OT auto truck repair

Just wondering , seems to be a few . How many either work in or own an Auto or Truck repair shop . Guess we can throw in tractor repair too.
Me , owned own shop for 28 years . Auto ,truck, small engine .

I'm in.

(quoted from post at 19:34:47 09/15/11) Just wondering , seems to be a few . How many either work in or own an Auto or Truck repair shop . Guess we can throw in tractor repair too.
Me , owned own shop for 28 years . Auto ,truck, small engine .

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I worked for IH dealerships for 10 years and now have had my own shop for 26 years. Started out working on tractors but was kind of side lined for about 20 years working on Schwans trucks. Back to working on tractors and farm equipment along with starters, alternators, and generators.

done that for the past 29 years.

Just completed 35 years in August. All types welding ,fabrication, machine work,med duty truck and tractor repair and restoration.We do not and will not work on cars,chain saws,string trimmers, lawn mowers or ATVs.

Started working on farm machinery 41 years ago. Fixed radiators for 8 years, quit and when back to farm machines.

I run my own place, have for 20 yrs. Dad owned before me for 25yrs. I got 30 yrs. in trucks,tractors,autos and welding. Dad's 71 works everyday.

Ahhh those wonderfull schwans trucks ! Actually the trucks and LP systems arn't bad,,just got sour taste from old branch manager here in town . Everythign had to be RIGHT NOW , could never schedule anything .

54 years old,worked on my own stuff all my life,Worked in an idependent truck/heavy equipment shop for 5 years,been repairing the neighbor's tractors and equipment the last 7 yaers or so.

My dad was a pretty good shade tree mechanic, and I kinda followed in his footsteps, doing whatever it took to keep a vehicle going. ("Course back then all you needed was a good set of tools and a timing light.) Spent 22 years repairing small engines and lawn/garden equipment for Sears. Spent the last ten years of my working career behind the parts counter of two different Ford dealers.

(quoted from post at 20:19:50 09/15/11) Ahhh those wonderfull schwans trucks ! Actually the trucks and LP systems arn't bad,,just got sour taste from old branch manager here in town . Everythign had to be RIGHT NOW , could never schedule anything .

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They had 18 of them here at one time. Not quite enough to keep me busy full time but so much that I really couldn't take on any other large jobs. From my end things really started to go down hill when they outsourced the truck group to a California company. That didn't work out too well and now they want to provide all the parts and pay strictly flat rate. Invoices paid 45 days after they receive them. 6000+ trucks and they get to use the money due for repairs and service for a month and a half. They didn't seem to look at it like I was loaning them $6000 - $7000 interest free.

I grew up helping Dad work on equipment, spent time in the Navy working on steam turbines and anything else in the engine room, related to making the ship move as well as support equipment, did AC&R repair, fabrication, and industrial maintenance all for about 8 years after I got out. From then on I have worked for myself. As it stands I'm going on about close to 14 years. I do mainly field repairs on construction equipment and cranes more than anything else but do get smaller stuff brought to the shop (down from the house) on occasion. Though i do more big stuff than anything else, over the years I have worked on everything from push mowers to about the biggest job, that dad and I teamed up to do, which was a complete, ground up rebuild on a 71B Bucyrus Erie dragline. When it comes to cars and trucks though I'll work on my own stuff no problem but I shy away from that type work as much as possible simply because I've had several relatives in that business and I know what kind of crap they have to put up with when dealing with the 'average consumer'. Unfortunately they are a whole different breed of people when compared with equipment owners who, though now always the easiest to deal with, atr making a living with their machines and don't fuss nearly as much about the bill....or leave you with a repaired vehicle to hold on to and then have to get rid of because the bill was more than the car was worth......

Been in the truck and equipment repair ,machine
shop , and automotive machine shop business for
30+ years , pushed dirt etc for ten years before
that, and dairy farmed for near 10 years before
that. also worked electronics repair for NSA for
a little while right out of Penn state .
Now I do some machine shop work and quite a lot
of O/A cast iron welding .

george

Started twisten wrenches back in high school day while working for a large construction company along with running heavy equipment . Learned how to weld and work on just about everything the company had . Built my own engines for my hobby of drag racing . Spent two years in the army and came back to no job and went to work at a Chrysler Plymouth dealership as a mechanic working on the performance cars . Got a offer to go to a Ford dealership and take over there drag program and work on the Mustangs and Toreno (sp)Then on to Parts manager till i had enough of working for the man and went on my own trucking till that went away in the 80 and opened up a ag. repair and used tractors and equipment for twenty years Now semi retired . Still do work for good old customers and friends.

I've been in the automotive repair business over thirty five years now. Cleaned floors, busted tires, ran wrecker, repaired cars,,, gas stations, shops, dealership. Now along with a partner I own a shop and we get to do it our way. It's fun!

I own a small trucking company and do all the maintenance and 90% of the repairs. Also buy and sell cars to tinker on and make a bit of money on the side when I have time, which isn't often lately.

Transmission shop. Family business, so I grew up around here. After HS, I ran heavy equipment for a few years then moved back home, worked here and bought the shop 5 yrs ago. My dad is still here full time , along with one other full time guy.

Don"t do alot of general repair, mainly because I work for alot of general repair shops in the area, and don"t want to bite the hand that feeds me.

I grew up in the shop my dad owned. He worked on cars, light trucks, small engines and tractors. I worked my way through college as a mechanic.

I just do it for fun now, take the cars somewhere else.

been in Tire and Auto repair since 1973; ran as many as 52 shops at one time, then got bought out by Western Auto. I now work for the best Tire manufacturer in the world, but I'll always be a tech at heart.

Back in the mid seventies my father bought a new F-600 truck at the local dealer. He always did his own oil changes but decided to buy the oil from the dealer. So he took a plastic 1 gallon milk jug up there and had them fill it since he wanted a gallon of oil, they charged him for a gallon and handed him the jug 3/4 full. He pointed out the difference and they grudgingly filled it. He went back for more oil for the next change, same 3/4 full gallon jug. Nope, I don"t trust the dealers.

heres me
poke here

I got in the wrong thread, the post about my fathers oil change should have been in the Phantom oil change section.