Restoring cars for a living

[Matt Harwood]

I think another important part of the picture is that you need to be a problem solver. Old cars are typically simple machines, but when they get cranky, it can seem like witch-doctoring to get them running again. At $65-100/hour, they need to work properly. "Good enough" is never good enough in the old car business, because an owner will know the difference. You can't run up a 10-20 hour tab on someone, then shrug and say you can't fix it. You need to sort it out, sort it out fast, and do it right.

Where the owner of a modern car may not care how the repair was done as long as it was done, if someone fixed, say, the wiring on my Cadillac with bright red plastic-coated wires and crimp-on connectors, I'd be seriously unhappy even if the "problem" was solved. It adds at least one additional layer of difficulty to any repair job that regular shops don't have to face.

Jim Capaldi here in Cleveland has a sterling reputation for solving problems that nobody else can solve. He's experienced, but I think a big component is endless patience. He just works the problem until it's solved, and does it for a fair price. That earns him a LOT of loyalty and his shop is always overflowing.

It's not just about making stuff shiny, but about solving problems that nobody else can solve. If you can do that, then you'll have a long, profitable career. Guys who can make these cars reliable and run like new will always have a full shop.

[1957buickjim]

Great Thread! What a lot of venerable knowledge here! It is very interesting to hear all the points of view, especially from those who are in the business end of the car hobby. Excellent discourse and I look forward to hearing more on it. Keep it up!

[Dandy Dave]

I think another important part of the picture is that you need to be a problem solver. Old cars are typically simple machines, but when they get cranky, it can seem like witch-doctoring to get them running again. At $65-100/hour, they need to work properly. "Good enough" is never good enough in the old car business, because an owner will know the difference. You can't run up a 10-20 hour tab on someone, then shrug and say you can't fix it. You need to sort it out, sort it out fast, and do it right.

Where the owner of a modern car may not care how the repair was done as long as it was done, if someone fixed, say, the wiring on my Cadillac with bright red plastic-coated wires and crimp-on connectors, I'd be seriously unhappy even if the "problem" was solved. It adds at least one additional layer of difficulty to any repair job that regular shops don't have to face.

Jim Capaldi here in Cleveland has a sterling reputation for solving problems that nobody else can solve. He's experienced, but I think a big component is endless patience. He just works the problem until it's solved, and does it for a fair price. That earns him a LOT of loyalty and his shop is always overflowing.

It's not just about making stuff shiny, but about solving problems that nobody else can solve. If you can do that, then you'll have a long, profitable career. Guys who can make these cars reliable and run like new will always have a full shop.

Truer words have not been spoken. If you lived back here in the east I woud swear you were talking about me. There is always a line of stuff just out the door to work on. :cool: Dandy Dave!

[Guest PunkRivi63]

I am in with the dirt racing team learning to Fab and weld in my free time. Going to stick with the Acura thing untill I get my hybrid certs in a year finish my Riviera and the Fab deal. From there ill figure out what I will do with my career.

Again thanks to all that chimmed in on this thread It was invalueable.

[Larry Schramm]

I will NEVER understand how electricity works, and there isn't a person in the world that can teach it, it is a God given ability. Bad bulb, sure, but if it is something else I'm at a loss, I worry about fires that it starts in Vintage cars. I can make body panels and do award winning paint work, that some electrical guys are clueless about so I guess it evens things out.

<!-- google_ad_section_start(weight=ignore) -->1937hd45<!-- google_ad_section_end --><SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_1022195", true); </SCRIPT> , I on the other side find electricity easy and body work tough. Wish we were closer and I would trade you work.

[1937hd45]

You just make the metal smooth and paint it, there is zero chance of the car burning to the ground.

<!-- google_ad_section_start(weight=ignore) -->1937hd45<!-- google_ad_section_end --><SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_1022195", true); </SCRIPT> , I on the other side find electricity easy and body work tough. Wish we were closer and I would trade you work.

[john2dameron]

I was talking to a former neighbor a few weeks ago. He works in a restoration shop at Manassas, VA. (Hope I spelled that right). He told me they recently did a little body work on a '69 Camaro and painted it and it left with a $44,000 bill. I knew restoration work was expensive but I never heard of a paint job running that high. Guess I'm out of touch but it doesn't bother me because I have no desire to have a car restored. I just want my books and the chance to go to a lot of shows and talk to a lot of owners and make a lot of friends and learn all the automotive history I can.

[tenugent]

as you can tell-most of these people have been around awile and have great knowledge.they will also tell you they dont know it all.i worked under one of the best metal-body and custom painters in the country when i was young.he learned from a old timer that took him under his wing.im just getting back into this as a hobby-you have to have a passion for this work.as far as raising a familly and providing for them this will be a chalenge.trying to do great work while taking care of taxes-help -overhead-insurance will be a hard road to ho.go at this at a slow pace and if it grows into something that would be great.work for what you need-wish for what you want.

[Guest mrmdeal1]

If your looking to get into restoration work and want to make a good living doing so start by learning collision repair. Not just parts changing but actual plastic work and structural straightening. I have been a collision tech for 30+ years and make can above average living even in the financial crisis of recent past i still made a good living. Then when you learn the skills of bondo(plastic),structural repair you will also have gained invaluable disassembly and reassembly skills and also learn attention to details which are all vital in restoration work. in my career i have restored at least 50 cars to some stage or another from frame off rotisserie to simple dis-assembly,paint and re-assemble.I have also fixed way to many wrecks including classics to count. It will take you at the minimum a few years to get decent at bodywork and structural repair, most of todays new crop of techs are nothing more than parts changers with little or no skills. But if you stick it out and learn the field it has times when it is very rewarding and extremely frustrating sometimes at the same time. Not to mention you can go to any city,town or country and find work. In my career I have worked in restoration shops and collision production shops. You will make the most money as a collision tech and learn everything you need to learn for restoration in the process.

[Coley]

I was talking to a former neighbor a few weeks ago. He works in a restoration shop at Manassas, VA. (Hope I spelled that right). He told me they recently did a little body work on a '69 Camaro and painted it and it left with a $44,000 bill. I knew restoration work was expensive but I never heard of a paint job running that high. Guess I'm out of touch but it doesn't bother me because I have no desire to have a car restored. I just want my books and the chance to go to a lot of shows and talk to a lot of owners and make a lot of friends and learn all the automotive history I can.

Back in 1964 when I first started to work for a Chevy dealer, I painted cars in the evenings.

A 1957 Chevy that I did for a friend was a hand rubbed lacquer paint job, Door jambs and all. The paint was $50. The labor was $475.00. Times have definitley changed.

[Restorer32]

"We will paint any car for $29.95"...Earl Scheib