Specialised tuning/modifying work

[rocker8742]

Work based thread coming on here, I'm fancying a bit of a change of career so could be a long one

Currently I've just finished an apprenticeship as a communications engineer with an hnc in electronic engineering and I'm working for a company maintaining communication systems for the ambulance service and public services, also do things like fitting covert blue lights and hands free kits have a reasonably good amount of software/it skills too

I'd quite like to do some kind of modification / tuning work with cars as I'd enjoy it more, whether that be custom fitting or mapping etc

Question is I have no idea where to start with getting into the business does anyone on here do this sort of thing? Or have any insight into where to start

Thanks for reading the essay lol

[Niall]

My advice, stick to your day job. Doing a hobby as a career always wrecks it. That's why I got so bored of bikes and why after all these years, I still enjoy working on cars. I'm sure if I worked on fire alarms as a hobby (as stupid as that sounds, people do! Lol), I would be bored stiff doing it for a job.

[rocker8742]

I'm not all that excited about working on my own cars these days as it is lol but don't mind working on others as I don't have to spend the money lol

[Danny2009]

If you don't have the enthusiasm to work on your I wouldn't bother mate, I'm a mechanic by trade and it can be stressful id stick to the day job

[Ruan]

There's no money in "Mechanics" these days sadly, unless you're a good Diagnostics person who's very handy with a multimeter and has good understanding of CAN signalling - which you probably do, but finding a job in it without just becoming an auto electrician is impossible.

I really wanted to get into the custom engineering/performance tuning stuff, but a reliable income of work seems to be very hard to come by unless you get a good name for yourself doing one thing (a'la Lynx)... If I ever do try and do it, it'll have to be an "out of hours" project thing that I do in my spare time (or what little I have left of it)...

The only people who have money (really...) are people in "Professional Racing", Rally or loaded Arabs wanting to tune their new RS6...

[Frosty]

If you don't have the enthusiasm to work on your I wouldn't bother mate, I'm a mechanic by trade and it can be stressful id stick to the day job

I got to agree with this! I've a mechanic and after working on customers cars all day the last thing you want to do in the evenings and weekends is work on your own car. Some times I don't mind pissing about with mine but that's on the rare occasion that I've had a good day.

Also to be fair the money ain't great at all. I trained 3 and a half years to be level 3 NVQ and an MOT tester and I think it's pretty shocking pay. The fact that customers pay £40 an hour for my work I don't even see quarter of it. I know there are over heads etc but it ain't great. The only positive I have got is that I can use the garage to work on my own car in my free time. There is also the fact of buying tools. I would be scared to add up what I have spent but it's easy 5k plus

[rocker8742]

If you don't have the enthusiasm to work on your I wouldn't bother mate, I'm a mechanic by trade and it can be stressful id stick to the day job

I got to agree with this! I've a mechanic and after working on customers cars all day the last thing you want to do in the evenings and weekends is work on your own car. Some times I don't mind pissing about with mine but that's on the rare occasion that I've had a good day.

Also to be fair the money ain't great at all. I trained 3 and a half years to be level 3 NVQ and an MOT tester and I think it's pretty shocking pay. The fact that customers pay £40 an hour for my work I don't even see quarter of it. I know there are over heads etc but it ain't great. The only positive I have got is that I can use the garage to work on my own car in my free time. There is also the fact of buying tools. I would be scared to add up what I have spent but it's easy 5k plus

Tbh mate it's probably better money than what I'm on hour labour for us is charged at £70 of that I get 6.25 or so lol

[C2K]

Geez that's on a par with shop worker money these days mate, ask for a raise!

[rocker8742]

Tell me about mate be better off in a shop lol