Is it to late to be a mechanic

[Brian]

I will be 42 this December, I really want to go to school and be a mechanic.I just want a opinion is to late for me to make this decision?I live in the Cincinnati,ohio area I think the only school that has Automotive classes is Cincinnati state I don’t have much schools to pick from in my area.I’m just worried that I’m to old and if I finish school would a automotive shop even hire a older guy like me.

Topic

[Chris]

If this is something you want to do, I say do it. At a college I’m attending, there are a lot of older gentlemen in the auto classes (like auto 50). As for getting hired, I believe many employers feel that maturity comes with older age, so they would be more inclined to hire you over a seventeen year old? (just a thought)

Also, if you feel you are physically able to wrench on cars as your career, then I don’t think your age should be a problem! :cheer:

[Its me]

The concern I would caution you about is if your body can take it… At 42, you are no spring chicken…

The maturity will help, but can you work around those who may not be as mature (but may know more than you)… And of course. the pay… You are starting off as a cherry….

Good luck

-Karl

[Brian]

Thanks for the reply, maybe I should think twice.I think alot of people that decide to be a technician already have alot of experience working on there cars for years in there backyard or garage.I’m the kind of guy that kind of got tired of paying someone else to do it so I would try and fix it myself looking up how to on yourube.I know you need more experience than that so maybe I waited to long to come up with this idea.I live in a area where the schools are limited to go to I think the best one is like 2 hours away.I appreciate your reply

[James O’Hara]

I would suggest you think long and hard about doing this. You are likely to start out at less then 15/hr without experience. With schooling it may be more but, you also have to realize you are going to need tools. I mean real tools and that is about $3k a year every year to build up what you have. That is also on the conservative side for tools.

You are also going to be around a lot of guys in their mid 20s. They are likely going to run circles around you speed wise and you are going to have to learn from them first more then likely.

You need to talk to different dealerships and ask around and ask what schools seem to be putting out the best or most knowledgeable students out there. This will give you another idea of what schools to go to. Also there is no reason to not ask them if they would hire someone of your age after you went through the schooling. If you do make sure you push yourself and get the best grades you can, get ASE Certifications, get EPA Certifications, State Inspection/Emissions (if you don’t have it see if a neighboring state does), and get into manufacturer specific training. The manufacturer specific training may not even be offered at that school but, you can still apply for it at other locations such as UTI. This will give you the best base pay you can get.

Your body is going to be killing you all the time for at least the first 6mo to a year. Normally longer then that unless you are already pretty strong and you know how to supplement your diet to get big gains in strength quick. You also have to realize you are going to be working at weird angles your body is not used too and you are going to be leaning over bumpers/fenders which will do a number on you knees and back till you get used to it. If you are going to attempt this I suggest P90X and get in shape for a year first.

Money is something you have to know how to manage if not you better learn. This trade goes through season cycles. It will have times of extremely low work and if you are flat rate sometimes this means no pay at all. Other times there will be so much work you can not handle it.

If you really like cars/trucks and you do not think you can hack it as a mechanic. You could try your hand at parts or sales. There is ASE for these as well. Though I do not know of any schooling for it.

Also I suggest you read this and watch the videos listed:
So you want/are going to be a mechanic/technician

[john]

No it is not too late to be a mechanic. I after a number of years as a heavy equipment tech decided to try equipment sales, this is when economy was booming. I am now 49 and went back to being a Tech 4 years ago. I started as a tech in 1989/ in the year 2000 went into sales all was good until the bottom fell out and I had to revert back to what I knew. What I am saying is if you are in good shape and confidant in what you are doing you can still be very marketable. However like one of the folks said above, it is challenging for for us older guys. I went into a shop with young attitudes that thought Hell they hired a washed up tech that could not last in sales, 4 years later I am the shop foreman and they all come to me when the going gets rough and they have no idea what hydraulic psi really means. What I am saying here, is that it is your decision to make. I wish you the best but I hope you understand that with this commitment comes several thousand dollars worth of tools. Had I not kept those and in good shape for years, this would not of been possible.

[Steel]

Never to late in my Opinion…. IM over 50 and I’m also looking into my own shop. I just love tinkering with cars. Go for it with no regrets…. “It is better to have Loved and Lost, then to have never Loved at all”

[Lee Ann]

The following are based on my life experiences combined with the research (on aging) I have read over the years which can be applicable to this topic.

I don’t think a person should be automatically judged by their numerical age. 42 means nothing negative if one has taken good care of ones self. Being able to privately answer yes to these, probably means you are closer to being a mental 35 (which is still relatively young by “definition”).

Have you worked-out (exercised) regularly over your lifetime? Have you eaten properly for most of your life? Do you know how to manage your stress? Have you been in good health with no major or long term illnesses over your lifetime? Do you have hobbies? Do you have a network of trusted friends? Do you have a positive attitude in all situations? Have you worked a desk job but decided enough is enough? Were you raised in a gear-headed family and remained involved in the culture? Do you feel younger than your age? Do you appear younger? Are you willing to do what it takes to prepare yourself?

If you know you can do it and you really want to, then you should. But go into it prepared for anything that might come your way. And know that you may come against some resistance.

Also, Eric produced some videos related to this subject (“Should You Become an Automotive Technician” and others) that if you haven’t seen, you should probably check them out. I will post them as an edit to this thread (Attached Below).
Best of luck. Keep us posted.

[Rick]

I understand you like working on cars. But you have a job at a place where you are not likely to lose that job. Regardless of pay. I enjoy drawing, comic book characters. I know that there is no way I can make a living on that. I also tried engineering, got to my senior year and realized finding an engineering job would be difficult at best in my area (roughly same area as you). Point being don’t try a field because you think it will be cool. Look for stability, especially considering the economy has tanked for 7 years and won’t get better anytime soon.

Being a mechanic is my plan B. If you have something stable, stick with it. Don’t try and go into auto repair because you think it’s cool. It’s challenging and rewarding, but it’s not the first choice of many people.

As far as age, I’m younger than you by a little and I’ve gotten tons of offers from dealerships. Many have offered for me to go straight into training for a line tech. Your biggest hurdle is breaking into the field. You’ll need some experience changing oil, a jiffy lube, tire discounters something like that. Even a Firestone. I hit brick wall after brick wall because I had zero experience changing oil professionally.

Then a dealership hired me with no experience. After I left there I was given offer after offer. And it was my experience dealerships prefer older techs. More reliable and mature. I worked with many young people. 10-15 years younger than me and I made them look stupid. Both physically and intelligence. Many were lazy, self entitled, and had zero work ethic. The service writers loved me because I would do what ever they asked.

As far as school many dealerships, Firestone, grismer will tell you that you don’t need school. I know Sinclair in Dayton has one of the best schools in the nation. If you don’t know much about cars and you aren’t a person that can be self taught I’d attend school. If you can teach your self and have some mechanical aptitude then you can study and be self taught.

To wrap this up. Buy books off amazon, get a project car, and work on so,etching on the side. Like a civic.

[Author]

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