I found out my old vw dealer tech retired. He told me a story
and so here it is. After being a tech for over 30 years, he
told me that it was all pretty much a waste of his life. No
retirement pension or health insurance. Anyway. He was getting
into his mid 50's and the back-pain was getting harder to bear.
The advil cocktails going to sleep at night and the pre-work
pain-killers no longer helped enough to get him through the day.
The constant bending into the engine compartment and working
with his arms up under the jacked up car was getting unbearable.

It was time to leave the dealer tech job and start something
else in a different state close to relatives there. Get away
from the old and start a new. Maybe fixing up antiques, or buying
stuff at estate sales and selling them on Ebay.

Another reason why I wouldn't want to be a dealer tech. No retirement
future in it. Sometimes you might get lucky and be kept as a parts man
or a driver of some sorts. Of course the IRA or 401K is there but
then your aged and broken body also needs long-term care.

It appears that age creeps up like in other many different careers
but the physical jobs are harder to keep due to age and injuries.

On the flip side, I also currently know people much older and still
working hard but not in the dealer tech field. For example a 94 year
old who has his own model design business and is still going strong
every day. Every time I see this guy, I know there is hope for the
rest.

Remember Colonel Sander's? He started KYC with his social security
check at the age of 65. There is still hope to make it big.

EOS
--
Jeeps and dubs and everything's nice...

"Peter Parker" <nospam (AT) zero (DOT) com> wrote

Age varies between individuals when being a problem, but 2 different but
related body movements seem to be common. Impact and repetitive motions
affecting joints. People can adjust to these by doing less of these if not
a continuous requirement of the job.

That's where one can make the adjustment by doing less of the two motions
repetively.

Over time, the cost of health care is usually more expensive that
maintaining some semblance of the way of living the person is used to.

Only due to demands by such jobs, and not going to something less strenuous,
or making those adjustments within the job description.

It varies between the individual, their activities, their lifelong impact
and repetive motions affecting joints, ligaments, and muscles.

Unrelated. He did alot but wasn't terribly physically active. When he did
the KFC franchise shortly later after 65, it was more of a supervisory
capacity than active participation.

You don't have to "make it big" to be physically capable and successful in
life. Just know your limits, and how those limits are due to your activity
prior to reaching an age where your activity may be limited. Your body has
lifelong expectations of use, don't burn it up too soon. The vast majority
never "make it big", yet, that isn't a factor in the latter part of life
except for the unlearned of life few. These are the afraid, fearful, scared
of living people. Don't think it was a VW retired tech in your example...
Nor the big headed native Kentuckian who pursued his dreams...
--
Jonny

My brother is in his mid 50's. He has worked as a mechanic most of his
adult life. He finally moved out to Colorado where he can fish in the
morning if he wants. He has needed to move there for 30 years.The
place will probably help him lose weight. Ijust don't see many big
people out in the area he moved to. Yes he has next to nothing but a
lot of tools, some fishing poles and some hunting rifles. I don't
think his body is in that bad of shape.

One of my high school buddie's dad worked as a self employed car
mechaninc. He retired at a typical mid 60's age. His body was not worn
out.

On 3 Sep 2006 09:57:26 -0400, nospam (AT) zero (DOT) com (Peter Parker) wrote:

You are absolutely right. I''m 53 now and quit last year. Warranty repair
times are starvation wages. Very little customer pay labor at the dealer
shop nowadays. What's left? Look at GM, Ford, VW, they are in bad shape, I
have yet to meet an auto tech who became rich at it. I moved to FL and I can
fish every day if I want to. No more shop toxic fumes, vapors and fluids. I
could go on...
"Jim Behning" <jimbehning (AT) doesthisblockpork (DOT) mindspring.com> wrote

In article <3%%Mg.17601$Ca4.10157 (AT) bignews7 (DOT) bellsouth.net>,
Regal53 <Regal53 (AT) bellsouth (DOT) net> wrote:
I remember the days when you could switch from one dealer to another because
of your good reputation and the new dealer would accept your 100K salary and
you could cherry pick your jobs. Now times have changed and you are correct
about the "starvation wages".

Most dealers like Ford make lots of cash with the usual Ford truck breakdown
jobs. Ball Joints, brakes, etc. Sometimes they make more profit than sales.
Toyota on the other hand sell over 100 vehicles a month so their profit is
way better than the service dept.



--
Jeeps and dubs and everything's nice...

I think my brother is making $35 an hour working at an independent
shop. Some might starve at that pay rate but he is fine with it. He
enjoys the fact that he is no longer around a bunch of know it alls.
He has a young mechanic that actually listens to his ideas when they
get stumped.

On 10 Sep 2006 20:09:11 -0400, nospam (AT) zero (DOT) com (Peter Parker) wrote: