Am I too old to become a mechanic?

stokie1985

stokie1985

Ex. Club Member
Hi guys / gals. My names Ryan aka stokie1985, I am 27 years old. I have always wanted to become a mechanic since I was 18 but family problems and personal problems got in the way and I just went straight into a job I didn't like to make a living. I don't really fancy going to college to learn because I know it will be full of lads / maybe a girl or 2 who are all aged between 16 - 20. What I'm saying is I would feel daft and awkward if it makes any sense. Is there anyone on here who would be able to teach me mechanics on here or would know of anywhere I could learn apart from college. I know there's a few books online that teach you mechanics, but I would like some hands on learning. I was thinking of just going down to scrapyards and learning myself by dismantling parts and putting them back together. What do you guys and gals think? Thanks in advance:).

 
I'm in the same boat just a couple years younger :p

What I did was tried volunteering at a local garage but the boss was never around for us to sort it out properly.

Would love to still do it but don't have as much time as I'd like :(
 
karlj said:
I'm in the same boat just a couple years younger :p

What I did was tried volunteering at a local garage but the boss was never around for us to sort it out properly.

Would love to still do it but don't have as much time as I'd like :(
Click to expand...
I was gonna do the same by asking the mechanic who always fixes my car, but his garage is really busy all the time because he's the cheapest and most reliable and honest mechanic in the area. I think I might just go down the scrapyards and dismantle the brakes on a car and try and put them back together and see how I get on. I have a passion for cars so being a mechanic would be perfect. I'm sure we'll both find some way of getting there eventually.
 
Can't speak for stokie but I'm at work during the night so that's no good for me might look into volunteering again whenever I'm off work
 
Imho... dont do it... I love my job but forthe amount of learning and ongoing training required the wages are ****. Especially when compared with other trades, id suggest starting with your own car coz micras are so easy to work on, go through a haynes manual. The scrapyard thing is a good idea.
Be confident and dont be afraid to use a bigger hammer.
 
i'm a fully self-taught mechanic. working through a haynes manual is a great way of doing it. i worked with my brother a lot and we helped each other along the way. we threw ourselves in at the deep end, doing an engine conversion to a peugeot 205 (for a 2.0 HDi from a 306). it was a great way to learn, but definitely the hard way! since then i've been playing with micras, and they're much easier!
 
Thanks guys for all your advice. I think I'm gonna have a look at some courses and do the scrapyard / haynes manual thing aswel. Wish me luck guys. I know the pay for mechanics can be rubbish at times but that would'nt bother me aslong as I was making enough to pay my bills and a night out here and then. If I dont end up doing it as a job in the future, at least I will have the skill to fix my own cars and save alot of money along the way in garage bills!!
 
Im in a main dealer college, but in my opinion you learn a whole lot more in a workshop, the scrapyard sounds like a very good start. I started helping my mate build banger cars for racing. Just ask around at local garages and speak to the old techs lol :p they know way more than any college tutor.
 
Dude, you're never too old... ;)

My mum did her Maths GCSE and Sage accounting course at about 40, I think, and now works in accounts...

I really wanna do a whole bunch of courses, but it's the funds that are an issue for me right now
....I'm 26 but I still look 18 so standing out as older is not all that likely for me LOL
I'm lucky I don't really drink much or smoke or I'd have to tattoo my birth certificate to my forehead, after proving to the tattoo artist I'm "of age" first of course *facepalm*

as well as looking at courses you should look into some form of apprenticeship perhaps?...

Good luck with it... ;)
 
Your not too old thats for sure. In fact, you probably will have the ability to learn far quicker than a young lad of 16.....i speak the truth because when i started college at that age, 17 years ago, i thought i knew everything!!! and knew f*ck all. The reality of course is that you have had a few years to calm down, you are more likely to take information in rather than go at it like a bull. Most importantly though, i would imagine you would have more respect for the dangers involved in this job because it can be dangerous at times. As said above, try local garages for even the smallest jobs...main dealers will not take anybody of your age/experience because they usually like to take on 16/18 year olds and pay for their training and tie them to contracts for years (ford did this to my brother and it got messy in the end). From a personal point of view, i cannot stand lads who come into our garage looking for work who give the impression they would rather be in bed. Get motivated, show enthusiasm and dont be afraid to ask questions
 
Nice to know Ford do that, had a phone call off them offering me a sales apprenticeship lol better than a kick in the teeth
 
I'm 16, also wanting to learn mechanics. Who knows, may even see you in a night class haha.
I wish you the best of luck stokie, as long as you want to do it, you're never too old.
 

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