Guess whos got 2 years work expeience at my local bmw garage

[josh-hocking]

ME and after the 2 years they want me to work as a apprentice!! how cool i get wednesday afternoon of school every week
they're gonna help me do my e30 to the best of the best and cos i do all the work myself its amazingly cheap!
oh but i dont start till september:(

[maxfield]

I never got anything like this...

Although start college in September.

[josh-hocking]

nore do i but my dad has spent many many hours on the phone to the bmw garage and eventually they gave in after my dad explained i have my own bmw ect ect and then it was the school my dad had to speak to then the goverment people!! but they only agreed on wednesday afternoon as i would of had technolagy but i replaced it with this!

[touringandy]

you jammmmmmmmmyyyyyyy b8stard josh

[josh-hocking]

you jammmmmmmmmyyyyyyy b8stard josh

i know i dunno how my dad managed it!!

[jaffro]

good luck mate. jammy get

[maxfield]

In year 10 I could of chose to do a day at college but no mechanics course.

Oh well I start college 3 days a week then the other 4 to work, I can see my car being very expensive.

I take it you will get paid for this?

[beardymat]

nice one josh

one piece of advice, LISTEN, the old boys know what theyre on about, never assume you know it all as youre always learning!

good luck and keep us posted on the improvements to the white wonder

[Rosc0PColtrane]

Best of luck Josh! I hope it doesn't put you off cars!!

[josh-hocking]

I take it you will get paid for this?

no not in the first 2 years but then they want me to work there properly

one piece of advice, LISTEN, the old boys know what theyre on about, never assume you know it all as youre always learning!

thanks i will listen

[maxfield]

Cool.

I could of only wished to have something like this.

[whipsey]

experience is worth more than money any way josh

[Rosc0PColtrane]

With all due respect Max, main dealer mechanics is a world away from the fettling of old motors like e30's. You'd be better served handing around with brianmoore for 2 years.

Not to take anything away from Josh, he seems to have achieved a lot automotively speaking for a 14 year old lad. To get every Weds afternoon off school indicates his scholastic application may be somewhat lacking. Giving him some focus and sight of a goal will help no end.

When I was fecking around at school, I got sent on a course with a load of reprobates and drop outs to find something to channel my energies into, instead of petty crime, burning things and c0cking about. I ended up doing some mountain biking, abseiling, archery, ice-skating etc..

I reckon you'd take better to engineering, be it mechanical or electrical, but outside of auto mechanics. You'll gain so many cross transferrable skills. I know Shop floor managers in engineering firms that build and restore works Celica rally cars, for example.

[james_obryan]

+1 to the above, the main dealer didnt even know that the e36 didnt have a check engine light so feck knows if 90% even know what an e30 is let alone worked on one, as apparently it is the word that most move on after a few years to "better" indy garages. Just that the majority of the main dealers do half assed jobs for rip off prices.

[maxfield]

for rip off prices.

I believe they charge £120 an hour + VAT

I would happily let my local mechanic do it for £40 an hour.

[beardymat]

the trouble with main dealers is that the guys that know what they are on about are stuck in the workshop and dont have customer contact, meanwhile the monkeys are up front asking stupid questions and giving out bad/wrong advice. as i was once told "why would you take a well skilled technician off the shop floor"

[Rosc0PColtrane]

the trouble with main dealers is that the guys that know what they are on about are stuck in the workshop and dont have customer contact, meanwhile the monkeys are up front asking stupid questions and giving out bad/wrong advice. as i was once told "why would you take a well skilled technician off the shop floor"

The grease monkeys are under pressure to turn out jobs well within quoted times on job cards. This is how they are assessed and judged. The people making the decisions about job cards, usually aren't the ones with dirty hands.

If a mechanic doesn't have the knowledge, or the computer plugged in doesn't know, then a database is consulted. Much like sat nav, you get there without learning how.

[munky30]

Nicely done Josh.

[Chris]

Well done fella, wish i coulda done something like that.

Bad news though, you know all those cars still under warranty that get a good wash and valet whenever they go in for petty little things?? It ain't the top boys that do the washing

[csl]

Pleased for ya mate ...................it's not Bowker is it? cos i could do with some cheaper parts !

[mrLEE30]

enjoy it mate, but as above modern garages are cleaner then clean and nothing is repaired anymore , its just plugged into a laptop, diagnosed and the fualty part is replaced on (mainly the computers) say so.... but his is not to say modern garages are not a place to learn basics like using your common sense to work through a problem, i would imagine you will spend most pof your time cleaning tools and removing wheels etc, but play it real keen, tell the old boys you have an E30 and would like to have a a play with it during quiet times/weekends and i doubt they will object to you putting it in a dark corner of their otherwise bright and clean workshop, you may get cheaper parts but the biggest bonus of haveing the chance to do work on your car there is the range of tools and equipment available to you to work on your own car.

Enjoy it, clean the spanners with a smile, fetch the tea quickly, ask to help rather then moping in the corner and you will be upto your guts in M5 gearboxes in no time!!

good luck mate

mrlee

[Chris-W]

Well done Josh, am sure you'll enjoy it.

[josh-hocking]

it's not Bowker is it

yes acually!

, but as above modern garages are cleaner then clean and nothing is repaired anymore , its just plugged into a laptop, diagnosed and the fualty part is replaced on (mainly the computers) say so..

no they want me to work on the used cars and help fix them up for the sale!

[mrLEE30]

no they want me to work on the used cars and help fix them up for the sale!

even better, enjoy yourself mate you will learn a lot!

[charlE30]

Well done mate, I wish I'd known what I wanted to do at your age.

Do you have any idea as to what an apprentice with BM earns?

Best of luck with it

Charlie

[csl]

yes acually!

Good man.............i'll give you a couple of months to get your feet under the table first


Seriously thou,i think you may be in good company there,cos i've seen 1 or 2 E30's knocking around in the car park on a regular basis (and the head of parts(?) has a rather nice model E30 M3 on his desk!)

[zimm_zimmer]

i did 2 days a week at college on what is called a pave scheme doing mechanics, i then went did a years national dipolma but couldnt get on with it so went and got a job as an hgv mechanic, its good fun and as said before make sure you listern, another big tip is dont bite when they wind you up because they will, trust me i get it all the time even now im finished my appretiship, its all part of the enviroment you work in!! Good luck and enjoy it.

[csl]

another big tip is dont bite when they wind you up because they will, trust me i get it all the time even now im finished my appretiship, its all part of the enviroment you work in!!

I remember this well............tartan paint

[maxfield]

Bucket of steam...
Left handed spanner...

Try and play the trick on them

[Taylor325i]

another big tip is dont bite when they wind you up because they will, trust me i get it all the time even now im finished my appretiship, its all part of the enviroment you work in!!

I remember this well............tartan paint

A long stand is another favourite.

And if you get sent to the shop at tea time make sure you write the list out yourself...........once when I was an apprentice spark I went to the shop and just handed the list over the counter without reading it.........a roll and iguana and 4 skin buns were on it. The b@stards!




Taylor.

[zimm_zimmer]

glass hammer, long wait at the parts counter, regimental clean if they got a steam cleaner, box of sparks, all good fun just have a good time

[josh-hocking]

Well done mate, I wish I'd known what I wanted to do at your age.

Do you have any idea as to what an apprentice with BM earns?

Best of luck with it

nope but i dunno if i want to do that anyway i would really like my own garage but lets see!!

[zimm_zimmer]

well u will have to do some sort of apprentiship, you cant just start a garage, car garages really dont give that much to their apprentices, they may charge 120ph but virtually none of that will go to the employee's, when i went for an interview at toyota they wanted to give me £60 per week for first yr £90 per week for second year and £120 per week for third where as when i started at volvo truck and bus i was gettin 150 per week and am now taking home 200 per week so although money isnt great (may be different in different garages) its worth your time just to get the experience.

[he30]

Well done mate, your a lucky man.Make the most of it, and remember everydays a school day

[koos]

A Main Dealer is the best place to start an apprenticship at, granted you may not get to work on older stuff but you will have all the information you require on their workshop information system. The earlier you get your head around CAN wiring, resistance switches, fiber optics the better. No back street garage will prepare you for modern vehicles, no matter how good there Crap-On diagnostics work, nothing is better than the real thing. If you can, stick with a brand, BMW in your case. You dont wanna be a jack of all trades and master none!!
Good luck and be a sponge for your time, soak it all up.