Rookie's First Restoration Attempt...

Well, great news. My search for a job has finally ended. I finally landed a job at a body shop here in Calgary, which has been in business in the same location for 50 years. Once I prove to them that I am worth apprenticing, they will enroll me into the apprenticeship program at SAIT Polytechnic. This will allow me to get my journeyman's certificate as an auto body technician. I am very excited about this...its taken me a long time to find a job like this here in Calgary, and I can finally pursue a career that I enjoy. This is the first step to opening up my own shop, and being able to work on customer's cars, without doubt.

Stan, if I take that job from you, it might be a couple years before I make it down to Walpole...I want to get my journeyman ticket in this trade. It will provide me insurance with this as a career.

YAAAAHHHOOOO!
 
Congrats! I love it when a plan comes together.
Which body shop? I called on pretty much all of them over the years.
I gotta take a guess... Lou's? or maybe Superior...
 
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00fxd said:
stinger12 said:
Nope...its called "SOS Paint & Body"
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Doh!
Thats an old one too....
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Have you ever used them before? I never really saw any of the work they do...I had two interviews in an office...that's it. Didn't really get a tour of the shop. From what I have heard, the majority of the work is insurance related damage on newer vehicles.
 
MYBAD79 said:
00fxd said:
Most body shops nowdays rely on insurance work for their bread and butter.
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yup.... unfortunately....

congrats on the apprenticeship :thumbs:

are they teaching you or are going to teach them ?? LOL
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Unfortunately, I think they look at me just like an average kid...even though i had an incredible portfolio of pics and an amazing resume with professional reference letters, from mechanics and teachers. Hopefully I will gain their respect within a few months. I will be the shop "rookie" so I will be starting out sweeping floors and stuff...then work from there.

I have to prove to them that i am worth apprenticing first. Once I prove that to them, they will put me in the program
 
I haven't posted an update in a while, so I figured I'd keep you guys up to date on my "career journey". I haven't touched the vette since my last real update...life has gotten in the way, and I was pretty burnt out from all that flare work.

I've been getting my stuff together for my new job. I've spent $1800 total on tools and a tool chest so far...and still have a ton of stuff to get. I bought myself the best tool chest I could afford, and according to Mike, I couldn't have asked for a better chest. He said its the model above his (believe it or not). So, that means it has to be good! I figure I am going to be relying on these to make a living one day, so whatever I spend now is an investment. Mike helped me pick out a bunch of tools I will need, and told me which tools need to be "top of the line" (I remember when I was in Dallas that all of his stuff was Snap-On...but he has been a mechanic his whole life, so I'm not surprised). I'm on a tight budget right now...but it will be worth every penny in the end.

I wasn't going to post pics, but decided against it because you guys enjoy them. So, here they are...

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Sting, there is a old mechanic friend down the road a piece from me, at Cocoa Florida, right off I 95, near Red/Mike Zurl.......Well Charlie has about every tool known to man, but his health is not so great today, and he is mostly retarred these daze....

I can inquire if he wants to sell off some of his tool collection, maybe all of it....

it is obviously something you would have to see for yourself.....hell of a trip expense and shipping would be a bitch, for sure....

Most of MY tools came from hock shops....but you need know the prices pretty good and be able to negotiate well.....:hissyfit::p:beer:
 
mrvette said:
Sting, there is a old mechanic friend down the road a piece from me, at Cocoa Florida, right off I 95, near Red/Mike Zurl.......Well Charlie has about every tool known to man, but his health is not so great today, and he is mostly retarred these daze....

I can inquire if he wants to sell off some of his tool collection, maybe all of it....

it is obviously something you would have to see for yourself.....hell of a trip expense and shipping would be a bitch, for sure....

Most of MY tools came from hock shops....but you need know the prices pretty good and be able to negotiate well.....:hissyfit::p:beer:
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You have a PM.
 
JeffP1167 said:
Man how you afford to do all this? I make good money and my project cars sucks me dry every week.
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I have great parents. They do not charge me rent, and let me work full time. I drive one of the family vehicles, so I do not own my own car yet...but I will eventually. I work my butt off like the rest of you guys to make money, and support myself.

I don't let the vette suck me dry of money - I control that. I will wait until I have enough money to buy something...I never use credit cards. Why do you think this has taken me 4 years, and I don't even have my paint job done?
 
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