Thinking about changing occupations
 

I presently work in the high tech field and based on the most recent rounds of lay-offs, am getting a bit nervous. Porsches have always been a hobby and I am seriously considering going back to school to become a Porsche mechanic (actually, more like a general mechanic with a Porsche emphasis).

Any thoughts?

Thanks
Jim

That has always been a Walter Mitty fantasy of mine. If I were to ever win the lottery (let's not start that thread again), I would seriously consider going to a trade school in Germany (I've gone to school there before) and get some sort of an apprenticeship with a Porsche mechanic. I'm not sure I would want to open a garage in the DC area, as this market is pretty saturated with far more experienced and reputable wrenches than I could compete with. But I would love to have the know-how to restore and maintain any Porsche.

I say go for it.

trouble is you have to start real low down the ladder, like jiffy lube stuff, and get some years of experience under your belt, before you can get the GOOD job. you can speed it up a little by enrolling in an automotive trade school, but you won't get to know porsches there, and they don't pay you. still, the general knowledge is important. cars are more like computers every year, so your background might help. it's a decent living if you stick it out, but you have to be driven. i've seen lots of trainee mechanics bail after a short time. it can be brutal until you figure out how not to get hurt as much. there's a whole lot of stuff to learn and a whole lot of cuts and bruises to be had learning it. one thing's for sure, the world still needs and always will need good mechanics.

There was a question about this a few months ago in Excellence magazine. Issue #103, Aug 2001. Bruce Anderson told about a school, Universal Training Institute (UTI)in Atlanta Georgia. The course is 4 months of Porsche specific work. Porsche Apprenticeship program. He had good recommends of it and there was talk of how to get it paid for by PCNA. Pick up the copy or i can scan it and email it to you.

I think you have to be mechanic already but that only makes sense 4 months is not that long.

I say go for it! Then try to find a job at a great shop in your area to continue to learn.

Shawn
davis911s@hotmail.com

My wifes dad went to Germany to learn to work on Porsches, his shop does so well now he does not want to touch anything himself. His shop hardly even does Porsches anymore, mostly BMW`s, Lexus and Jags. I talked to him about helping me out on my 71 and says he does not have enough time, I see why her mom left his ass now.

yeah, the FAT HEAD syndrome is something you have to learn to control when you get good. it's quite common.

There is a local eye surgeon here in Shreveport, went to Germany tested, got certified as Porsche mechanic. Go figure.

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Robert Stoll
83 SC
83 944

Thanks for all the replies. Davis, yes, if you have the article, I would love to read it. Please e-mail it to me at larkja@excite.com.

I am also thinking about it because my local P mechanic is always complaining about good help. I figure I could to go school in the evenings, come in let's say Saturdays and apprentice with my mechanic, and continue with my current computer job. Then when the entire silicon valley takes a big ol' cr@p because of the mergers (HP and Compaq ring a bell) and everyone figures out nobody knows what they are doing, I'll still have a job because somebody will still have to work on those beautiful P-cars.

Hmmm.....

Funny how the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence!! I was a technician by trade and had the mid life crisis and decided to get out if it. Not to be arrogant, but I have won the "Top Technician" award for 4 years in a row from chrysler corporation, have been an ASE Master Tech for over 15 years. I truly enjoyed it, but simply got sick of it. I do miss it and wrenching on my own car and friends is plenty for me now. There is a whole side to wrenching most people dont know about. Flat Rate is just the tip of the iceberg. As John mentioned, it takes a long time to make a name for yourself and make some good money. I just cant see myself busting my ass trying to beat the clock when im 60! Not to mention working in 125 degree shops in the summer and wiping the frost off your wrenches in the winter before you can use them. I totally respect guys who are still in it plugging away. --Please not being self toting, but just wanted to give my view--

John Walker is on the money with his comments.
With any skilled trade comes years of apprenticeship, "paying of dues", so to speak. Before I got into engineering, I served a full apprenticeship as an Electrician, and then spent many years as a Journeyman Electrician. Good tradesmen (and the money they make), don't just fall out of the blue.

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'81 SC Coupe (aka: "Blue Bomber")
Canada West Region PCA
The Blue Bomber's Website

Rattlesnak gave a pretty good counter to pursuing this profession.

If you still want to start, don't mind the car brand, receive free training while being paid, try a dealership for one of the Japanese companies (maybe others too). Industrywide, there's a dearth of good people coming in. Dealers/manufacturers realize this and are now taking people off the street and training them from scratch (butcher one day, tech the next). You could apprentice for a couple of years, hone your wrenching and troubleshooting/diagnostic skills, then hook up with an independent Porsche garage and start at the bottom. If you're good and efficient and don't mind the non-work related stuff, there's always a job out there.

Sherwood Lee

There was once a Gynocologist who decided the very same thing. He was tired to looking at 'you know what' and came to the conclusion that he wanted to become a mechanic.

After finally completing his training courses it was time for his final exams.
He had to dissamemble and engine and rebuild it perfectly.

A few days later the professor called the former gynocologist into his office discuss his scores on the final exam.

The professor said to him 'Well I gave you 50 on 50 for the dissasembly. I have never seen anyone clean and examine and engine as delicatly and precisely in all the time I have been here.' As the Doctor smiled the prfessor continued,'Again, you impressed me with how careful and thorough you were in the reassembly.'

Then the Doctor asked, 'I understand that, and i'm glad you were impressed, but what is this extra 50 marks for?''Well,' said the professor,'Thats because you were able to accomplish all this through the tail pipe!!'

(Insert knee slapping and hysterical laughter here...) http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate/smile.gif

Adam

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1978 911SC 3.0
roseneck@cyberbeach.net

Uh, I think that would be a proctologist joke,(tailpipe?). Incidentally, I hear there are a lot of openings in that field.

[This message has been edited by speeder (edited 09-04-2001).]

A mechanic and his surgeon friend were comparing their professions. The mechanic complained he should also be able to charge many hundreds of dollars per hour since he had formally studied for years, apprenticed for long hours, passed licensing tests, had fine dexterity, excellent hand-eye coordination, perceptive diagnostic skills, lots of experience, etc., etc.

The surgeon said, "I know you're good at what you do, but I get paid to work on an engine while it's running"

(or something like that), ba da bump

Sherwood Lee

I say go for it!

I am also in the tech field. The pay is great and pays ALL my bills. I support Accounting and Payroll. It is amazing how I get babied when the whole corporation depends on my support. I am not patting myself...as a matter of fact for a year nobody knew who I was until rumors started about who actually supports the paychecks and direct deposits twice a month. I am very low keyed and all I want is to see my kids grow up. Believe or not, I enjoy it so much when I am surrounded by big-$$, big-wigs who expects me to stay until 8:00 p.m. or later for meetings but instead at 3:25 p.m. I say, "Gentlemen, I need to be excused. I have to pick-up my kids."

Anyway, I believe that I am lucky enough that early in my twenties, I have accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish when I was in my early teens!

As I have done the corporate rat race, the ladder climbing, the BS, and "career switching", politics, toys, etc., etc., now I can safely say that if life ends (GOD forbids) I would not have any regrets.

There is nothing worst than "forever wondering what life would be only if......" NEVER BE IN THIS SITUATION.

p.s.

As I always say "You can always make money. You can never recoup previously lost happy moments in life." If things do not work out, you can always REENTER the work force. Just keep the techie skills up-to-date.

AND yes, I did want to be an exotic car mechanic. Wrenching makes time fly.

GOOD LUCK!

While the world will always need good mechanics there might not be a great demand for Porsche mechanics when many of the Porsche owners are laid off. I know a friend of mine who works on a lot of high line cars has "dry spells" when the economy is down.

I just had to jump in here and comment. am not sure how it is in other parts of the country, but here in Southern California finding a great Porsche technician is extremely hard. We are an independent and have been actively looking for the past 3-4 yers and currently have job openings for senior tech, junior tech, fabricator, and shop help. Many shops are in the same boat. We have plenty of work, but finding the right guys or gals to do it is tough. Working on a Porsche is just not the same as a Japanese or American car, many workers cannot accept the difference in the thought process that the Germans have used, nor do they want to try. Try finding a "typical" mechanic that understands what our customers expect and deserve. You can't be a grease monkey around here.

By the way, anyone interested please contact me. Laura @ motorsport@hergesheimer.com
(949) 458-7223 www.hergesheimer.com

[This message has been edited by Laura (edited 09-05-2001).]

Surgeon gets a plugged toilet at a Sunday party, and calls a plumber. Plumber fixes the toilet in a half-hour and presents the surgeon with a bill for $400. Surgeon says "Four hundred dollars!? I have to work a couple of hours for that kind of money." Plumber says "It used to take me that long to earn $400 too, when I was a surgeon."

But seriously folks, compensation analysis and the study of other factors affecting retention, etc., is part of my job and I find it fascinating. I have not looked into the technical service skill market but the above report is interesting. Laura, the 'last resort' fis for your problem, which is actually an excellent option, is to farm your own talent like baseball teams do. Of course this is expensive and then you have to pay the senior folks plenty of money to retain them once trained. But hey, it's like the bumper stickers that say "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." The cost of this apprenticeship program may not be nearly as high as trying to run a business without the technical talent. If the goal is to be mediocre, then you can easily achieve that. But it sounds like that's not your goal.

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'83 SC

yeah, the stock market has been pretty rough lately also.

i was thinking: 1 porsche mechanic
2 p0rn star
3 pro bass fisherman

http://www.pelicanparts.com/ultimate/wink.gif


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Daryl 964 Targa

Is your rod long enough for bass fishing?

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'83 SC