Is there a better way to execute car projects

[Vince@Meanstreets]

Originally Posted by youthpastor

Haven't read all the posts yet!! but this one struck me as all to true- Nail on the head

Sad, and makes me cry.

Chris, I'd love to get into what makes your business click and how you got there. Its a tough market but at least I have spenders around me. What is your secret.
I have on the average 6-7 simultaneous projects and getting the right quote and deposit is the hardest part since most builds take 7-8 mo to complete. Some even longer.

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by Vince@MSperfab

Sad, and makes me cry.

Chris, I'd love to get into what makes your business click and how you got there. Its a tough market but at least I have spenders around me. What is your secret.
I have on the average 6-7 simultaneous projects and getting the right quote and deposit is the hardest part since most builds take 7-8 mo to complete. Some even longer.

Chris got into the business because he told me one day (at my house working on Jason Rushforth's car) that he was thinking about going out on his own.... and I told him he was a nut job if he didn't at least give it a try. At his age - what did he have to lose (besides everything).... LOL

This is not all "quite" true (except the part about wrenching on Rushforth's car at my house). :>)

[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!