The deadline is near - should I apply for the Porsche program?

[Sniady]

Hello all.

I'm currently attending UTI (universal technical institute) and it's time to sign-up for a manufacture program. My main reason for attending the school, was to get into the Porsche training program.

Uti has about 8 manufacture training programs. Well there's two floating around in my head now. "Should I sign up for Porsche or BMW?", is what I keep asking myself. I'm working at a BMW dealership right now, and it seems like BMW is pushing out so many cars, and company growth is just rising at a fast pace (in general, not just this dealership).

Technicians work on comission, and the tech decides how much he/she will make. Each dealership is different. Some service less cars, and some more. Well i'm looking at the long run here. If I work at a crummy dealership where I have to sit on my tool box, because there's no cars to be worked on then I can pack my stuff and apply at another dealership. If manufactures sale's are not growing or going down then I'll have no where to go.

I have two programs floating in my head, and I'm asking myself. If I pick Porsche, and it turns out I can make more with BMW i'll want to kick myself. Porsche is my number one choice, but these voices keep telling me to consider BMW for security.

What do you think? Should I stop dwelling, and go for Porsche?

[vash]

whoa! interesting. i think there are more beemers out there. what no benz? either choice, my hat is off to you. you seem to have some direction.

[stealthn]

Originally posted by Sniady
My main reason for attending the school, was to get into the Porsche training program.

Why not do both?

[anh911]

Porsche is experiencing record sales regardless of the down economy. You may have fewer options with respect to how many dealerships there are to choose from but I wouldn't worry about that. I can tell you from personal experience that if you are good you can work anywhere, especially if they are busy. Nothing, nothing compares to working for a company like Porsche or Ferrari. Not BMW not Mercedes.

Go for Porsche, you won't regret it.

[old_skul]

You want money, or happiness?

[MotoSook]

I ran across the Porsche apprenctice progam at UTI and for a night I considered a career change...still might if my industry gets any more mundane

think about this... you can spend every working day working on luxury sedans for the doctors' house wives, or spend the days on Porshce performance cars.

[gerry100]

If your ultimate goal is independance I'd suggest both.

A shop that does work on older "hobby" Beemers and Porsche cars has a place. There are plenty of enthusiasts that won't go near a dealer with their 5year or older cars.

My mechanic has a pretty good business working on german cars ( mostly BMW and Porsche) . Not enough Porsche's around here to support an independant garage.

You could work with enthusiasts of both makes, write off your club racing costs.

Besides you could probably take over Joey Buttafouco's bobyshop space there in Chatswoth.

[Neilk]

I think Porsches would be more interesting to work on.

I am thrilled to hear that BMW techs work on commission. If I get a BMW, I will sell it before it is out of warranty.

[Chuck Moreland]

More BMWs on the street means more demand for techs. But how many BMW techs are there vs Porsche techs? The Porsche guys may have more work, on a per tech basis.

[FenderGuy]

More BMWs on the street means more jerks driving around. Sorry but I hate bmws with a passion...

[sfmlaw17]

I love my Porsche. There just isn't another car that compares to the thrill of driving one, certainly not a BMW. However, like so many other Porsche owners, it is not my daily driver. When it needs fixed, I regretfully drive my other car and work on it. That is the point that I am getting to, I work on it. I don't take it to a garage for someone else to tinker with because I know every part on that car. How many BMW owners can say that? It seems to me that you would have more opportunities with the BMW yuppies, rather than the Porsche enthusiasts. Do thy even know how to change their oil?

If you can do both, you should certainly do both. If not, it seems the money is with BMW, while the prestige is with Porsche.

[v9ff]

I would go with doing what you love... you can always get a "job." The last thing you want to do is sell your soul for a few extra bucks but end up hating what you do (or work on in this case).

[nostatic]

Originally posted by Souk
think about this... you can spend every working day working on luxury sedans for the doctors' house wives, or spend the days on Porshce performance cars...

for doctors and/or their mistresses

[TerryBPP]

Any idea what a starting Porsche tech makes a year?

[DavidI]

Go with your heart. If you put too much thought into it, you will rationalize yourself into something that will not make you happy. Who knows, maybe you will be another J. Walker!

[konish]

BMW to put food on the table. Nothing stops you from working on Porsches as a hobby / moonlight job...heck, you have a leg up on about 90% of the guys who DIY their P-Cars with your techinical training. I knew a VW mechanic that would pick up jobs here and there on 911's when he needed the extra cash at Christmas etc...believe me, he turned away more work than he could reasonably do in his off time. Some of the fellas on the board dislike BMW, and its only reasonable on a 911 board, but they do make performance cars! So what if the dude behind the wheel can't find his a$$ with both hands, I'm sure a lot of Boxter drivers fall into the same category...and you know you'll be working on plenty of Boxters at the P dealership...doctors, lawyers and their mistresses alike. By the way, my VW mechanic buddy used to be a 911 mechanic but disliked dealing with the customers when he became the service manager...not a social commentary, just his words...

R/
Dustin

[stealthn]

Geez how'd this turn into the slag BMW thread?

Next to Porsche they make great cars (yes my opinion), and for those of you that hate them, you haven't driven an M5! Every luxury option, can take the kids, dog and wife and kill almost anything on the street, including alot of Porsches!

I have a BMW and a 911 and both go to the same mechanic, and like alot of places, they specialize in German cars, so I don't think you could go wrong with being a mechanic for either.

My bimmer get's me through the winter until I can drive the 911 again, and I am not a Dr. (or mistress) and I'm not an arse(O), I'm just a guy waiting for the spring...

Try fitting 4 large clients into your 911....

[FenderGuy]

Why drive a M-5 when you can drive a Gt-3? BMWS were meant for stuffy people, Sorry theres a reason why to buy Porsche, and its not to fit 4 large clients into your 911.

[RickM]

I'm with Brian and Bob, BMW makes some awesome cars...maybe not apples to apples with Porsche but great cars. Who else make high perfomance sedans? Not Porsche.

And who says BMW owners dont wrench on their cars. Shame on you. The crowd you describe is the exact same crowd tooling around in 996s and Boxters. There is such a thing as older BMWs. M3, 2002, 3.0 etc Plenty of BMW owners are DIY.

My experience is that any dealership is going to work on the newer cars. But damned if I bring my '85 380SL to the dealership...they've probably never seen one. And that is probably what they teach in the abovementioned training...the newer stuff.

If I were you I'd go to a couple of dealerships and tell them what your considering. I'd bet they'd be happy to give you a tour.

[stealthn]

Originally posted by FenderGuy
Why drive a M-5 when you can drive a Gt-3? BMWS were meant for stuffy people, Sorry theres a reason why to buy Porsche, and its not to fit 4 large clients into your 911.

A. Have you driven either?, B. Swiping (untrue) generalization, C. I think you missed what I was saying, and asked and answered your own question.