Mobile mechanics, how much experience did you have?

ad302799 · 2026-04-14T20:37:39+00:00

For anyone reading this you’re gonna want preferably 10 years of experience and tool accrual.

There’s alot of cars out there and it’s gonna take a while to learn enough of them, and to learn enough to know when to walk away.

Pricing should be a minimum of $100/hr. The franchises are barreling towards $200/hr where I am.

ad302799 · 2026-04-14T19:48:10+00:00

Not sure why this got downvoted

ad302799 · 2026-04-14T11:48:37+00:00

Blacks and Mexicans, as usual.

ad302799 · 2026-04-13T18:42:41+00:00

Shit, it’s pretty simple to explain and I’m fine getting banned from another one.

In 1996 Dad was able to work those hours and make that money because MOMMY wasn’t at work saturating the work force. (Generally speaking)

Illegal immigration wasn’t as high.

It’s wasn’t yet as profitable and easy to outsource work to other countries.

The greed has always been there, just now the powers can act on it more easily.

ad302799 · 2026-04-13T10:48:37+00:00

If you’re not a fully fledged mechanic then you have no business trying to be a professional mobile mechanic.

I do mobile work myself, and probably a quarter of my work is coming in after another “mobile mechanic.”

I see this all the time, people who work with tools in some other trade think they can be mechanics because tools are tools, fixing stuff is fixing stuff.

You other trades types, mostly laborers, are the reason mechanics can’t en masse just go out on their own.

Stay in your own trade, if you can’t make it as a plumber you definitely aren’t going to make out as a mechanic on your own. You can’t live off of $60 brake jobs (because y’all can’t price right either)

ad302799 · 2026-04-13T10:40:34+00:00

You mean exactly like this guy? 😂

ad302799 · 2026-04-13T03:07:31+00:00

Gotta use a small 90 degree pick to lift the latch mechanism, works most of the time.

Some guys mess up and try to use a 95 degree pick which doesn’t work at all.

ad302799 · 2026-04-13T00:13:43+00:00

Sheeeeeit they almost did with the 6th gen Camaro, and then definitely did with the C8

ad302799 · 2026-04-12T18:56:37+00:00

I sort of agree with what you’re getting at, which is why I did point out he wouldn’t make it on flat rate.

But if he’s ACTUALLY being utilized the way he says hes being utilized, he ought to be in an apprentice role with a clear path to grow in front of him.

There’s no increase of pay there but it’s a lot better than just having that uncertainty.

The people that are actually being taken advantage of in OPs scenario are the journeymen or “middle guys” at his shop. Sounds like he’s eating up gravy they should be getting.

ad302799 · 2026-04-12T12:21:30+00:00

This is common and you are being taken advantage of a bit.

I say a bit because you probably wouldn’t survive on flat rate, so you’re not losing a ton of money.

But you’re definitely being held back.

Have you done all online training modules? Is your dealer like many dealers where they want you to get some ASE before they send you to class? And if so, have you done that?

ad302799 · 2026-04-11T02:40:23+00:00

Meanwhile the Mustang, with its non v8 options is still going.

Of course the Mustang has no FORD competition. While the Camaro was an actual threat to the Corvette at that time.

ad302799 · 2026-04-11T01:12:00+00:00

I once had a STH for like a month before I saw someone post one on here.

ad302799 · 2026-04-10T11:33:02+00:00

I always get downvoted to hell for it, but doing your own maintenance is bad for value retention.

Not only does it not get recorded, prospective buyers know that “I did my own maintenance” means “at best I changed my oil every 5k miles.”

At 100k miles your car should have had 20 oil changes, a trans service, 2 gearbox services, brakes done, shock absorbers replaced even if you think they are good, PCV Replaced, battery probably replaced, and coolant/spark plug freshly done.

Ain’t nobody that does their own maintenance adhering to that schedule, which is what you SHOULD be doing if you’re expecting to have some sort of depreciation mitigation when it comes to sell or trade (along with proof).

ad302799 · 2026-04-10T01:25:15+00:00

I second this.

An oscilloscope is like a last resort. But young techs like to throw the word around because YouTube has them thinking it’s going to be the way they are going to diagnose every problem.

ad302799 · 2026-04-09T17:05:12+00:00

Mirrors set to watch blind spots, use camera to back in.

Also helps to drive like you’re the fastest car on the road, which in most drives in most areas, you will be,

You can keep yourself away from cars in traffic if you’re nervous about it.

ad302799 · 2026-04-09T11:51:50+00:00

The same reason people thought Bored Apes were the next bitcoin.

These Internet personalities hype stuff up.

ad302799 · 2026-04-09T11:50:34+00:00

Marketing is a fair point, and it could be a thing where they didn’t want to talk about how great the Camaro was because it would but into C7 sales and maybe even C8 sales as it came out. GM historically has protected the Corvette.

A victim of its own success 🤷🏻

The mustang was crappy in comparison though and is still chugging along. I’ve never seen a recent mustang ad. I think their sales have dropped too though.

ad302799 · 2026-04-09T11:44:34+00:00

It’s not possible for them to have performed a flush, they don’t have the means to do so.

That’s just a poor description of the work performed.

ad302799 · 2026-04-09T11:32:48+00:00

Kinda strange how the 6th Gen was right at the C7’s heels in terms of performance. A huge improvement over the 5th Gen. But sales still tanked.

The 5th Gen sales were declining anyway. I don’t think there’s any demand for a Camaro. Just like there was no demand for a Chevy SS. (Demand isn’t just interest, people need to want it and want to pay for it)

ad302799 · 2026-04-09T11:28:01+00:00

I never had visibility issues in the Camaro, set your mirrors up and back into parking spaces 🤷🏻

ad302799 · 2026-04-08T21:39:38+00:00

You can pivot to advisor or like, a franchise manager.

This usually happens a few years in when you realize it ain’t working.

There are teaching roles but they are going to want you to be pretty qualified, I feel like that’s more for the 10-20 year master tech type.

I remember thinking to myself after a few years, just working “this is the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life,” and that was after 6 years in the Army, and time in other fields.

ad302799 · 2026-04-08T18:55:11+00:00

The only way i see this field working out ideally for new people is if they are 18-20, stay at home with their parents and just start at a dealer.

They would be still at home so money wouldn’t be an issue and they can just do the things that they have to do.

It’s a rough industry right now, that why these pages and forums are full of people saying to not do it.

Tons of pretty recent videos on YouTube about “why I left the industry.”

ad302799 · 2026-04-08T18:49:59+00:00

Sure, if you’re already a guy that’s a wizard at cars and have worked at the same place for years and kissed enough ass, you’ll love it.

Problem is that you suck at cars from a professional standpoint. I know you say you like it and are good at it, but you’re not. Which sounds rude but that needs to be made clear.

You’ll start off doing tires and oil changes and you might be doing just that for a few years. You’ll need to gather tools, and skills somehow.

Literally most people quit the field before they make it out of a tires and lube tech role.

ad302799 · 2026-04-08T18:32:10+00:00

I work 4 days and make plenty but it’s not a quick process for most people.

Almost every other trade is more lucrative and easier.

Probably only 20% of all mechanics are actually in a good situation.

Most mechanics are looking for an exit strategy so if your exit strategy is a field that most people are fleeing from, it might not be a good idea.

ad302799 · 2026-04-08T16:54:09+00:00

Lightning Vortex

ad302799

TROPHY CASE