Guys I've got a Dilemma

[8v-of-fury]

Ok so here is the situation. I'm 20, currently working a dead end "job" at Giant Tiger, and have zero post-secondary education. I want to get in to the automotive field, but have yet to get my break from the slugging of boxes in retail.. I don't want to take a college course on Auto Tech, because honestly I still know more "ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE" then two of my friends who have taken it... Thats a waste of time. An Apprenticeship would be KEY to my life taking off.. gonna need it to happen soon too lol

I have these cars;







But I want one of these;



Yes I want that Big Burly 4.0L I6 with a 5spd!? OMFG. that and 4x4 it will be soooo crazy in the snow.

What do I do here guys. I currently DD the gold one, but it has the black ones *coughcoughtagscoughcough*  so that makes selling the black one as a vehicle a difficult thing to do.. also I "think" i want to get rid of the Cougar too, its just sitting and would be much better use to me as a few stacks in my pocket lol.. But I have never driven it, I have owned it 5 years and it always gets back burner'd. three years ago it blew both head gaskets on a bad over heat.. which a year ago i finally got finished and back running again, now with it running I'm in the process of getting it registered and on a 10-day so I can really see what this thing is like before I make too many decisions on the selling part... I just wish I had a barn i could tarp it up and park it in for a while...

[Smokey Eddy]

Education is never a bad idea.
And you always have to start at the bottom. Just think of already knowing the material as an advantage and rock the exams...
contact VW about it. im sure someone somewhere who knows will give you excellent info Jer

[the caveman]

Education is never a bad idea.
And you always have to start at the bottom. Just think of already knowing the material as an advantage and rock the exams...
contact VW about it. im sure someone somewhere who knows will give you excellent info Jer

I agree, education can never hurt , and believe me, there are things you will find out that will come in useful. Of course some schools/teachers can be a waste of time, but a good one will increase your knowledge. I was in exactly the same boat as you and there are things from the  good auto shop course that i still refer to after 30 years. When i was even younger i was designing cars from the wheels up [ ahh the days of less distractions],including the gearbox and i'm still learning.I would also suggest taking a heavy truck/machinery course instead- harder work ,but more money.

[burn_your_money]

I took one year of heavy duty and loved it. I knew a bunch before I went to college but the nice thing about college is the teachers have actually worked in the field. They will give you lots of little tips and the things that they teach you will sink in at a much deeper level then the stoners that are coming straight from high school with no real knowledge of vehicles. Usually the program/school will offer a placement during the summer where you work and gain job connections, money and experience.

I went to Cambrian in Sudbury and while I hated the city the teachers were top notch. I looked into taking a couple courses at Centennial in Scarborough and the teachers seemed pretty good as well.  

Auto mechanics can be a tough field to get into right now though because new car prices are so low a lot of people are just scrapping the older ones and buying new.

Oh yeah, you'll hate the fuel mileage on the Jeep. My landlord just bought one and he is getting the same as my F250 with a 6.9

[catlin_cava]

College is never a bad thing. I've been 4 years out of school and I'm going back to take a 2 year course in September. Yes I could find work that pays me 11 to 13 an hour, but I'll never make anything over that without a College course. Try and get an Apprenticeship at the VW Dealer lol

[Rabbit on Roids]

i dont have the time to waste on college courses. i know what you mean jeremy. it sucks knowing more than the college instructor teaching the class.. thats how it was in my case atleast.

to get to diesel mechanics at the local college, you gotta take:

introduction to shop/mechanical,

then theory of engine operation or something like that,

then engine building and basics

then advanced mechanical

then diesel engine basics

then the actual class to be a certified diesel mechanic.

im sorry guys, but i dont have the TIME or MONEY for those classes. i probably have most of the smarts required to pass all those classes without even going to them.

it sucks being a low class broke white boy..

not being racist, and i dunno how it works everywhere else, but if you are ANY COLOR BUT WHITE, you can get help with everything. food stamps, financial aid, grants, housing aid, everything like that..

there are more illegal mexicans going to the local college than anything else.

sorry if that offended anyone, but its the ugly truth..

[catlin_cava]

Ièm getting Finiancial Assistance from the goverment to go to college for the next 2 years. But Iève been on Employment Insurance for the last over the last year. So its cheaper to send me back to college and have me working when Ièm done lol