How to make cars a career

[TrevS]

Hi guys

I need a bit of advice from the wise heads on here. I’ve been enjoying my GT40 hobby for the past few years now while working professionally as a digital art director in the world of website design which is a world away from car building. I really enjoy my job and am very good at what I do but have also become hugely passionate about building/working on/restoring cars and have realised that as I get that bit older I’d like to get more involved with cars at professional level and try and turn my hobby into a job. Has anyone got any advice as to how I could make the transition and areas I might be suited to or is it a non-starter/dead end?

The first idea would be to look at buying, fixing up and then selling cars as I’ve done this in the past and am currently just finishing the restoration of an 1963 Ford Anglia which I plan to sell when done. I like the idea of working for myself and this something I could do from home or hire a workshop etc but to commit to doing something like this would require doing it full time otherwise I’d have too many projects that I just couldn’t juggle at weekends. There is also a high risk involved in trying to generate a profit from each car to make it a viable business.

The next thing I did think about exploring would be maybe trying to approach a manufacturer/restoration company to see about the possibility of working in an agent or sales and marketing role where I could combine my digital/web background to try and build up a customer base online for a company that perhaps still operates in a more traditional way. This would allow me to apply the skills I currently have while continuing in my full time job but get more involved in an area I am passionate about. If this were successful then I guess I would have the flexibility I to increase the amount of time spent on the car side and maybe reduce my number of days in my regular job making a transition easier.

The final area I thought about looking at would be to get more involved in the building/engineering side of the car business as again this is something I really enjoy but I certainly don’t have the knowledge required to get involved at a professional level. Therefore I would perhaps need a company to take me under their wing and help train me by perhaps offering to work for free or help out at weekends etc. Or potentially look at engineering courses etc to build up the skills I need to start working professionally. The problem I guess with this route would come down to money as I’d effectively be starting from the bottom and I guess with the current economic climate and the state of engineering in the UK this could be a risky route to explore.

These are just a couple of ideas I am throwing out there so what would you suggest I look at or focus on and can anyone give me a little guidance? Any advice from anyone in the trade or that has experience in changing career paths would be much appreciated

Thanks

 

[Randy V]

Trev - ahhhh the dream! It's one that few can take on without it ultimately turning into a nightmare.... Remember that if you turn your hobby into your job, that you will now have switched a number of things around in your life:
You would normally turn to your hobby to relax - now work.
You would normally turn to your hobby as a source of enjoyment - now income.
You would normally turn to your hobby as a way to reduce stress - now add stress of customers and their unrealistic expectations.
If you turn your hobby into your job - what will you then take on as a hobby?

I don't mean to be a spoil sport here. I've done what you are speaking of and was lucky to be able to UN-DO it before I had lost all of my heart for cars..

Whatever you do - please consider starting slow (as a sideline work effort) and carefully balance your life and the expectations of family etc while you carefully and deliberately choose and take the next step..

Best wishes in realizing your dream!

 

[TrevS]

Trev - ahhhh the dream! It's one that few can take on without it ultimately turning into a nightmare.... Remember that if you turn your hobby into your job, that you will now have switched a number of things around in your life:
You would normally turn to your hobby to relax - now work.
You would normally turn to your hobby as a source of enjoyment - now income.
You would normally turn to your hobby as a way to reduce stress - now add stress of customers and their unrealistic expectations.
If you turn your hobby into your job - what will you then take on as a hobby?

I don't mean to be a spoil sport here. I've done what you are speaking of and was lucky to be able to UN-DO it before I had lost all of my heart for cars..

Whatever you do - please consider starting slow (as a sideline work effort) and carefully balance your life and the expectations of family etc while you carefully and deliberately choose and take the next step..

Best wishes in realizing your dream!

That's very good advice Randy, I totally agree with what your saying. I guess rather than looking at jumping into something with both feet I need to test the water and maybe not commit fully to cars in order to keep the passion there.

 

[Jack]

I totally agree with Randy's comments! Proceed very cautiously!

 

[Brett James-McCall]

If you work in digital design, why wouldn't you try to get involved in the early design? We only do final prototype in clay etc these days for shows etc. For instance current Fiesta was signed off using only digital medium.

Trust me, certainly in big companies, the engineering is can not be that glamourous, and you are generally a cog in the very big wheel - it is certainly not like restoration or smaller scale.

I don't think engineering is risky in the UK at all... we just announced large investment in a few major programmes for engine development to be done here in the UK - yes, in case you were wondering (and people hadn't figured out after allt hese years), I do work for Ford. we have probably one of the largest R&D engineering centres in the UK... and the future looks bright, the future looks like EcoBoost :d

 

[Dimi Terleckyj]

Hi Trev

Years ago I loved scuba diving and decided to turn my hobby into a job.

I became an instructor and started teaching students.

It very quickly became a chore to have to go out when I didn't feel well or the weather was bad but still had to go because of class commitments.

Needless to say I gave up being an instructor and did not dive for several years until I got over it and now only dive for relaxation when I feel like it.

Be Careful and don't turn something you love into something you don't like.

Dimi.

 

[Jac Mac]

I agree with all the above comments,seldom that you will get 'real' pleasure out of building cars for others as the owners will usually impose limits on how much you can spend on their behalf or their ability to use the car/'s will fall far short from the impression they may have given you, this wont always be the case, but those examples are the ones that niggle away at you in the 'down' times.
You only have to think back to a few of the classic examples we have seen on this site, try putting yourself in Frans position when Bill D was having the wheels fall off his car every time he went for a test drive,or Andy with the real story behind (C)arlos ill advised front coil spring issue, old & classic cars are mechanical objects, mechanical objects often fail or break, sometimes with a lot of help from the owner who might be inclined to shout & point the finger in any direction rather than himself. In this world with the net etc bad news travels fast & in the rush sometimes the real problem becomes somewhat hidden, Just another thing to consider if you decide to follow your dream

 

[John S]

Trev,

I totally agree with Randy and Dimi.
For over 10 years now I have been a racing instructor, but always next to a regular job. This regular job takes care of my mortgage (very low), my family (every day stuff as well as holidays), their studies.
My own company I have for instruction still feels like a hobby and because I don't need it to pay for the house and family, I can decide whether I want to train certain customers or not. Or whether I can focus mainly on racing and drifting (I use the latter to get their car control up to the right level quickly) or have to take on any job (say enhanced road driving or anti slid course) to get my income needed for my house and family.

This way I get to choose who I train and how many days I train. Usually I do between 40-45 days a year, mostly at the bigger international circuits in Europe. I get a lot of energy out of this, as I do something I really love doing and all my customers are enjoying this as well, but it never feels like work. Once it does, I will have to back off.

I would start in a similar way if I were you. See if you can help during the weekend at a local work shop, or maybe a work shop you would really like to get started. This will allow you to get a feeling for it and whether you want to take it any further. If you do you might discuss working less hours for your boss and spend more time at the work shop, but always make sure it still feels good.

Good luck.

John

 

[Troy]

A quote to live by...

"The best way to make a small fortune in motorsport is to start with a large one..."

 

[Mark G]

Trev,

I too have been giving thought to starting my own automotive business. My experiance may be different. My reasons for wanting to do it may be different as well. I can say that one thing I think is vital is "passion". I love cars. I have had jobs working in the automotive field, some better than others. I had at one time, what sounded like a dream job, but I was very unhappy. I still hope to find a way to use my passion to make a living.

Mark

 

[Jackal]

10 years ago my passion was motorcycles. I built my own street fighters and then proceded to start my own motorcycle shop. I started a workshop, a motorcycle sales (imported from Japan auctions) section and customizing section. I employed a star mechanic (really 1st class guy and a good friend of mine today), a driver, learner mechanic a partner and fellow customizer. 2 Years later I couldn't care less about motorcycles!

The unreasonable customers (and believe me an can tell you stories), my learner mechanic who decided a joy ride on a customer superbike (after stealing the mechanic's workshop key), then writing it off, the bike ending up in half (seriously). A partner who swindled me silly.

Up to today I like looking at bikes but really have lost my passion for them. If I had to go into business with the car I'm building, I'd most probably just sell body kits and chassis. I would not want to be under pressure though producing units. When a passion becomes a chore......

 

[Jim Rosenthal]

Interesting to hear these comments, and even more interesting to hear how much the world has not changed. Decades ago, I graduated college as an art major; one of my fields was photography, which I enjoyed a great deal. So when I graduated, I set up as a commercial photographer. I made a living but not a very good one, and found that my enjoyment of photography had diminished considerably- to the point where I really didn't enjoy it at all anymore. Not being free to pick your own subjects makes it far less fun.

I ended up returning to college, getting another degree, in biology, and going to medical school. Medicine, especially emergency medicine (what I do) has it's ups and downs, but one of the best things is that you are either in it full-time or not in it at all. There is hardly such a thing as someone who has a day job and does a little medicine on the side. We do have members of our group who do not do full time clinical hours, but they have administrative tasks that take up all the rest of their time and then some. I'd rather do my thirty-plus hours a week in the ED and leave it at that. Making your hobby into your job may spoil both your hobby and imperil your income.

 

[TrevS]

Thanks for the comments so far. I don't think I could realistically look at starting my own company but what I am talking about is perhaps some kind of happy medium between my hobby and my profession. The skills I have are in marketing, promotion and sales online. For instance I have a Facebook page for my GT40 build with 400 active followers. I get lots of comments and questions from people all over the world about the car and the parts I fit and I've been contacted by several people telling me they have purchased a kit based on following my build on Facebook and me helping with their questions.

That could be very useful to a manufacturer looking for an agent to push products or to expand a business that still operates in a traditional way e.g. over the phone/face to face. There are some amazingly talented companies here in the UK that I've visited and dealt with over the past few years and some of them don't even have a website. For example my local powder coater operates by word of mouth, no website etc. I took some panels in the other day and asked how business was and he said fairly quiet. It's probably because no one even knows he is there.

What I guess would be the ideal scenario would be to try and get my foot in the door with a company that would benefit from my skills and that I could learn from them to build up that involvement rather than simply throwing everything into a start up of my own.

 

[Kelly]

People should always pursue their passions but should be cautious about trying to make a living out of the things they enjoy as hobbies. Some can succeed at making a living in doing so but the overwhelming majority does not. I think it’s a combination of expectations going in and just plain old human nature that leads to this result. We’ve all thought about it and not to get too deep here but I think it’s actually fairly easy to understand.

The level of difficulty in starting and managing a profitable business is easily underestimated. Most businesses that are started fail. It’s a fact and kudos to those entrepreneurs who persevere. The in-between result is often a lower level than expected or needed income which adds stress. Add dependents to this; wife, kids, and the stress level goes up. People that aren’t as driven by income are often better equipped to be happy doing what they choose and the correlation between those that make the big dough and those that are truly content is much weaker than most think.

Hobby’s and passions are completely a matter of choice. Making a living is not optional (except for the independently wealthy and the worthless). When we do things because we are compelled to it is no longer choice. Freedom of choice is one of the most powerful enablers of happiness. –Human nature.

Once the decision is made to pursue something as a means of sustaining income, one’s ability to choose can become limited. It’s just a fact of life and as already noted in this thread, the compromise required to make money often diminishes the very thing about the pursuit our passions that made it desirable to begin with.

In simpler terms, when you are doing something for a living it is no longer choice and becomes work. Alternately, when you don’t have to make a living at it, it is truly elective and by choice.

-Muses of an armchair philosopher.
K

 

[Stephen Tonks]

Hi Trev
In the words of the great Tom Cruise (Days of Thunder), "You've got to do what you do well, to be able to do what you want." Make as much money as you can doing what you do well, or win the lottery. Then it doesn't matter. You can do what you enjoy. Sell a few of your cars at a loss, but you're enjoying it. It doesn't matter. Don't make it a job. Too much hassle.
I work in computers. Programming and support etc. Used to love them. Now I hate them. Sounds familar.
Regards
Stephen

 

[Doug S.]

Trevor, I can only say to listen to those who advise against doing what you're planning. Like many others, I did it for a while, found out very quickly that it took the joy out of the endeavors (it was woodworking for me). When you have friends breathing down your neck wanting stuff, you question your choice of friends when it should have been your choice of vocations you questioned.

Keep the car stuff for fun, and it will remain fun. Turn it into a job and it will become drudgery like any job can, and usually does, entail.

When I retired from a 32 career in education back in late 2007, it was with high hopes that I could spend my retirement building component cars and selling them for profit...thank goodness the economy tanked and I abandoned that idea. For now my Cobra is a joy, even when it needs work, but if it were a job I wouldn't be able to drive it, I would feel that I had to work for the customers before I worked for myself. See what I mean????

Just my $.02 worth.....

Cheers!

Doug