Manager Forum

What kind of vehicles do you work on? Are the invoices are in your history file all cars? Are they all domestic? Do you specialize? Mix of cars & light trucks? Big trucks? Farm Equipment? Please vote in our poll.

EDIT: I took out the rural part of working on everything option; just an assumption on my part that it was more likely the further out you go. But of course anybody anywhere could work on anything....

Just a note so i remember i voted. getting old is killing me!

I checked "Foreign & Domestic" but on very rare occasion we fix a tractor, boat, etc..............

Foreign and Domestic, except we don't do european. A few VW oil changes, and once in a great while maybe a brake job (using all dealer pads and rotors) and that's about as far as I'll go. Every time I have tried to diagnose something on a European car in the last 15 years, I have had nothing but heartache and failure, so I refuse to keep trying.

I'm kinda the same as a&m, I work on mostly cars and light trucks. But I will work on anything motorized for my good customers, golf carts, boats, motorcycles, lawnmowers, chainsaws, ect.....Never worked on a snowmobile but I think I would enjoy the oppertunity.

Pretty much the same as f8jon360, only we NEVER try to diagnose Europeans.

Of course the European specialists in our area often (and I mean often) call and ask us to diagnose the Japanese cars they are working on; over the phone, and if that doesn't do it they bring them over.

f8jon360 wrote:Foreign and Domestic, except we don't do european. A few VW oil changes, and once in a great while maybe a brake job (using all dealer pads and rotors) and that's about as far as I'll go. Every time I have tried to diagnose something on a European car in the last 15 years, I have had nothing but heartache and failure, so I refuse to keep trying.

Ditto!

Since we are rural and our building used to house a John Deere dealer - I never know what I will find in the shop. The only thing we haven't worked on is the amish buggies or horses!

Went with foreign and domestic because that's the vast majority of what we do. The boss/mechanic (one man show) will work on anything that comes in the door, we just don't see much other than your standard midwest vehicles.

Funny not one single Fire truck!

Rich wrote:Funny not one single Fire truck!

Hey I worked on a 1950's old fire truck once for a collector. Being as how shops are full of flammable stuff I hope not to see many BRTs on our lot

I v put anyhting but for clarification it is anything except euro's. I will work on boats, tractors, semi's but no euro's and we have no one with in 150 miles who I would send one to. they say if you cannot do it right don do it....

hey rich, i've mixed to match paint for an old fire truck, does that count? it took a while, i think i still have the formula. it was imeron paint, but i think that its outlawed for the voc's now

We work on both foreign and domestic, old and new. Lot's of carburetion, some restoration, we still get alot of "Junk", as classified by our #1 mechanic. But if it's not a kick back job that pays good time, it's all junk!! Lot's of beautification, street rods. Any way, just wanted to give my input!!! Have a great weekend! It's nice and sunny today But expecting rain tomorrow!!

They are animated gif files. I found mine on a free avatar website. Just go on a search engine & type in animated gifs or avatars.

We actually have our own website - so I just uploaded the file to our webserver and on my profile put the webaddress of where it is located.

Mikesautorepair wrote:Went with foreign and domestic because that's the vast majority of what we do. The boss/mechanic (one man show) will work on anything that comes in the door, we just don't see much other than your standard midwest vehicles.

We also went with foreign and domestic because that's our primary income. However, we have several customers that bring their trailers to us to work on (horse trailers, boat trailers, etc). Amazingly we are the only automotive shop in town that will repack wheel bearings and work on trailer wiring (and there's over 20 auto shops in this town). We do maintain a few European cars and when they get more than just an oil change or a fluid flush, we ship it to our friend 4 blocks away who just *loves* working on them (total sarcasm there). hee hee!

mmmmmmmmm i see i never posted an answer for this topic. how did i miss this one?
i work on just about anything that toutches the ground while running. we also fabricate a bit. we'll plumb hydrolics and make bracketts for pumps, forgien or domestic, cars or trucks, we try to shy away from semi's. we work on all types of construction equipment including drilling rigs and guardrail installers. we'll make out own hydrolic hoses and install cast iron pipe with cnnectors. we cut to size and thread. we wire trailers, trucks, etc. we do engines, transmissions, difs, etc. we just r&r trannies and engines. at one time i would rebuild the engines and have an independant rebuild my automatic trannies but no more. i'll replace heads but nothing more internal. if the engine has high mileage i'll shy away from any major engine repair. most shops in my area will not do any work on anything over a medium truck. they're the smart ones they know their limitations. i have all the equipment and supplies to properly do the work we do. i stock iron pipe, hydrolic hose and fittings, trailer springs, wire, brake parts, lights, etc. i have the tools and equipment to make hoses, lines, etc. we stock rolls of trailer wire. we have the stock and bender to relocate exhaust to make modifications. i also stock a decent assortment of steel. we'll fabricate plow frames during storms when a customer comes in with a bent one. what the single most important thing that i want to convey is you must have the proper tools and knowledge. if you don't stay away. i've seen some "repairs" that have failed causing majr damage or worse personal injury. i've seen wiring harnesses with more splices than i have connectors. i use 6" tubing sections to protect trailer lights. we have a fence company that were replacing trailers constantly before they started coming to us. after the foreman explained what was always happening we installed skid rails on one of the trailers as an experiment. they all have them now and the owner of the buisness took meon a fishing trip as a personal thanks for taking an interist in his equipment and saving him a bundle. we're a certified shop that takes pride in our work. we have all the necessary tools and diagnostic equipment that's needed in todays quality shops. we subscribe to all the on line informational programs available. personally i perfer mitchell bit we also have all data, iatn, direct hit, and i will use real time, i suggest you look into it. it takes all angles into consideration. now being raised by a midwest farmer and having a irish grandfather on my mom's side i love fabricating and using my grey matter to overcome obsticals in this particular field. as a rule i'm the one that jumps into frame reconstruction and anything that a farmer would do. i love it. gimmie a big truck that needs a gate installed or a 20' flat bed that needs to be shortened and a sander installed and i'm one happy guy. i'm not a dainty little wall flower, i'm a bull in a china closet. i'l take a mig and a sledge hammer anyday over a scanner. like i said, i feel we're the most qualified shop in my area. i'de have no problem pitting my shop against any including the dealerships. we have great pride in our work and will not accept anything less than correct. i guess i kinda got away with this one. it may have been due to a change in the meds.

i voted "anything that moves" because although we do mostly domestic & foreign vehicles as well as light duty trucks, we do on occasion work on diesels, motorcycles, boat motors, motor homes, 4-wheelers & etc. Heck! The other day we had a good customer of ours bring in his Kawasaki Mule & his tiller (ok my new tinyspell ain't working so i don't know if i got that right!)

Foreign & domestic cars & trucks, Diesel, gasoline, and hybrids.

We work on just about anything that rolls. Foriegn, Domestic, Europeon. The only limit I have is the bay doors are only just so high, so if it doesn't fit "Dodge Sprinter Van" I won't commit to anything big as far as repairing due to the fact I can't get it on the lift. Aside from that we repair boat trailers, wiring & bearing repair. We also have a fairly large pool of older classic vehicles that we service in the summer time, ie: 1939 LaSalle, 1947 Ford Woody, 1947 Mercury Woody, 1929 Ford Model A, 1951 Citroen & so on. I do a lot of diagnostic work as well as a lot of P.M. work. Yesterday I found myself working on my friends Cat powered 18" chipper that he couldn't get running. It was kinda fun working on something completely different from usual.

Jeremy