Well I think I have had it, I am tired of everyone knowing more than me about their performance cars , but dont know how to do the work themselves.
Jerkoffs and yahoos that know it all and think it can be done in record times and ##### about having to pay the damm bill.

All I keep hearing is my morgage is 400.00 a week, Well so what !!!.
Is it my problem you live outside your means??
Is it my problem you took your car apart 3 friggen years ago and let the cylinders rust and pit.? And lost most of the bolts and parts to put it back together?

I used to do this buisness cause i liked to make a few bucks and see a person leave happy. now Im getting to the point that I dont give a hell.
One customer comes in today #####ing about his car I just finished last Thursday now it wont run.
It left here running perfect he goes home cranks up the timming to 18 Deg.and fuel pressure to 40 + lbs and takes it to the chassis dyno and now it runs like a bag of Shyt.
He says the head gaskets are blown.
NO KIDDING STUPID.
You detonate and engine and the head gaskets are gonna let go tis designed to do that .
Better than a piston popping isnt it?

Im gonna sit on this tonight and cool off and deciede tomorrow, Sorry guiys I just had to vent.
Scott

Its ok man thats what we're all here for, we all help each other with our problems, that is too bad that some people just dont give a sh!t when people try to help them out and all they do is abuse that priveleage and come back putting you down and blaming you when it is there fault. Some people just deserve to be beat over the head with a connecting rod. :(




SWRules

Scott,
Stay with it man. It's better to take #### from annoying customers than #### from a boss. At least now you can call your own shots. Plus, a boss won't always let you off work to go sledding. Hope this helps.

Jeff

You'll get some of that in every line of business. As frustrating as it is try to let it go, tomorrow is a new day (and your not working for somebody else) :D

i say stick with it man. there are benefits of having your own business if u think of them. just think of this, maybe in 4 months from now its a friday afternoon and u want to take off and go riding on your sled. if u are working for someone else, u may not be able to do it. It is impossible to satisfy 100 % of your costumers. U must know this if you have been in business for a few yrs. hang in there bud, better days are coming. :D

Originally posted by 800XRev@Sep 9 2003, 04:18 PM
Is it my problem you took your car apart 3 friggen years ago and let the cylinders rust and pit.? And lost most of the bolts and parts to put it back together?


Scott, I know what you are saying. I used to be a mechanic and got real tiered of working on other peoples junk. They really like the 30/30 guarantee for the performance motors....30 feet or 30 seconds, what ever comes first...LOL

Scott,I hear yah buddy.I have a 5 bay shop with 5 lisc guys.The past couple of weeks i have been thinking long and hard of doing the same thing for the same reason.You should see how many mad customers you can generate with 5 guys.I esspecailly like when they drop of a car for an intermitten problem that wont act up for you when you drive it,but by damn it better be fixed by 5 or else.We wont even talk about the whinning mechanics( i dont want to work on fords,i dont do electronics blah blah blah)Between bad replacement parts,poor design and manufacture(also something i have no say in or responsibility for) and the fact that most customers are dumber than stumps,i too am about ready to give up.

please dont give up guy's......there are way too many dumb motor builders
out there.
my brother has a offroad truck,he had a builder bulding his motors,
till last month.... he had $6000.00 since last spring to get us a motor,
built for the new rules for this year, finley he had it done.
last month we went to get it. gave him the other $4000.00
put the new motor in and started it up.
water was poring out of the cyl, head,
yep you guessed it he sold us a pice of junk. :cussing:
now we are out $10.000.00 and the motor was in the truck for 10 minutes. belive me guys,.....lot's of racers apreciate good motor builders

John where you from I will come work for you I will show your guys what is what.
I am not licenced but I could be if wrote the test.
I can build an engine, rebuild a trans, rand r gears in anything but I have one fault.
I cant doo drum brakes I go friggin nuts trying.
LOL No #### dude I have tried and tried to learn and I cant doo them.

StrayCat if you want an engine built with honesty involved I would be glad to help you out.
I am in Canada so your dollar works better for you here .

Even if I quit I will still doo side jobs for good people.

This guy I am speakinjg of in my 1st post is a sledder too, but he so friggen cheap he wont buy a trailer and calls everybody to run him around to go riding.
His jalopy all breaks down and it sooo damm loud its embarrasing to ride with him.
He dont respect the rules of the trails allways going off trail onto farmers fields and so on.

He thinks he knows everything.

Last season I was so embarassed by him at our local Poker run , he blurts out in front of everyone in the club house "' The trails here are #### they shouldnt be open''.
We were just happy to have enough snow to have the Poker run.
He thinks we should all have snow like New Liskerd down here in the south.

He does come on here once in while but I will not be assosiating with him anymore.
My real friend Formulaman will be dooing lots of riding with me this year if its ok whith him and his Wife, they are great people.
Scott in KW.

Thanks for all the replies guys but I have alot of thinking to doo this week.

Actually im not too far from you.Im in Stayner (Collingwood,Wasaga Beach area)The annoying part is i just bought the lot next to my shop,got a building permit to put on two more bays(we turn away 5-10 cars a day,and at least the same hot rods per month)Just cant find guys.I just paid for this year of training(electronics ) in advance(cost about 6000 dollars for every guy at out shop,guess what ,first week i buy them supper,then coffee after wards,yeah they billed me time and a half for every minute from the time we left the shop(unreal)When I worked for others i paid my own way for 1 year of night school in electronics and these aholes wont go unless they get the training,meal,for free,and pay them their time.If you are interested call me(serious)we do lots of high tech as well as muscle cars,today im building an engine for a modded vette,last week a 450 hp big block chevy.In the summer i did 2 big block ford engines for a canadian talk show host,we do a pile of performance work.705-428-0550 or fax a resume to 428-9956

John I will be calling you tomorrow.
As for a resume Im ca doo one up , but I have been self employed for 10 years so my credetial speak for themselves.
I run a mid 8 second Race car ( Mustang) that I pretty much built myself.

Talk to you tomorrow.
Scott

right now the public are using the retail service people as a whipping boy.

Hey Paul,do you or your family own a Dodge dealership,if so we had one of your customers breakdown(no fault of yours)at my shop last week,they talked very highly of you and yours,if its the same you and yours of which he spoke!

john,
that's my brother mike in paris ontario. a great guy.

you own a ford dealership dont you paul

Scott, just saw you race an Outlaw car, Lidio Iacobelli and Kurt Gallant are good friends of mine, they run Renegade, not sure if you know how they are but pretty much everyone knows Lidio. I've been out of the scene since I got married and built a house.

Try and stick it out. There are tons of idiots out there like you mention and drag racers are notoriously cheap. I've watched some of these loosers spend $400 on parts when you know they're behind on their rent. Consider raising your labor prices a bit, that gets rid of some of the riff-raff. J&P certainly isn't an affordable shop.

I really know what you're dealing with. I spent 10 years as a mechanic working on highway tractors. Went through my apprenticeship and everything. ASE cert as a Master Mechanic as well. Finally I got real tired of dealing with the customers. They think when we charge $75.00/hr shop rate we keep the whole $75.00. What about insurance, shop supplies, building maintenance and gas and electric bills just to name a few. The training most mechanics like myself take makes us just like doctors but yet the human body hasn't changed for a long long long time. Your catr or truck changes every model year. I finally pulled the plug. Screw it. I make a little less but i have a lot less stress and more time for sledding and spending it with my kid.

Scott, I feel for you. You've been doing this for a long time, so obviously you're not just venting due to one bad day at the shop. Anyone who has owned their own business AND worked for someone else along the way, knows there are advantages to both, and no matter which one you're apart of, the other one looks better sometimes. Maybe you should do what I do when I get bummed about working three 12 hour and two 11 hour days....I write down on a blank piece of paper the benefits and priveleges that my job offers me and my family. If, after looking over the list, I feel better about things, I approach things with a little better attitude. The times when I haven't felt better, are the times that I've made a change in employment.

I'm still torn though....I still want to get back in business for myself someday, but just don't know what I want to do yet. Two of my close friends own their own businesses. One of them owns his own 6 bay full service shop. He built it 2 yrs ago after being sold out by the company he used to work for...he's been going like gangbusters since day one. He doesn't have too many employee issues....he pays better than the dealerships in the area, so he can demand the best techs. He makes it look easy...he'll call me on any given night in the winter and say "we're leaving at midnigt tonight to head up to Wisconsin" :cussing: I have to have my time off planned. But after seeing my other buddy's problems, I'm somewhat glad not to be selfemployed. He has 2 jewelry stores, and either can't keep good help, has customers trying to return WalMart jewelry to his stores, customers complaining because he doesn't have "50% off" (of their overpriced pieces of junk) sales like the malls, etc.

Scott, dooo like you said, take some time and think about it. Maybe closing up shop is the best thing, only you can know. You obviously know the benefits of both, just make sure that whatever you choose, it will allow you to enjoy what's important to you. GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Originally posted by Beerman@Sep 10 2003, 10:09 AM
Scott, just saw you race an Outlaw car, Lidio Iacobelli and Kurt Gallant are good friends of mine, they run Renegade, not sure if you know how they are but pretty much everyone knows Lidio. I've been out of the scene since I got married and built a house.

Small world, I've known Lidio since his days at Troy Ford :D
His Renegade Mustang is one nice car, I have yet to go see it run though ???

I agree with the others on keeping your business. Things like this tend to happen in waves, hopefully it will clear up for you and you can go back to enjoying what you do for a living :thumbsup:

Originally posted by MichYamaha@Sep 10 2003, 01:09 PM
Small world, I've known Lidio since his days at Troy Ford :D
His Renegade Mustang is one nice car, I have yet to go see it run though ???
Small world, that's a long time. He quit Troy Ford in what, '91 to go full time with the shop? Does your name happen to be Joe by any chance? I remember talking to someone on the board 2 years ago that knew Lid.

He's trying to get the Renegade car together for Texas. Needs a piston and a slight head repair. He's hoping it'll be together for the next dyno day on Oct. 4th (which I was supposed to update his site with a few days ago, oops).

Oh welcom to the world of Automechanics. I worked in my families owned and operated shop for 15+ years. Delt with people that want the best but won't pay for it. Used to get calls in the wee hours of the morning when some kid was out racing and the car quit out on the highway miles from home and it was my fault when the car quit. We also sold sleds and I would get calls from guys that couldn't get their machines going after the bar closed. I got out of it and now build windows for a window manufacturing plant and have never been happier. I go to work, put in 100% to 120% and go home, collect a check everyother week and never get a call for anything. No more loss of skin on my knuckles and no more trashed back from being bent over the fender of a car all day long, no more burnt arms from red hot headers. Best of all No more headackes.

Originally posted by SNORAT@Sep 10 2003, 02:30 PM
Oh welcom to the world of Automechanics. I worked in my families owned and operated shop for 15+ years. Delt with people that want the best but won't pay for it.
Trust me, when I say, "that isn't the case just in auto mechanics".

I've been in alot of businesses, and all around, you will run into customers who think your making money hand over fist, and ripping them off. Don't even get me started on employees.

Whoever said "the customer is always right" was obviously a customer ;)

Lets face it, most days work sucks. But we all gotta pay the bills. You just have to treasure those few days when someone appreciates what you do, and is sincerely thankful for your service.

Tough choices buddy, but weight them carefully.

FishHog

Originally posted by FishHog@Sep 10 2003, 04:30 PM
"the customer is always right"*

FACT if we didn't keep that phrase on our mind then we would kill them.

Exactly.

sometimes my teeth are clenched, but I have to keep repeating that phrase to myself.

Hey 800Xrev...I have been a business owner myself for 17 years now and in the last two years I have threatened to just lock the doors and walk away countless times.

Then I think ...I have a lot of customers that I like. I have a lot of customers that count on me to be there for them. Heck, I have a lot of customers that need me to think for them. Then just before I close the door, I say to myself, "But, I like it here". Then I go home, get some sleep, and get back at it the next morning.

Think about it long and hard, then do what you have to do.

Keith

800Xrev,

I did the very thing you are considering, closed my automotive business.

It ended up being one of the best things I have done.

At the time it was tough to let it go, but when it is time you will know somewhere deep down......the signs will be there, some of them include......the only time you spend with your wife is when she is helping pay the bills on saturday because she was at work the rest of the week, you lost energy to do other things you love, you find yourself unable to smile into the phone, you find yourself making snide remarks to yourself when a customer says something because of his own ignorance, you are parked on the couch on sunday and dont want to leave the house, and you want to strangle people when they have a complaint and it goes on..........

For me I had all those signs plus I had an agreement to purchase the building I was leasing in writing.......when it came time for me to buy they wanted alot more $$$$$ I said no, and they refused to sell. What they did is waited until my lease expired and later on put the property up for sale while I was still renting with no lease......I attempted to buy other properties but it kept falling through.......I had no time to build if they sold because they would have evicted me and I would have had no cash flow...............

And the finally the attacks of 9/11 slowed business down early going into my slower season (winter and the holidays, I specialized in auto a/c) so I then ended up at the point where cash was low, I had no place to go.....so while I had the $$$$ I paid all my suppliers off and closed the doors.

It was tough because you flip flop back and forth but I knew it was right once I looked at all of the signs that had been there.

The bottom line is I was not passionate about the business anymore, it never really was my true passion, and I still do not know what that is but I know I will find it eventually, and for know I have a job and make good $$$ and have good bennies, and when I go home that is that....I still do a good job and care about my work when I am there, but as soon as i know it is time to move on I will in search of what I would really like to do.

I wish you luck, I know it is hard but look hard not only at yourself but others that are important to you because it can wear on the too, they just may not say it so pay attention.

Being a licensed mechanic myself with 15+ years on the bench i know how crappy of a job it can be.The worst part is that it is very hard to find a good mechanic these days, seems like alot of the good ones got smart and got out.I know i'm trying to pursue another type of employment :0: And all i doo now is drivability and electronics.

Thanks for all the great replies ,I have read every one very carefully.
I am going to see John on Monday to see if I am interested.

Today the customer I was speaking of came into the shop to do more #####ing about things.
Today was a bad day for him to doo this.
One of my fastest customers and friends was there and we were finishing up with his car for the upcomming race.

The a$$&( tried telling us that his tune was not the problem and he has set up lots of engines even his supercharged engine with 18 degrees of timing, well my customer and friend was there and he laid right into him and told him he was a idiot.
Also told the assclown that his car must be real special and a one of a kind to run that kind of combo.
Assclown walked out and says ''I will never be back in this place again'' we asked for it in writing.

My custoer asked me then how do you doo it without punching out customers, I told him its real hard.

I havent told Monique about Johns job oportunity yet, but I dont think it will matter as I dont see us being together much longer.
If I close I am sure she will be pissed about it and wont want to move to a closer spot to cut down the drive for me.
In manners like that and lots of others she is very selfish.

This is the only thing I am thinking of as of lately.
Again thanks for your help.
Scott in KW.

good for you buddies :thumbsup:

Sounds like you got more going on than the business good luck, I'm sure you'll make the right decisions for. God bless

Originally posted by Beerman+Sep 10 2003, 03:24 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Beerman @ Sep 10 2003, 03:24 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-MichYamaha@Sep 10 2003, 01:09 PM
Small world, I&#39;ve known Lidio since his days at Troy Ford* :D
His Renegade Mustang is one nice car, I have yet to go see it run though ???
Small world, that&#39;s a long time. He quit Troy Ford in what, &#39;91 to go full time with the shop? Does your name happen to be Joe by any chance? I remember talking to someone on the board 2 years ago that knew Lid.

He&#39;s trying to get the Renegade car together for Texas. Needs a piston and a slight head repair. He&#39;s hoping it&#39;ll be together for the next dyno day on Oct. 4th (which I was supposed to update his site with a few days ago, oops). [/b][/quote]
Art, Yep, that&#39;s me. It was just now I noticed your name in your sig :D

I drop by the shop to see Lid once in a while. I never got to the track this summer though, just too much going on.

He almost got me hooked on the Savage 4x4 this summer though! :D

Do you do the work on his website, I noticed it underwent some changes this summer.

Joe

Hey Scott,could you email me your phone number,Im pretty certain that I am not going to be in the shop monday(have to deliver a car that I have been trying to sell for the last two years)Just waiting for the guy to give me the coin.If you are up our way anyway,stop by and check out the shop,I will give you a call later(john breedon)