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Gettin paid for my hobby!!!

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Banjo

Banjo

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As some of you know, I used to be employed full time as a vintage sportscar mechanic. But due to circumstances beyond my control, I was forced to "grow-up" and work on Toyotas for my bread and butter.
But I've recently gotten back in touch with a friend who runs another vintage sportscar shop and we've hammered out a tenative agreement for me to come down a couple of evenings and saturdays to help him get caught up.
I'm jumping in on a TR3 suspension and brake rebuild, and an Austin Healey 3000 brake rebuild. Also in the shop is a TR6 clutch job, a Jag E-type 2+2 in primer awaiting bodywork, and a 38 MK V Jag that's in many many pieces, among other goodies already there and waiting in que to come in.
Promises to be an adventure. Wish me luck. hopefully it'll just give me more reasons to hang out in some of the forums I neglect on here.
Pics soon.
 
Remember what somebody once said, "When your hobby turns into your business, you have to find a new hobby."
 
No problem there.
Take your pick, I got no time for any of them
Living history camping
HO model trains/ slot cars
model cars/boats/plains
Canoeing/ kayaking
playing bluegrass (thus the username)
Amature radio
drawing/cartooning
 
Ben,

You wanta adopt me & I'll go to work with you
on "take your son to work day"?

- Doug
 
Congrats Ben- have a blast !!!

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/winner1.gif

Save a few bucks for a return trip to PR
for some fishin' and drivin'.

d
 
I'd do it again in an eyeblink, Ben. Good news, indeed.
 
AngliaGT said:
Ben,

You wanta adopt me & I'll go to work with you
on "take your son to work day"?

- Doug
Click to expand...
Sure Doug,
But the commute would be a killer.

It oughta be fun. I get to put wrenches to some neat cars, and even more so, get to meet the people that own them. I'll keep ya all updated on how things go.
 
Hi There Ben,

I was just driving thru /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif and would like to wish you a "Heck of a lot of Fun"! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif

Personally; My "Forever Dream" is too have a Brit Classic Car Showroom /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif(Ain`t goin to happen) /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/mad.gif & Sell nice driver cond. cars.

Anyone out there looking for a "Professional" salesperson? Willing to relocate (South that is; Like NC, SC). /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif

Regards to All,

Russ /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banana.gif
 
You know it's funny, Ben.

When I was about your age, I had a pal who had a little car repair business and I used to help him out on Saturdays.

I always enjoyed the varying jobs and cars, it was a nice break from my regular job and the extra money didn't hurt either. Eventually, he retired, which was good timing as I was starting to need the extra money less and wanted my weekends free.

G'luck!
 
tony barnhill said:
Remember what somebody once said, "When your hobby turns into your business, you have to find a new hobby."
Click to expand...

There's also: "Work at what you love for a living and never work another day in your life"
 
Good on you, Banjo. I know you will enjoy it.

I worked doing something I loved for seventeen years, and, although there were bad times, it was great when I was in "The Zone".

Can you imagine; they actually paid me to talk about airplanes!
 
Way to go!!!! /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/driving.gif

Pat
 
Enjoy your new opportunity. Wish you were working around here, cause I do enjoy stopping in at the shop that works on my car to BS with the guys, and learn a bit about my toy.

Have fun, and if you are in the Lehigh Valley area we can do some of that other hobby...slot cars!
 
/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banana.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banana.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banana.gif
Ben:

This is good news. I used to work for a restoration shop on everything from 32 Ford coupes to 67 SS396 Chevelles.
Loved every minute of it. Just hard to pay the bills on 25 hours a week.

Just make sure there is enough time for family and BEN.

Let me know when you're working as I would love to venture over to NY and see the operation.

/bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/hammer.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/cheers.gif

Dave
 
Sounds like a vacation to me...

Subsidized /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

tony barnhill said:
Remember what somebody once said, "When your hobby turns into your business, you have to find a new hobby."
Click to expand...
I did fall victim to this one once...
I was obsessed with cycling until I started managing a bike shop & doing all the mechanic work.
Shortly after that...I never wanted to see another bicycle again.

I switched to cars /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/savewave.gif
 
WhatsThatNoise said:
Sounds like a vacation to me...

Subsidized /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thumbsup.gif /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/grin.gif

tony barnhill said:
Remember what somebody once said, "When your hobby turns into your business, you have to find a new hobby."
Click to expand...
I did fall victim to this one once...
I was obsessed with cycling until I started managing a bike shop & doing all the mechanic work.
Shortly after that...I never wanted to see another bicycle again.

I switched to cars /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/savewave.gif
Click to expand...
Some days I feel that way about cars!
 
Some days I like working on cars, some days I don't even wanna go in.
But, like I said, I've been employed as a LBC tec before, and that stint only served to put a fire into my enthusiasm for vintage cars. Sure, there's days I don't wanna go to work, but somehow I always enjoyed working on vintage cars.
Half of it is getting to see and understand some of the systems that were used back then. and all the craftsmanship that went into what they built.
Not to mention that people having thier "toy" cars worked on tend to be in far better humor than somone breaking thier budget to keep the grocery getter on the road.
Not to say I'll never tire of it, but so far it falles under "getting paid to be doing what I'd be doing if I could choose to do whatever I wanted"
 
I've been in the wrenching business "officially" off-and-on since '78. Unofficially from diapers. First MGB in '69 and never owned aught but LBC's and Alfas. Certified NIASE (now ASE) in '78, trained at VOA in Lanham, MD on Porsches. Days were few when work was "work." Ran an independent shop here for over a decade with a friend, we restored "Euro-trash" (any pre '74 cars) for the most part. Did a daily 100-mile round trip commute to do it, in MG's and Alfas... What compelled me to do it was that we were resurrecting some unique specimens and it was FUN. There WERE times when the attitude would slip into: "It's just another car." But those times were few and far between.

Some folks think selling insurance is good, others like making spreadsheets to organize data... I like making old English lumps run like they were s'posed to. <shrug>

Go for it, Ben. Glad ya have the opportunity.
 
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