Quote:
Originally Posted by snappytravis
This is a cool post, The way I see it the guy that is getting $105.00 an hour, He has been in the business a long time, Regardless if he just started his business 5 or 10 years ago, He was a car guy working on rusty junk before he started his own high dollar shop. Yes your going to pay, but it's going to be done right, or you go to the guy half the price and it will take twice as long, and still probably be a sh#t job in the end.
Another thing is most people that have not worked in good old dusty bodyshops, Don't realize that there is some serious health issues that I would imagine every 20 year plus bodyshop tech is going to have, It also is a trade that most people have learned through the school of hard knocks, (that's how I have learned everything). I don't care what tech school you go to or how good the guy was you worked with, You either have the talent or you don't.
I started a 1999 a dealership bodyshop in 1994 and the labor rate was $32.00 bucks an hour, I left in 04 and it was $48.00. The people reading this post need to ask themselves before they start on a project, Can I really afford it, Make a budget, Would it be fair to say a $100,000.00 car pIroject 50 would be for parts and 50 for labor? I have over 40 in my Camaro and I have done all the work.
I guess where I am going with this is It is a dying trade, I would put money on it there are less techs coming in to the trade, then there are going out.
Sorry if my english is not right on I was reading hotrod magazines in that class!
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Not to mention that Riverton accent. LOL
Quote:
Originally Posted by DBasher
I'm not a customer, can't afford to be. I work for a company but have my own accounts and deal directly with the customer. Sometimes it's a property manager often times it's a building owner. The relationship and trust is what makes the combination work. I have customers that I've had for the last 8-9 years and they've followed me from the original shop I was at. I'm not the best mechanic, not the fastest or even the prettiest. What I've got is my word, honesty and integrity go along way when dealing with people.
I'm actually surprised that the high end shops aren't more than $105. Are the guys doing the work, say a journeymen fabricator, making $50-$60 an hour?
Great conversation!
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Most of the ones I know are doing $30-$35 an hour. The good ones. But the good ones are always cooky or on meth. And the even better ones move shop to shop looking for a better wage.
I remember when I was working a gas station at 16 thinking what I would do to work at a hot rod shop. Where are those guys, those are the guys I want working for me. The hungry and passionate.