joe_padavano

When I lived in SoCal in the 1980s the local auto paint store in Manhattan Beach had a spray booth in back that they rented in four hour increments. It was extremely handy. I've been looking for something similar here in Northern VA. At cruise night last week a guy from Maaco came by trying to drum up business. Naturally he focused on my wagon. I pointed out that I did all my own paint and body, but that I was really looking to rent a spray booth. He said that they would do that. Kewl! It never hurts to ask.

navvet

The navy shops were great, especially if you had a shop sopervisor who liked to teach you the ropes. Local HS use to have shops that taught the students the skills of the automotive repair industry but they too are fading away. I use to have all my basic maintenance done at the local school including body work.
If i had the money I would buy a closed GM dealership and turn it into a rental shop and loan it out to local schools to teach kids a skill.
I know a few mechanics in the area who when they are slow ( and that seems to be a lot these days) allow me to rent out their lift to do my own tinkering. I reward them by having them do work on the kids cars and major work on the daily driver. The guys usually charge me @ 15-20 bucks an hour for lift rental.

oldcutlass

When I was a kid growing up with points and carbs, cars were very simple and you could teach a pimply faced pointy haired kid engine basics in High Schools. Now cars are so much more complicated, so it's just not that simple. Plus the average kid nowadays just wants to put the key in and go, and not get their hands dirty. Top that with parents want every kid to go to college.

I think there needs to be a separate State sponsored Vocational Education system to educate kids into trade programs, but this is whole different topic.

navvet

Vocational education seemed to have a bad rap. Many many kids have a desire and born with mechanical skill and vocational ed was perfect! You are right ...it seems its college or you are nothing. Todays cars are so technical and require great learning to become a mechanic. Todays Navy is so technical and require sailors to know highly technical and difficult equipment...when these sailors get out they need the automotive schools to join and put their great experiance to good jobs.

jaunty75

A shop like this just opened in my town. No mention in the article about their rates.

http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces...lcsun-news.com

oldcutlass

It seems this type of business is starting to gain traction.

jaunty75

If you open one, make sure that, like the guys in this article do, you offer showers.

What I'm wondering is if, three or six months from now, there will be another article about this shop closing its doors.

I do like how they apparently also sell auto parts along with renting space to do the work. This means that you can take your car there with nothing else, rent the tools you need, buy the oil and filter you need, and do everything there.

oldcutlass

If you read through and check the attached links, most of these places have similar services. I'm just not sure if the small town I live in can support it.