Ben Graber
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 06:15 PM |
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Whats your profession?
Just wondering how many of us are mechanics and how many people are building a car from scratch without any previous knowledge? I served four years as
a Volvo HGV apprentice then moved to a small commercial workshop for two years were we did alot of chassis chops and conversions and for the last
three and a half years I've worked for Ryder truck rental on anything from cars to 44 tonne trucks. Also had experience building Ministox and
racing Stock Rods on short ovals.
[Edited on 30/7/05 by Ben Graber]
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gazza285
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 06:22 PM |
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Mechanical fitter to trade, but now working as a self employed subcontractor involving everything from steel erecting through coded welding work to
machine rebuilding.
Over twenty years experience in motorsport from bikes and karts to RWD Escorts.
Not forgetting four insane years as a live sound engineer for a death metal record label
[Edited on 30/7/05 by gazza285]
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Andrew+dad
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 06:23 PM |
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well im only 16 and in full time education but im not too bad when it comes to landrovers lol done a fair amount of work from small stuff like
changing plugs to engine swaps gearbox swaps chassis swaps etc
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Paul (Notts)
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 06:29 PM |
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Haven't a clue what I am doing most of the time , But building a car is a good way to find out how they work. So I've decided to strip and
rebuild the engine as well.
Day Job - Zoo keeper at a Comprehensive School.
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andyd
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 06:31 PM |
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A compooter prograamer all my working life but spent plenty of time tinkering with motors since my mates and I were able to drive. Failed to finish
the Luego based locost project recently due to lack of funds, build partner becoming a father and oh yeah a divorce! I'm now toying with the
choice of restoring a Capri 2.8i and popping a 2.9EFi in it or designing and building a from scratch mid engined BEC. Over the years I've built
up enough knowledge to do either and they'd both cost pretty much the same. I can't weld but I'm keen to give that a go and make a
chassis from a pile of steel.
Andy
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phelpsa
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 06:39 PM |
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Umm, I haven't really had any time to have a job, but I used to change the straight through pipe for a cat on my dads elise
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liam.mccaffrey
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 06:43 PM |
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mech eng degree, work at refinery drawing office. used to work on scramblers when i was younger done a bit on a BSA fleetstar
about to rebuild an ecotec
only became interested in cars at age 23
Build Blog
Build Photo Album
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Chaz
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 06:48 PM |
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Lego Technics ---------> Remote Control Cars ----------> Kit Car
Natural Progression isn't it  !?
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jacko
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 06:51 PM |
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30 year's vehicle contruction engineer = vehicle body builder and makeing grass track car's and racing them .
Jacko
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bigandy
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 06:53 PM |
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I'm a Mechanical design engineer by trade. Before this I was a manufacturing engineer for a company that built big planes, and before that I
was at Uni doing a degree in Aeronautical engineering.
I've only ever serviced a car (plugs/filter etc) and kept a mini on the road with liberal doses of WD40, before taking on a kit-car. It's
proving to be a bloody good challenge, far more difficult than I anticipated. I likes a challenge though 
Cheers
Andy
Dammit! Too many decisions....
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Kitlooney1000
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 07:09 PM |
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Used to be a gardener, maintained all the machinery myself. Bought an old derilic of a landrover 109 and put that back on the road. always maintained
and repaired my own cars, not afraid to try something before calling my mechanic mate.
Building the locost was a brilliant experience which i hope to do again soon.
Would recommend it toanyone looking for a hobby ( its a full time hobby keeping it on the road once its built, always some thing to repair or
improve)
Lew
Doesnt matter what Sh*t life throws at you, there is always some other poor bugger worse off!!!!!
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davidwag
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 07:10 PM |
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hi,
I've worked my families garage buisiness for 20 years.
Have build a couple of space framed national hotrods, a few mini and fiesta hillclimbers (including my own zetec powered MK 1), a Sunbeam Rapier for
the classic montecarlo and others that i've probably forgotten about.
Originally qualified as an electronics engineer.
Reached the finals of Top Technician 2005 (sponsored by the likes of Crypton, Remit, vauxhall etc.)
David
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Stuart Ainslie
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 07:11 PM |
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Systems Engineer - Rolling Stock (Trains)
Keep clean at work, get covered in shite at home....
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tom_loughlin
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 07:12 PM |
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Just graduated with a M.eng degree in aeronautical engineering, looking for work at the mo, hoping to go into car design.
Tom
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big_wasa
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 07:15 PM |
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My grandads dad was an engineer my grandad was,my dad still is and me im just a wanabee funny how life turns out .I never finished college (five
nights a week in the pub) But I was born with a silver spanner in my hand ...
Its in the blood
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clbarclay
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 07:52 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Chaz
Lego Technics ---------> Remote Control Cars ----------> Kit Car
Natural Progression isn't it !?
Very natural.
I can't remember whether the lego came first or learning to stick weld for me though.
Aside from engineering ND, most of my exsperiance came from a farm workshop so the fact that I can use a vernier caliper as well as hammer is quite
shocking.
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JoelP
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 08:01 PM |
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kitchens and bathrooms for me, and a bit of general stuff. I can take stuff apart well, but usually cant put it back together.
Beware! Bourettes is binfectious.
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alfasudsprint
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 08:17 PM |
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Literally nothing until 30 (company car since licence!) then career change, studied again, bought a Dutton Rico (if anyone knows the model) which came
with a Haynes...read it and decided I could change the engine, bought tools, hired a hoist and bought a 1600GT Xflow, and it worked!!! Basically its
enthusiasm thats kept me learning, from books but a LOT from you guys.
Tim
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 08:21 PM |
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Telecommunications (exchange maintenance) then computers, for more years than I care to remember.
I first played with model engineering, then with 12" to the foot scale cars, purely because it has s*d all to do with computers. It was nice to
use another bit of the brain now and again.
Prior knowledge was only keeping old bangers running, and even then it was only basic maintenance.
rgds,
David
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ray.h.
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 08:33 PM |
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Started out on two stroke bikes at 16,model boats,submarines,restored a couple of bikes, maintain dozens of bikes and cars to save money. Fancied
doing a kitcar for about 20 yrs but kids put a stop to that.My son is now a Ford masters apprentice so now i help him run his ARC TKM kart once a
month.Funny how things turn full circle.Currently looking for plans to build a kids fun car like Brummie for my grandson.
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wilkingj
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 09:29 PM |
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Well I started at 15 with a Francis Barnet Cruiser 80, which was lying in a neighbours garden and would not even start.
A book from the library, and I got it going. Cost me 13 weeks paper round wages £6 10s (yup 6 pound 10 SHILLINGS or £6:50 in todayspeak. ie 50p per
week)
That was 37 years ago. Maintained all my cars since then. Wont buy a new car with a computer in it, as I cant fix it. Currently have a 1984 Land Rover
had that 11 years.
Rebuilt two Land Rovers from the concrete upwards.
This is my first kit Car.
Trade: - At the moment I am a Technical Anal-yst. I sort out other peoples Sh*te.
Worked for BT 36 years, all on the engineering side, mostly planning large business installations and one off's for a customer who cant be
mentioned by name. mostly enjoyed it all. Desk bound engineer driving a computer these days looking after customers IT platforms, mainly their
requirements, seeing that it happens, and that we get paid! ie co-ordination of Orders and jobs.
My 17 yr old son has just bought a Jago jepe off Ebay as his first car... Now I have two kit cars to sort out!
1. The point of a journey is not to arrive.
2. Never take life seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
Best Regards
Geoff
http://www.v8viento.co.uk
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Richard Y
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 11:11 PM |
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Im currently a halfords audio/enhancment specialist working towards management.
I have that anoying thing where i have to be making something, computers used to be my thing done the whole college thing got the qualifications only
to get bored and move on, blew up and old reno 19 16v one time and after a 10 hour AA toe home decided id fix it my self with no knowledge at all, got
me a haynes manual and a hoist and put a new engine in, been into the car thing ever since, mainly as a passion though i dont think id ever do it as a
living.. i just stick to telling people how to do it so i dont get dirty funny my first car i ran i dry of oil becuase i didnt know anything!! now
i can do a cambelt change on me megane coupe in less than 3 hours loool
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gazza285
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| posted on 30/7/05 at 11:34 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Richard Y
Im currently a halfords audio/enhancment specialist.
What's that? Are you the Boom and Bling bloke then?
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zilspeed
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| posted on 31/7/05 at 12:39 AM |
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I'm a building surveyor. But playing with cars was inherited from my father.
Happily back in the banger world again where I get involved with the car rather than a garage fixing a company car - how boring and predictable.
My proudest moment with kitcars was converting my Sylva from Vauxhall OHV engine to Zetec power. This was about 8 years ago when zetec power in a RWD
car was a real rarity.
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jollygreengiant
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| posted on 31/7/05 at 02:57 AM |
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Dad was a carpet fitter & ever since age 9 when I went to a breakers yard with him (I filled my pockets with all sorts of switches & things at
that time) I've wanted to build my own car. 37 years later I'm making a start.
Oh and I drive a taxi for a living now as I could no longer morally or ethicially accept some of the things I was being asked to do by management.
Better wages, fewer hours and no crap.
enjoy
Beware of the Goldfish in the tulip mines. The ONLY defence against them is smoking peanut butter sandwiches.
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