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Post by CoyoteCrunch on Oct 24, 2015 14:06:26 GMT -7
I have been posting about the hours I have been putting in of late. Most, of course, are with my full time job. BUT, the reason I have not been getting much done on the bench, is because I was asked to be a part of a new shop. Close to home, actually, on the way home from work. It feels more like a volunteer job, as I think I am getting more out of it than just a little extra cash. I am involved in helping to build up a Hot Rod shop. We have another partner, who has 7 total Cuda's that he is wanting us to restore. So, along with accepting work that comes in, we have his backing to get this start up on the way. Been a dream of ours for quite some time really. We currently have his pro street Cuda, we replace what is needed, after the weekly runs, and right now, for this fall / winter, we will totally rebuild. The big project we are in the process of is a complete, frame off restoration for his 71 Cuda... The shop, in the back is the small parts paint shop... that's my truck in the bottom of the corner. The black 70 Cuda, down to black prime, and the local Cuda pro street is sitting outside as well  This shop, and the new building, is where I have been hanging out after work the most. My buddy Jeff is in this picture, pretty much his shop, BUT...... Lol After painting, (Jeff did the painting), I have been wet sanding the fenders, all is cleared now, polishing to come. But first we are re-building a 426 for this one....    My wife and Jeff, admiring my wet sanding!! LOL  The smaller shop - across from the new building, is where the weekly drag car resides.... Yes, those are legal street tags - the interior could be thrown in, tread tires put on, and she would be legal for the street!     |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2015 17:17:26 GMT -7
What a great side project mate, yes, i would LOVE to be in your shoes, big-drooling-smiley-emoticon
Who cares if you don't get much sleep, at least you get up knowing your going to work on this stuff, hope it all pays off for you bud..
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Post by CoyoteCrunch on Oct 24, 2015 17:28:01 GMT -7
Hahaha - yeah, I will admit, it is a blast. I am learning tons as well. Striping the cars down, welding seams, grinding, working the body, been a real treat.
Just hope we can make it, I have sunk quite a lot of the savings into this. Basically, the lift, the siding on the building, the windows, those I got. Ron, he donated the land, Jeff, he actually retired from his job to be there full time. We will have a full time mechanic coming the first of November, gonna have his wife run the car sales area. I also am doing the books with my accountant, just hope it makes it.
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Post by wheaton79chris on Oct 24, 2015 19:56:12 GMT -7
Sweet! My kinda dream job
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Post by CoyoteCrunch on Oct 24, 2015 20:41:46 GMT -7
Well Chris, if all goes as planned, I will be needing help next year - you and DeeCee are most welcome to come to Oklahoma for a job!
Hoping it does go well though, and take off - big time investment for sure
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Post by wheaton79chris on Oct 24, 2015 21:45:52 GMT -7
Well Chris, if all goes as planned, I will be needing help next year - you and DeeCee are most welcome to come to Oklahoma for a job! Hoping it does go well though, and take off - big time investment for sure Not sure how good I would do lol. Being disabled I can't stand for long periods. Thanks for the offer though |
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Post by sharp on Oct 24, 2015 22:57:47 GMT -7
WOW!!! that is very cool Tom,I would love to do something like this ,best of luck bud!!!
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Post by CoyoteCrunch on Oct 25, 2015 6:18:03 GMT -7
Thanks Mike - time will only tell!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2015 10:44:22 GMT -7
The cuda's are lookin good man..The [purple and Black one looks to be coming out Great !! What kind of times does the Pro Street Cuda run ??
Looks like you guy's have a great start to a Shop . Hope all work's out like you all plan.. Ahh brings back memories of the good ole days, did a 70 Challenger and 70 Cuda for a couple of friends back when I had my shop..They were both Race Cars . The Challenger I put Glass Nose , Glass Door's and Glass Deck Lid on it and Lexan Windows all around.Was fun getting all the body parts to have nice clean factory lines in them. It was running a 440 with the old Cross Ram Dual Quad intake , Automatic ( manual shift tourqeflight ). The Cuda was also a 440 single Holley with three stage Nitrous , Manual shift auto also.This was back in early 80s. and a lot of fun ( and hard work to build and paint them ) I only did body and paint no mechanic work..
Like I said earlier Best of Luck on your new adventure ..
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Post by CoyoteCrunch on Oct 25, 2015 12:11:22 GMT -7
Thanks Tom - sure hope it turns out to be a wise investment. I am like you, more of a body / paint man. But I do like to help in the suspension and engine area. What they will let me anyways - LOL
I will get this years current runs on the Cuda and let you know. The guy is loaded, and only does it for fun. Dint think he really gets after it like he could, but I will get some stats and figures for sure, would love to get him to where he is a real threat at Thunder Valley next year.
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Post by Big D on Oct 27, 2015 23:42:32 GMT -7
Some people are just blessed beyond words, and you deserve it Tom.
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Post by CoyoteCrunch on Oct 28, 2015 5:13:00 GMT -7
Oh, don't know about that one there Big D! LOL But I sure hope things go well for the shop.
Not much going on this week, waiting until next week when Sean, our full time mechanic is set to move in. And he is already bringing work with him, so that's a good thing! |
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Post by CoyoteCrunch on Oct 28, 2015 11:44:58 GMT -7
Well, about the time I think nothing was gonna happen this week for the shop, I took a call this morning from a future customer, told him I would meet him for lunch.
Check it out!! Got us another winter / spring project. Actually, the guy said we could have up to a year if we wanted, as he will be funding as we go along.
1969 Camaro SS - he was thinking some kind of radical custom, but yet wanted a daily driver. So I pulled out my best Gas Monkey impersonation, and tried to persuade him to think more along the lines of keeping the classic look, but going with some hidden, modern goodies. First and foremost, I am pretty sure he will go with letting us get a nice crate motor for this, I am trying to persuade him into going with the 6.2L LS3, I think that would give him the reliability of a good driver, plus keeping the looks of a classic Camaro. As far as the color goes, right now he is thinking powder blue,  Hope to change his mind to green or red, but that's a ways out yet.
   
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Post by jmccann630 on Oct 28, 2015 18:15:29 GMT -7
Good luck Tom! Wish I had a job like this, I love being around cars!
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Post by CoyoteCrunch on Oct 28, 2015 18:28:38 GMT -7
I wish this was my full time job bud, as a rule, i am stuck at my full time job 10 to 12 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and just about every other Saturday.
Kind of why i am hoping this will take off in a few years, would love to do this stuff full time instead!
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Post by jmccann630 on Oct 28, 2015 19:29:56 GMT -7
WOW, that's a long day and week. Hope this works out for you!
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Post by Big D on Oct 28, 2015 21:34:58 GMT -7
God I miss my youth!!! Getting old really sucks. giving-thumbs-down-smiley-emoticon
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tubbs
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Registered: Jul 24, 2013 5:02:43 GMT -7
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Post by tubbs on Oct 29, 2015 7:43:10 GMT -7
hey Tom, congrats on taking a chance on something you love. hope everything works out for the best. who knows, maybe I will be bringing my P/S runner your way... do you pick up?
good luck buddy!!! i'll say a prayer or 2 for you.
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Post by CoyoteCrunch on Oct 29, 2015 7:53:12 GMT -7
Thanks Al - let's just say, if this venture can take off......
HAVE TRAILER - WILL TRAVEL!!!
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Post by jbailey on Nov 7, 2015 10:05:01 GMT -7
If I win the lotto I plan to do the same kinda venture, only geared more towards hot rods than muscle cars. If I was close enough I'd sign on for a mechanics job lol. Big piece of advice, don't drown yourselves in too much work. Word of mouth is damn good advertising, so once you pump out a few vehicles more and more will flow in. I worked in a similar shop about 10 years ago. There were 2 guys that were partners, one mechanic and one body guy. I worked with the mechanic and was friends with him before and after the shop lol. They kept taking on work and then the body guy got back into meth and screwed us all.
Man that's a lot of random thoughts in there, hope it all made sense.
Good luck Tom!
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Post by CoyoteCrunch on Nov 7, 2015 15:33:38 GMT -7
Thanks JB - so far, the mechanic seems to be a good guy. He has like 89 thousand kids, so he works hard, ha!
I just stopped by on my way home, had to get on his boys a little, they were freaking playing frisbee in the shop with the purple Cuda. Are you kidding me!?!
Anyways, they settled down after I took them out back and showed them how much more fun it was to play OUTSIDE! So hard to believe kids these days just do not go OUTSIDE anymore.
I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not as safe a world I know, but still, when you can go outside, why not? But I got them out back having fun, checked over a few things with Jeff, and finally got home for the day / night. Planning on being down there tomorrow at 5am or so, Jeff and I are gonna finish the tear down on the Camaro and start prepping / sanding the body for some initial primer, I am a little concerned about the body, is a bit rougher than we first thought, but there is still quite a bit of original metal left, just gonna be some work. Plus I need to devote time to research some interior parts, wiring harness, insulation and getting some chrome ordered, etc. A new crate motor should be here in January, owner decided on an LS1 - oh well, nothing with super balls, BUT the plans are to have a sweet looking classic, and a reliable driver, all-in-one
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Post by CoyoteCrunch on Dec 17, 2015 9:28:46 GMT -7
Well - had quite a night last night at the shop. Not sure if I will be hanging with this crew much more. 
To be honest, I just cannot be there when I need to be there, and the decisions being made in my absence during the days has been - to put it nicely - STUPID - well, maybe that's not so nice.... It's bad enough I have to fix STUPID at my full time job as it is all day, but then to go in there and look over what has been going on, let's just say the patience is running out. I field the calls, and the questions, only to go in around 5 each day, or whenever I get out of my full time job, to find what transpired was NOT what I suggested. I am trying to keep everyone involved, and not be the "Ass Boss" - but again, with me not able to "physically" be there all the time, it simply is not working.
A little example from last night that has me a touch furious....
We also sell cars there, just a small car lot for locals to be able and get a fairly reliable set of wheels, for barely above my cost. There lies the kicker that a couple of my employees just cannot seem to get right, "barely above cost". Case in point, we had a 2005 Chevy Cavalier, nice, clean little car, only had about 90,000 miles on it. I picked it up for 2200, after we serviced it, listed it, etc, I told my manager we needed at least 2900 to 3000. This would at least cover the cost, some wages and a little overhead. Not looking to really profit much, cash flow is basically what I was after. When I got there, I noticed the car was gone, hoping for some good news for a change, I get to my office and get told, "I'm Sorry" before I could even sit down in my office. The salesman, a part time kid, let it go for 1900!!!!! His excuse, "that's what I thought you said". I asked him, "Why did you not call me?? Did you not check the costs folder??" He tells me he did, but then says Jeff thought he should let it go, again for some cash flow and payroll this week. I went and talked to Jeff, he confirmed this, but once again, I had to have, "The Talk" with him. That sometimes a loss is necessary, yes - I understand that, but a loss of 300, right off the top, before we even paid the mechanic for his hours servicing, etc is NOT acceptable. I told him we were only into the car for 10 days, we had at least a month before we needed to do such a panic sale. This is not the first time something like this has happened, again, I am just not there to assure things go as needed.
But I told Jeff, "Come on man - cash flow, and taking a loss - NEARLY EVERYTIME - is not going to get us anywhere smiley-scared002
I may just have Jeff finish up the Cuda, so I can get my initial cut back, donate the cost of the lift to him as a Christmas present or something and just let him run with it. NOT what I had hoped for.  But again, I am relying on others to run / hire / sell, etc way too much I am afraid. Don't get me wrong, Jeff and the guys are good guys, but they are steering this more towards a break down type shop, and I myself wanted a "Custom Hot Rod" shop. Guess I will ride it out for the winter, but I do not think I can continue to help out, making sure payroll is met each week. I may have to get mean with the guys, and hold a pow-wow to remind them - "Guys - most of you are aware of what we need, and what comes in, and if this does not balance out, payroll will most likely be the first thing to suffer" Since the work they are seeking does not warrant the kind of wages they need and want. This may be my only answer right now.
Losing my ass on this one it looks like...... 
At least I should be able to break even with the Cuda, but the worst part, the Camaro build, I will have to muster up a way to let this client down. I don't know - sorry for venting, no reply's are needed - just wanted to type out some frustrations, LOL
Sad for Christmas.....  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 17, 2015 15:07:05 GMT -7
Venting is good mate, at least you can sit down and read this again yourself,
it may help you make up your mind, and know it was not a rash decision which ever way you jump mate.
It is difficult relying on others, especially when it is not their money.
Hope all goes well buddy, what ever happens.
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Post by CoyoteCrunch on Dec 17, 2015 15:29:16 GMT -7
LOL - you are so right mate.
Yeah, the venting helped a bit, cooled me down for now. And yep, have read over what I typed like a dozen times now, funny how that works!
I will just keep a trying for now, don't want the guys to have a hard time of it now, I am sure things will improve. Hell, they can only get better - right... egyptian |
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Post by Big D on Dec 17, 2015 21:54:18 GMT -7
I know how you feel. I was in a supervisor position all of my adult life, starting with Staff Sergeant in the Army. It's really hard when you are putting your heart and soul in something like the Shop. I'm glad I'm retired now, I just wish I didn't have to get old with it.
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tubbs
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Registered: Jul 24, 2013 5:02:43 GMT -7
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Post by tubbs on Dec 18, 2015 6:49:18 GMT -7
that's the main reason I am where I am at my job. i like having the responsibility but i don't have anyone under me and only the 2 guys i work for above me. it's a nice situation.
don't let it eat at you too long, do what you have to do to make yourself content.
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