What do y'all do for a living? Does it involve cars?

Quality manager for a small company that makes machines that measure coating and plating thickness for a variety of substr....zzzzz....zzzzzz oh sorry, dozed off for a second. Fairly boring but pays well for a non-degree position now & I work with stuff from a variety of places like NASA, Western Digital, Northrop Grumman, Honeywell, and pretty much all the car manufacturers.

Does it involve cars? Sort of. Measure the black stuff on windshields? Chrome on a shock absorber? Gold on all those damn circuit boards in your car? Yup.

Civil (geotechnical) engineer. I work for a small engineering firm in PA. We provide engineering services for the oil & gas industry on the construction of well pads. I love my job. I don't work with cars but I do get to be around some heavy equipment and get to be outside sometimes. I mostly write geotechnical reports and oversee a few construction projects.

BenB- tell me about airline pilot, do you mind? To add to the thread, I'm a CG C-130 pilot, a few years off from retirement, and looking for the next thing.

So, no automotive content. I've never auto crossed, rally crossed once, and took an offensive driving course that was a kick in the ass. Not sure I'd want to combine interests, and not even sure I'm the kind of enthusiast to do it every weekend... kids has been my excuse, but isn't legit. I just like well built mechanical things.

Retired Shop teacher here. But for a number of years while I was teaching I had part-time jobs as a mechanic (cars and motorcycles).

An electrician. I find the better guys in this field tend to be guys would work on their own cars. They seem to be better at trouble shooting and solving equipment problems.

Service advisor for a Dodge dealer. It's not really a car job; 95% of what I do is fix people. The other 5% is basically 'you want fries with that?'.

I go to car auctions for a chain VERY large used car superstores. I also do appraisals. Maybe I should do an AMA

I herd cats, sorry, manage software engineers and do some programming as well.

I did do some car restoration when I was at university to help pay the bills but I find I enjoy working on cars more if I do it for myself on my own schedule.

MINIzguy wrote: To those guys that work in parts, what exactly is your job description? I'm guessing it isn't parts counter at Autozone, or is it?

I've worked in the automotive aftermarket for 25 years, starting on the counter at an 18-store chain (now a CarQust company-owned store). I've had suit-and-tie jobs for Genuine Parts Company, the parent company of NAPA, and I've traveled the country selling Exedy clutches. I now manage an Advance Auto Parts store. I've worked in probably 25 different stores, some for only a day, but it's safe to say I have a more broad spectrum of auto parts experience than most people.

In the past 25 years, the parts business has changed. The mom-and-pop stores are not as prevalent as they used to be, and the parts are almost the same no matter what store you shop at. I couldn't make any more money working for NAPA than I make now, unless I own my store, and I don't have the financial means to buy a store. I can supply 99% of the parts any other store can supply, but if it isn't worth the time, it doesn't make sense for me to go through the hassle. Ever see a really busy or really successful mom-and-pop store?

Find a good store where the manager knows his stuff and shop there. The employees will put out the effort their boss puts out. The parts are nearly the same (and not as good as they used to be, but much cheaper).

I work full time promoting Awareness for Diabetes.

I'm an ase certified tech (with a b.s. in comp sci) working for a national auto repair chain. I work 7-5 or 6 depending on the day. Wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Long hours, everyone or their brother is a mechanic, work weekends, etc... By the time I get home I'm not really interested in working on my own stuff.

Started off in mechanical engineering but ended up as a chiropractor.

Always loved working on mechanical stuff, especially cars, but realized early that this love affair would end if I ever had to make my living at it.

Quasi contracts administrator; before that, Contracts Specialist, and before that, I sold electrical parts. That job was the most fun, but unless you're an outside sales guy with good accounts, the pay isn't that good. As a Contracts Specialist I used to negotiate and administer DoD contracts, but since I couldn't sign for anything, it was a bit stressful - the old have the responsibility but not the authority type of thing, and my bosses were mostly jerks. Let's just say that particular company has a reputation for being arses. Now my job (new company) is just to make sure the contracts are entered in to the system and to note the terms and conditions for others to use/be aware of. I always wanted to make a living doing car stuff, just hasn't worked out that way.

Over thirty years as industrial pipe fitter and stationary engineer since '03. Pays the bills fine, lets me afford the cool car stuff. I get my mechanical fix through turning wrenches and fab work. Steam is power, gotta respect that, I love that part of my job.

MINIzguy wrote:

Spoolpigeon wrote: Been selling auto parts for the last 10 years. . . Being in the parts biz has been a good mid point for being around cars yet not getting burned out.

To those guys that work in parts, what exactly is your job description? I'm guessing it isn't parts counter at Autozone, or is it? I'm currently a student in college. Biomedical engineering major and pre-med too. I don't know where it is going to take me as I'm just not passionate enough about medicine.

I'm "freelance." Buy 'em, strip 'em, chop 'em, crush 'em.

I am a pharmacist working in rural Nebraska. Good to know there are some fellow car dorks in the medical field.

Curmudgeon wrote: Service advisor for a Dodge dealer.

And you never say a word about that stuff when it comes up. You're a smart guy.

I service heavy mechanical and hydraulic presses, and CNC machine tools for an automotive parts supplier. We manufacture gears, sprockets, and oil pump parts mostly. On the side I grind cams, and do custom cylinder head work.

TR8owner wrote: Always loved working on mechanical stuff, especially cars, but realized early that this love affair would end if I ever had to make my living at it.

Smart man.

Product development engineer for an OEM that starts with F.

I’m lucky. I’ve worked my whole life in the auto industry. Started as a test Engineer, then brake development, then brake and Suspension D&R, Then Managed a suspension department, then cost reduction, then business manager. Now I work in the design studio and get too see all the cool E36 M3 that’s coming out in 1-5 years, all the concept cars, all the way out there stuff. I’m elated, I’ve got the kind of job I dreamed about as a kid. Oh yeah, I work for the same OEM as Alfa Driver.

I am an environmental scientist for a medium sized environmental consulting company. I do Phase I Environmental Site Asessments. Our company does some work for BMW, but I personally have not. Otherwise, my work has nothign to do with cars. But people here know I piddle with cars so they bring all their car questions to me.

AT, can you share what you actually DO in the design studio?

Daddy taught me not to work with cars. He was a mechanic.

My Dad: "I hate people, I hate cars, and I hate people who drive cars."

I am a simple guard for a very big company contracted to a very big company.
I am also a salesman. I am the sole employee of the owner of a surplus shop. Very cool job. I have met many heroes and heard stories that I'm sure many wish they could hear.
Thirdly, my only automotive related job; I have a automotive radio show. Who knows a guy who knows so little about cars could have a radio show about them.
I'm working on another as well. Too early to talk about it.

bluej wrote: AT, can you share what you actually DO in the design studio?

Will do later, but I iz Enge3nerd notz a designer. I didn't go to art school

I'm a professional engineer, (BSME at U of Wisconsin - Madison)and do design/drawings/specifications for HVAC/Plumbing and a couple other things. Nothing to do with cars, other than it helps pay for them.