Automotive Repair Side Work- The Things You Need to Know
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 มิ.ย. 2022
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I think one of the most important things you overlooked is Insurance. You need at least general business / liability insurance and Garage Keepers insurance. My 8-5 is as a Network engineer, and my side business is fixing cars in the evenings and weekend. You need to be covered if you wreck someone's car on a test drive or it if burns down inside your garage. Mine is $931 a year. It's well worth it. Pick customers carefully, and don't be afraid to say no to the longer jobs that you don't wan to do.
Definitely have to be picky with who you deal with. I pretty much only deal with friends and acquaintances who I trust and who value my time. Dealing with the types that are only interested because you're cheaper than a dealership are usually not worth the headache.
Ill gladly do side work in my driveway with customers i stole from my shop because at the end of the day the dealer wants me to “check this out” or “figure out what’s going on” and give an update in 15 mins to the writer so i do free diag work in a hurry. This industry is BS anyways ive been getting ripped off for so long its time to start doing it back!
the last thing i ever want to do is work on the car of someone too cheap to take it to where i work. i see cheap peoples cars all the time. they are an absolute nightmare to work on.
it is not worth it. I focused on improving my day job , skill level, educating myself, find a employer that would pay me Enough to eliminate the need to do side work. That what has worked for me
Also remember that "friends" will come out of the woodwork expecting lots for zip or "favours". If you are doing it as a sideline for income, you seriously need to treat it as such. Don't be afraid to say no.
I've seen several guys get burned doing side jobs. That would include myself. Once you work on something you marry it. The ever since you worked on it can get way out of hand. Make sure there is a plan if things go sideways during a repair. One of the last ones I did was front brakes on a car. The front brakes went fine. Can you check the rear brakes turned into a mess. I pulled the drum and the springs were all broken and went everywhere. The wheel cylinder started leaking badly and the axle seal was leaking too. Trying to change the wheel cylinder in IL means you are changing the lines also. This thing is suddenly in pieces blocking most of the cars in the driveway. It takes days to get parts and these people are out a vehicle and no money to pay for all these new parts they unexpectedly need.
I declined a rear brake job on a friends Mercedes A class. The brake springs are supposed to attach to the backing plate. The backing plate had rusted away and so the shoes were loose in the drum. To replace the backing plates on this particular model you have to remove the wheel bearings. Since it was a 17 year old car in Scotland, those bolts were really rusty. For me, working on the street with a trolley jack and axles stands and several days of wind and rain ahead it was a no no. I took the car to a local Mercedes independent and they gave a good quote which my friend was happy with.
@@inajiffy5435 Sometimes it's better to just point them in the right direction and offer a ride.
I'm a mechanic, but my parents bring their car to a local shop close to their home, like close. Anywho. It gets fixed...then it has issue after issue. This isnt even fake. Like, axles get changed, oh one is shot and has not a vibration but a shake the shit out of you...oh brakes got done, rear parking brake motor is busted and leaks, caliper got done, brake pad limit/wear sensor wire is now broken, light on dash. Oh after that axle got fixed, now we have a noise while cornering/turning. I might as well take the car to the shop on a weekend, see what i need, and do the damn thing myself. It'd get done and just be done. I HATE the ever since yous, but this is a legit not time but TIMES where it happens. Mostly mistakes to be honest. Scary
Were do u find the energy? After a 10 or 11 hrs a day 6 day a week theres no amount of money that makes me want to even touch my own cars...... oilchanges man it hurts to do them 😪
I turned my side business into a full time business after 33 years in the dealership- best move ever- should have done it sooner!
I've done it like this for 15 years. Booked 7 days a week. But work part time. Clear 50-60k a year. So work less hours and make my own schedule. I love it.
Do you live in a big city?
Great advice. I'm 36 now started as a tech when I got outta highschool. I stopped doing side work about 5 years ago. It's a hassle man and you highlight everything well in this video. I only do it now for my immediate family and if they have an emergency.
I don’t do a lot, but when I do, it’s people I know or people I know vouch for them. Like an old man told me: once you start on their car, you gonna be on it for life lol.
the part about the body breaking down is key. Im 49 been working on cars since i was 14. I did leave for 15 yrs to work in a related business but not on cars everyday but i still did side work. Even with that break, I have had back surgey, shoulder surgery and need left elbow surgery ....all due to the rigors of the job and in some cases my decisions to go faster rather than smarter and safer
It’s not too bad, I pick what side jobs I take. I take nothing but gravy work like brakes, axles, control arms, shocks, struts, tune-ups, some oil pan gaskets, and valve covers gasket replacements! So far it’s been good! When I get people that complain about the labor price and want to be some cheap asses I just don’t deal with them, I just send them to a shop! As soon as they try to haggle you from the start, it’s an immediate red flag. Because as soon as something goes bad you’ll hear the, “Ever since you did this and that to my car” bullshit story.
To anyone wanting to start doing side jobs, remember, don’t be afraid to say no and DON’T UNDERSELL your skill! You will come across cheap ass MF’s! If they complain about your price from the get-go, don’t even bother to entertain the haggling, trust me, you’ll never please them! They’re already coming to you because they don’t want to pay shop rates!
Exactly!! The best jobs to take care the ones you can knock out in a couple hrs and charge accordingly
It seems to me guys that do side jobs need money. Get a better job you won't need to do side work. I'll be honest with you after 35 years it turns into the story of the shoemaker and his son's.
Nailed this one! You’re totally right. Listen up folks
Good points Mike. I don't advertise auto repair but "word of mouth" has gotten out that I have a low overhead (So I can offer my services at a cheaper cost) and I pay attention to details. I get more work than I want to at times.
Thank this helps a lot I have wanted to start doing small side jobs
The only reason I take on side work is because I have a great customer base and I really enjoy what I do. I don't get tired of it
When I was a flat rate back in the early to mid 1980's I take in a occasional side job but it had to friends or family but only the stuff that can be flipped in a afternoon that means no heavy line work. When I did a career change into being a aircraft mechanic well I did not have to time as I would work a bunch of overtime if I wanted some extra money. After I retired 5 years ago I finally went back to doing occasional side jobs again but the same rule applied but I still will not take any heavy work just the light stuff. Yeah I know how to do the heavy stuff but I need to also rest and conserve. A couple years ago I went to doing work on lawn tractors mainly servicing them for the neighbors much easier and also cheaper to work on.
i don't do side work because if i fuck up, its on me and i don't have all of my tools at my house. i don't have all of my extractors, dap and die sets, shit that would help. i value my time off with my family and got errands to run. also, people are assholes and think because you're a mechanic, you can do everything in 20 minutes. i can't really work on a Cat 657 and a Cst 395 at home either. shit I don't even want to fix my truck if it breaks down😂
I am 62 now but when I was younger I just did it to help people out and improve my skills. I was swamped with work. Sometimes every waking hour working. Rather just do the work in our Dealer.
Its worth it only if you love doing it you have an awesome customer base. Start very very slow and do an outstanding job just like you would at work and you won't have problems.
“Cuz lawyers” lmfao 😂😂😂
I made 2 house payments a month for 5 years on the side , had ins, lic, ect and am a LLC paid off house had a 30x30 shop in back had a in shop lol.
Forgot divorce 3 years after pay off and had to sale it lol
@@larryburns4605 women screwed it all again imagine if you never married man
BOOM...NAILED IT!!!
This is a HUGE problem with young people...some older guys, but mostly young people....SOOOOOO many young people think because they flip tires and do LOF's all day that they can do side work...timing belts, brakes, clutches, etc...most often, in the end, when you do the math, they don't make any money and they f@ck shit up....ask me how I know
Additionally, customers need to beware....too many guys advertising on social media to work on cars with ZERO insurance, ZERO certifications, ZERO service info...fellas, if you are going to do it...DO IT RIGHT!!!!!
Side note: I charge the same as expensive shops to do any side work...my quality is the same at work and at home, no reason to be cheaper...
Charging that way is exactly how I got people to stop asking if I could "Look at something real quick". If you want to buy my weekend time to do what I do every day, it's gonna cost ya!
When people ask if I am a mechanic I normally say “yes, Monday thru Friday 8 to 6.” They usually get the idea.
You can start your own mobile mechanic business and start making profit right now from a facebook market place ad and Craigslist. I did, and I live in Alaska. Pull a duramax downpipe in -20f. In ways it is more difficult, but in alot of other ways it is easier because of the shop environment set backs no longer apply. I can send u a pic of a Ford escape transmission swap in the snow and on Jackstands I did for my uncle
I don't do side work on Sunday well I try my best not to at least, I always travel to jobs occasionally when I need to
Doing backyard work has problems on so many levels. I done it briefly and found that most customers expect you to work for next to nothing and be there for them 24/7. When self-employed I only done work for trade customers.
What about mechanics who by project cars and flip them? Also , mechanics who could do use car inspections on the side for people?
Very true for all trades.
THANK YOU
I have had people solicit me to do work on the side for them. I never did it for them, because working when not at work sucks unless it’s something you are truly passionate about.
I am pretty decent DIY person and love doing auto repairs for friends, family, and especially single mothers or elderly with little money. I don't charge more than parts and every now and then $50. I stick with basics, fluids, brakes, diagnoses, and small things. I don't have a lift to do bigger stuff. However, my wife has pointed out that I need to get insurance just in case something happens to the customer or car after they leave my home. For example, they get into am accident and blame my brake job for it even if it was their fault. I am looking to do that for sure.
Sounds more like a charity than a business.
I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts on some off the finer details of owning a side business working on cars, (and a full time job as a tech). For example, differences in becoming an LLC vs other options.
Flat Rate Master.. Done my share of side work.. That's how I ended up with two sets of tools. One at work and one at home because carrying tools back and forth is a pain in the butt. I would say the smaller jobs don't really pay enough to be worth messing with and the bigger jobs require all the same equipment as a shop including service data. With the cost insurance, tools and specialty tools, service data, supplies and everything else needed you might as well open a full time shop.
Great advice. Know the law and definitely consider the liability.
I have more tools at my dads shop than I have at the dealership. Growing up in the rural rust belt with shitty rusty cars puts me far ahead of the kids that went to tech school. It’s 2020 and I’m still working on 1996s 🤣
Hard to get parts on the weekends
I tried the side hustle with business cards as a “mobile mechanic”. It sucked. Just cheap ass people wanting you to give them a new car for slapping a set of champion plugs in their Honda…. I only have a few customers left I service a few times a year. Mainly brakes and some easy engine work. And any job that is to big for me or I flat out don’t want to do it, I refer them to some of the best local shops I know. Certain exhaust shop I send everyone too does nothing but good honest work and that’s really all my “customers” want
There’s a reason I no longer keep tools at home because that’s the now easy excuse. And after a bit I’ll bring tools if need be for someone I know personally but no longer 24/7 wrenching
Please cover using company oil for side jobs at some point
You mean stealing shop supplies
In Australia its illegal to work from your house because of the environmental laws with oil spills and storage as well as other hazardous chemicals.
👉💨💨💨SIDE WORK‼️💸
You ate a lot this year
Speaking of side gigs..our shop does not allow a tech to do side gigs or use the shop for personal repairs. Many tech left or decline when they pass the hiring process when this rule is mentioned.
Screw that! That is one of the few perks that we get. If you can’t allow me to AT LEAST work on my own car/spouse’s car then I’m out !
Right now no shop is turning away a mechanic
There's a reason shops pay $25/hr flat rate and charge $100 + for shop rate and it's not just greed. So many small hidden expenses involved that most techs know nothing about. You hit on some of the bigger ones, but in my state we have a personal property tax. This is a tax on all tools, equipment AND, desks,chairs, TVs, computers, and even coffee makers. In short, anything used in the business is taxed every year until it is thrown away or replaced. So while working for someone else your hand tools are not taxed as personal property, but when you go into business for yourself they are then considered taxable personal property. REMEMBER, when you collect sales tax you are doing government work for the city, county, and state without any government benefits or pay and if you're paying a CPA to file these reports every month, that comes out of your pocket. OOPs sounds like a rant against taxes, ehh ??
Mobile mechanics have come a far way you’re talking old school I make easily $110 an hour and I charge my customers that due to the service that I provide and they’re always happy to pay it . Im mobile i go to them though
You should start using a green screen, just bc nobody would know but you🤣
How do we know he isn't already using one? 😯
So the video about side work says just turn your side work into a business. Brilliant bit of thinking ...
I hate working on shit at home. That's why we have Toyotas lmao.
Only side work I do is the occasional thing for a coworker. I spend enough time working on cars, I don't want to do that when I leave work also.
So much money could be made out there if you pic your jobs correctly.
Keep your day job.
Ive seen so many different garages
...you new guy's just dont know. That just specialize in a few things then say's to the customer we dont do engine and transmission core. You'll have to take it down the road.
I loved this guys bare bone garage down here in N.W. Florida.
Everytime i came to see him for a drop.
I was at home anywhere you want it Terry. Cause i new what was his hustle was and how fast he was generating capital.
And flippy cars.
?
You forgot one it’s not just poaching customers but also spending more time on the phone for your own business then doing work at your employers shop
We had one he didn’t last long he was sacked 🇦🇺
Side work is designed to skip taxes.paying insurance and taxes is called a business two different things
I despise doing "side work". I stopped doing that 15 years ago. It's just not worth the hassle to me. I make plenty enough money doing my actual job so I have no need to supplement my income. I don't consider working on my kid's cars side work because I never charge them.
Back in the day, when I was a line mechanic at Ford, in the Union, you would be immediately fired if caught taking any tools home from your job.
Are you talking about your personal tools that you own that is crazy?
@@505fastlife6 Ya, but in the 1980's, Union's had rules, and I guess it was, so you would not tired out, and be able to perform 100% at the job ?!
Screw that! No way would I let someone tell me I couldn’t take my OWN tools home.
I found that side jobs just aren’t worth it. I can only do side jobs on the weekend and it is hard to diagnose, get authorization, get the parts and have it back together in a day or two. For what? A couple hundred bucks profit? No thanks.
I tell all new guys don't bother unless you're helping immediate family.
When you start getting insurance, license and other BS it’s no longer called side work, it then becomes a grind. If you are going to get a license and insurance, quit tge job and jump into your business.
Anybody needs fake friends I have a ton of them
I'm 61 and a business owner now. Over the years you find it will drag you down and severely limit your free time. Customers expect you to be available 24-7 in all kinds of weather no matter the issue. I had a customer break down 3 states away with a blown head gasket, call me at 2 AM and tell me to come and tow them home. I refused and they threatened me with legal action. I did front brakes on their truck.
That was the last time I did a side job.
The business license insurance etc. that's recommended still doesn't protect you from a lawsuit. You need to become an LLC or corporation with a full structure. Doing that you may as well start a shop on your own away from your home. If you do decide to start your own shop, the best advice I can give you is make sure your labor rate is high enough to give you a good net profit. Use quality parts, not the cheapest crap. Don't try to get too big too soon. Don't take unprofitable jobs. Your objective is to comfortably retire, not to help others.
Flat rate master?