longer have to deal with the public.

[cowboybob998]

read

If you can read a book and tore things apart to see how they worked when you was a kid thats makes you a mech. in my book, dont have the money to pay somrone elece to do it for me, so i am a mech. weither i like it or not.
Allways said i could do open heart surg. if they wrote a book on it i could understand,

[subike]

I started my mechanical experiance as a service mechanic for a Nissan dealership, I was already into motors etc before that as my parents and uncles all rode bikes plus we were farmers, so working on our own equioment was just what we did,
Later I became a servce mechanic for a city council truck depot, where I service desiel truck tractors and light earth moving machinery.
I moved away from mecanical work when computors etc made it more of a tecs job than a hands or job,becoming a car dismantler and a gearbox rebuilder for a local business.
I then started my own recycling business for scrap steel, collecting abandoned and unwanted cars off the streets and out of private properties around Christchurch.
Over the 10 years I ran the business I disposed of 17000 cars, parting then out and recovering the different materials to get my profits.
To sat that was fun was an understatement..
Age and a touch of arthritis has ment that I am now assemble comercial kitchen equipment.

[cywelchjr]

Been doing mechanic work since a young age, as my Dad always worked on our own cars, and taught me everything he knew as a decent shadetree mechanic. Of course at almost 80 now, he doesn't do most of the work on his own cars anymore (although he does do a bit still).

Then of course auto shop and body shop in high school, and then coming within inches of getting wheeled vehicle mech as a secondary MOS in the army, I have a little bit of experience with everything from briggs and stratton engines up through diesel engines in trucks and large generators (not the REALLY big ones, never worked on anything bigger than 60kw).

[XSive Okie]

I have never been employed as a mechanic, but repair all my own vehicles/equipment. I have even taken on side jobs, as long as they aren't stereo related. I have been a partsman my whole life, as my grandfather owned a parts store for 50+ years (where I got my start). Currently, I sell parts at Northcutt Toyota.

[DenyP]

.. i have been a motorcycle mechanic since 96. the pay is not great but the experiance is priceless
but sometimes
i wish i was still a drywall hanger, the pay was way better and i was the boss
.. after working on everyone elses sh!t all day every day it's hard to go out in the garage and work on my own bikes.
i guess it would be the same if i worked in an icecream shop.
..i wonder if it would be the same if i worked at a t!tty bar?!
but i love t!tties, i wont make that hobby into my job.
hmmmm, but just what experiances would one have working at a t!tty bar?. or maybe a gynecologist

You crack me up!

[CatatonicBug]

Allways said i could do open heart surg. if they wrote a book on it i could understand,

I have a friend of mine who is an anesthesiologist (just finished his residency), and a few months ago, he was scheduled to work on someone's heart the next day. He was nervous, because he had never done the particular procedure before, and was excited to find a youtube video of the procedure! He just studied the video and went in the next day armed with that new information!

[crazy steve]

I've always been a gearhead (got my first car at 14, which I proceeded to beat to death in a field), worked as a mechanic briefly ('73-76) then went into a construction electrician apprenticeship (waaay better money). Did that for 30+ years, learned a lot about fabricating (I always got the most FUBARed jobs because I could alway figure a way to make them work), eventually ended up as an administrator/estimator/project manager when my back went out. Now retired, I still like doing car projects, but bike parts are lighter...

[DenyP]

Twisted wrenches all my life. Autoshop in high school. Spent 7 years as an auto body repairman. That was 36 years ago. I went back to school for electronics and worked in that field for about 20 years, the latter part in manufacturing and factory management. I got into rubber parts manufacturing and was in that industry till 5 years ago, then as a Quality manager in a production machine shop. The market crash took that job a little over 2 years ago. My Dad was like many of yours. He was handy, worked on his own cars. He taught me a lot. I have always fixed my own stuff and taught my boys how to do the same. Lots of folks know more about mechanics then I here. I have learned a lot here and continue to do so!

Deny

[je2wheeler]

After you do the poll, you give a little description of what you work on?

In '77 I was landed a job as a counter guy at a Honda/Yamaha shop in Paris, TN. Up till then I had kept my own bikes repaired and I had restored two older Hondas. I had taken a corispondance class on mc repair and enjoyed it very much. Talking with the lead mech, he was inpressed enough to have me help out in the shop when they got backed up. This eventually led to a full time gig as a mech. As faith would have it, this is what I was doing when the 11E hit the show room. What a astonishing motorcycle!

[tom127]

I mostly grew up working on old chevy muscle cars with my friends. I joined the Navy and got out went to school for auto mechanics. I worked in that field for awhile and ended up getting layed off.

That was ten years ago and have been enjoying a different career field. I have still tinkered around and enjoyed playing with the muscle cars we have around. Last year was the first time I tried working on motorcyles and I have been enjoying the challenge since then.

[T99Ford]

Holy old thread!

I am a trade mechanic. Been in John Deere and New Holland CE and Ag for almost 15 years, I started in high school at the local dealership. I am running the shop now, a "promotion" about which I am still undecided. I really enjoy the business, and still have the opportunity to wrench when the phone and customer base allow. Don't get out in the field much, anymore, though...

The bikes are a diversion, simple--and I can do any process to them in an afternoon!

[Phil_G]

I'm a Diesel Powered Equipment Tech by training (AAS from the local Jr. College). Went into it with no prior experience. But I've always been a hands-on learner... and I like seeing concrete results after a day's work.

I interned and then hired on, as a mechanic, into Caterpillar Global Engine Development about 3 years ago.

I like the work... But, it's a lot of routine hardware swapping and reconfiguring--not too much troubleshooting...

SO, That's why I recently bought an '80G, out of a guy's shed, condition relatively unknown... to try to sharp.

as a matter of fact, today's carburetor overhaul day!!

[wrench77]

I started out as an auto mechanic in 97 working on GM products. Now I work on heavy equipment and have been in the Operating Engineers Union Local 4 since 2003 and loving every moment of it.