4g61t.org

composites is a fun field but it takes $$$$$$$. whether your doing the Dry layup or wet. Dry is easier to do since the resins are "pre-pregnated" from a supplier. But with dry you need an autoclave for the product to cure (cures by high heat and pressure.)

wet lay-up is cheaper and all you need is an oven with vacuum lines.

you can look it up i believe import-tuner did an article on it at password jdm.

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I own a CSM.
I live my life 1 repair at a time.
Nothing matters...not my crew...my bills, nor my friends drama...
For those 10 months or less... I'm broke...

Chris, You gotta do what you want even if it isn't making you alot of cash it will make you happy. As long as you make your wife and daughter happy I think you will be making the right decision. You got alot of talent you carry around with you. You can do the body work and engine work. Opening your own shop will be costly and in the short term it is always a losing situation. You have to create a name for yourself locally. from what I could see from the junkyards you already have a name there. Idk as far as your work goes. I dont think it would take long.
It is just a time consuming situation.
Day jobs suck. I know. I do what I do to build my mirage and pay off my integra. I have other dreams I wish to go in debt for. like college. I have told you a couple times how I want to go to college for body and engine work. It's a love. and as always love can sometimes be sort of a burden but without the burden it isn't exactly love. know what I'm saying bro?

You got the support of the entire forum on your decisions. I think I can say for everyone that We respect you like a brother.

You need some help with your plans let me know.

First I think it?s freaking cool to have aspirations to make a shop. But I want to give you some words of encouragement well more for that matter. I love cars with all my heart. The only thing I find more important in life is Gods will for me and my girlfriend um of which I have been so blessed with. I am only 19 and I turn 20 soon I have 3 years on schooling for machining. And 4 years as well to become an A.S.E tech behind me. I will also be attending an other school to get bachelors in Industrial Engineering soon. Now I mind you this is all in pursuit to own a shop. And then I will be going to Bible to school after that. In the mean time I hold a full time job and girl who I plan to marry. Now I know this is petty to you. But I could never pretend to be in your shoes with kids and a wife. But I know what is important. Your family and their needs. And I want to you to know that there is nothing that can hold a mans passion for what he wants but him. I may have only have 30 something post on here but I have been lurking around here for years. I have learned so freaking much on this forum it?s even not funny. Now not only do we have this passion for cars we have goal: well kind of. I wish to make cars parts and fab anything I can for them and then eventually make my own line of parts. After getting an established shop with some what of a reputation. You have a talent I have seen yours and seen what you can do. Now there are not many people that can do what you do. And like many of the opinions let this be fact to you. You make some bass ass shit bro!. I hope and pray that you continue to fallow your dream I will be starting to do engine swaps for cheap and making some parts for cheap as well. And that my friend is how I plan to start my shop. Its small but we all start some where.

It?s true what these guys are saying so let me tell you the way I heard it all my life. My mom and dad always told.? Get a job you like. So you don?t have to work a day in your life.?

And I am stand firm with Miragerunner and 89d15crx. I will back you up too. If I can help in any way please pm me and let me know.

Ok I wrote that really fast I hope I that made sense.

Everyone else wrote something that was both deep and potentially long, so I'll be the first one to write a short and sweet entry.

Fall brings the winds of change.
Everyone feels like they have to do something before winter, it's only natural.
School starts up again, and people have just been inspired by summer vacation (if they got one), and the relaxation that can bring with it.
Follow a dream, but don't let it put you out on the end of a branch.
Get to know some more people in different fabrication industries, and poke you head around a bit, learning and looking for new avenues to take your skills and energy.
Maybe you can do something part time that would help someone elses business, that was mutually beneficial and at the same time gain you new skills and the business hookups.
There can be a lot said about hookups for supplies that the layman would not otherwise be able to procure because of the way industries taylor to registered tradespeople only.

Do whatever you want, but keep the family first, financial stability second, and adding creative outlets third. I know you are the kind of guy who does that already, but it helps some of the younger guys to see what could otherwise leads to disaster.

Okay, I couldn't make this short and sweet, so there you have it.

This is the best thing for is keep your full time job because the way things are now, it's better to have a steady income seeing the econmy is not at it's finest shape right now. Yeah the job might suck but you have income coming at all times and there are times where if nobody is buying the parts your selling may affect you later needing to pay the morage.

If you don't like your current full time job, try to find another company (depending on your trade) to work for while working the one you have now, so that your not missing $ by switching. Doing what you are doing would be the best for you and if it gets too much, just slow down a bit. It's hard to say but thats what you need to do though. I have alot of people wanting me to do work for them all the time but I can't because I have no garage to do it all, what I might up doing is either save so money to buy a garage or lease one out and pray that I could pay the rent and make money doing this from 4pm to 8pm on weekdays and saturdays from 9am to 8pm. Also I wouldn't turn down any work neither weither beeing maintance work or perfromance jobs I would need it to pay the rent. Having your own shop isn't easy at all, I mean I don't have one but I do know someone that does and he is always furstraded constantly just from his this, but he make really good money doing it though.

Make a long story short, keep your full time job and doing what you are doing now on the side and if it grows to the point that it makes more than I say make the decidsion to leave. My buddy with his shop say the same thing and he also has a good full time job and I think he might end up quiting his full time because he really is doing great working on cars on the side. So things might work out for you for the best and if not you still have a jod to put a roof over your familes head. I hope the best of luck to you and hope that everything works out in your favor.

Side note: if could learn how to make a bolt in short route intercoolers, piping, intake manifolds, exhaust manifolds and etc... for CSM, that's were I think you will excel at best. also making a nice front bumper for CSMs might be great also at a decent price

Again guys I cannot thank you enough for your comments (both positive and negative) and concerns. Also thanks for the very kind words, some of you speak very highly of me and that means alot.

I have decided to take this to the next step. Its not unheard of for someone to start out with a small shop or even in their basement and make it big. I know that as long as I treat people fair and keep my word that I will not have trouble finding work.

Some people are just not cut out for public work and I honestly believe that I am one of them. I have a drive in me and I do not doubt for one minute that I can make it as long as I keep my faith and work hard. I have prayed and prayed about my situation and I found my answer. Hopefully I can pave the way for others who may be scared to take that big step. I feel that I am letting myself down if I don't at least give it a try.

Someone else mentioned Gods will earlier and I pray that if this isn't it for me then at least I will end up where I need to be. Maybe this is just a stepping stone, who knows? All I know is that in my heart it feels right, thats the only way that I know how to explain it. Looking back it seems that I had my mind made up even before making this post but I'm still glad that I did.

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93 Mitsubishi Expo LRV 1.8/manual
95 Eagle Summit DL Coupe 1.5/manual
01 Mitsubishi Mirage ES Sedan 1.8/manual

Would it be possible to make the front brakes a non-captive setup and bigger at the same time? I would pay more money for that. Not sure if anybody has done it, other than the awd 5 lug swapper people.

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- Works in da bush

Just don't get in over your head man, I've seen that happen to a lot of small businesses. Start out doing it on the weekends, get some cards made and distribute them at tracks. Don't forget to get a big vinyl sticker on every car you own, free advertising(!) and some small ones to give to the rest of us who buy all the crap you make.

Ditto! Something I could directly bolt on would be awesome.

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Had a:
1991 Eagle Summit ES Hatchback - 4g15 12v 5spd
1991 Dodge Colt -4g15 12v 4spd
Have a:
1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass - 468BBO TH350
Round 3:
1990 Dodge Colt-4G63T 5spd

You're exactly right man. I'm a one man show even though my wife does help me with packaging up the parts sometimes. Honestly I think if I specialize in just a few things and also still do the junkyard parts when I'm slow that should be more than enough to keep me busy.

Eventually I would like to think of a cool name and have some decals made up. Maybe in a month or so I'll start another thread and ask for input on that .

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93 Mitsubishi Expo LRV 1.8/manual
95 Eagle Summit DL Coupe 1.5/manual
01 Mitsubishi Mirage ES Sedan 1.8/manual

Why not do a sort of Car part bounty hunter type thing in addition to your parts designs. Hook up with a few wreckers to get a good pricing and join bunch of forums and sell the parts at a markup or charge a finders fee. Get into finding hard to find parts or find a overseas wrecker and get JDM/EUDM parts imported. While your sourcing parts you might get ideas on other products to produce.

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LC '01 Accent GSI - Silver
MC '07 Accent GSR - Midnight Gray
C52A '91 Colt 4G64DOHC N/A Lots of Mods - White

Dude, I'll keep it short and sweet: Owning your own business sucks sometimes, sometimes you think you won't be able to pay your bills at the end of the month, sometimes you wish it was someone elses problem.

This being said, I wouldn't go back and work at the Dodge dealership* if you put a gun to my head. (*Yes I had a moment of doubt when I went back to a regular job)

I opened my shop in 1990, and in all that time I took one job, at Dodge. I lasted for 3 months before I had to walk away. It sucked worse. The money wasn't horrible; working for morons with their heads stuck in their asses was.

Me: "Dude where do we send the head for pressure testing on a Saturday?" Service manager: "Pressure what? Don said change the gasket and install these nifty valve stem retainers"

Two days later. Service manager: "That Head gasket that Don diagnosed and you replaced on your 14 hour Saturday shift has a tiny crack in the head and still leaks." Me: "So... why are you telling me?"

Oops that was kinda long, but my point is, Do what makes you happy, not what some retarded manager tells you to do.

Very true! This has been my policy, and it has served me well. All my business is from word of mouth, and I'm not complaining. I have what I need, and have never been sued. Also you get less crazy yahoos trying to get something for nothing. Not that advertising hurts, but just treating people right and being honest goes a long way.

I'll have to go out any buy another csm to support you! You could even build things as simple as seat brackets for aftermarket seats or suspension systems to fit our cars. It would help the guys who aren't handy with a welder or who love these cars but aren't mechanically advanced. Make that Summit a rolling showcase of your parts of you still have it

Bro....


I worked at Mach V Motorsports for 4 years. Let me tell you something about the automotive aftermarket industry.

People love to turn their problems into YOUR PROBLEM. If everything goes right in your garage, and then the customer BREAKS their car afterwards, is still YOUR FAULT.

I worked in my own shop shortly afterwards, and experienced the same issue. As much fun as it is....... It's a huge headache, mental, and personal financial drain on you.


My .02 would be to do what you've been doing.

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Geoff
2013 Genesis 5.0 RSPEC
88 Mazda Turbo II- LSX7
89 2.0 Turbo Colt
13 Ducati 1199 Panigale

yes,no,yes,no,yes,no,maybe You guys really aren't helping.


Just got off the phone with the local tech where I took my autobody/paint classes. A new semester will be starting up in January and they will be offering more paint classes then. I will be there. At the very least I'll get to paint my Mirage in a heated booth and get graded on it.

Until then I'll be in my shop and hitting the yards trying to make ends meet. We'll just see how it goes. Honestly I have a good feeling about this.

Good thing for me is that I have some money stashed back for hard times and really don't owe that much. Haven't used a credit card in over 5 years. Plus I have a loving family and a wife that backs me 110%. I really don't see how I can't succeed. Also I was just kidding about the comment I made about you guys not helping. Again I appreciate everyone's input!

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93 Mitsubishi Expo LRV 1.8/manual
95 Eagle Summit DL Coupe 1.5/manual
01 Mitsubishi Mirage ES Sedan 1.8/manual