career change

[pondy]

Hello, im now 25 and have been in th motor trade since I was 17, started from an apprenticeship with ford and worked my way up to a Ford senior tech and have been offered to get into mot work also. I dont know what job I will get given each day but I have done so much work to cars over the years that nothing is new or challenging to me so im now getting bored of it all.
I feel I have a creative mind, im intrested and enjoy making things, I brought a mig around 5 years back and taught myself how to use it and since have lots of fun using it, making and repairing things.
I have been thinking about a career in fabracation/welding but I have never had any training or have any qualifications or real world experiance in it. Do companies offer apprentiships in this line of work and if so am I told old for it? Always though it was aimed at young people just out of school?
My local college do offer courses so I could pay to get training myself if needed.
anyone one been in the situation im in now?

Thanks
sam

 

[doubleboost]

It is a pity you were not in the motor trade 25 years ago when it was interesting & we used to repair things

 

[pondy]

Very true, everything gets replaced as its usually cheaper from a warranty acpect. Warrantty repairs are a pain, anything expensive and you usually end up calling ford who will want you to to talk them through how you diagnosed to make sure your correct, takes ages and could do without it

 

[octo0072000]

as said by doubleboost
we used to repair them all
all you do is replace parts not many teckys nowadays actually repair parts
modern cars now don't last not many seem to get past 100000 miles without major work,
the amount of people that take a car for service nowadays fords seem to be worse a service ends up at a £1000 because of so many faults

here's one son air bag control unit showing air bag light fault Volvo (ford based)want just short of £800 to fix it
so it's going for repair at a cost of £70 and a couple of hours to remove and replace it

working at a main dealer is not a challenge try a small repair garage that works on any make

 

[pondy]

I have done alot of repairs to engines and gear boxes etc but not so much any more, warranty wont pay for it and retail customers wont bring it to a main dealer outside or warranty as labour rates are so high. When was 'the boy' working with anothrr tech I worked on endless transits with gearbox and timing chain faults, was fun but dont see that work anymore.
We have a huge used car sales which sells anymake so I work on anything nowadays. Regarding repairing modules etc, we have send away ecu etc for repair but most customers don't like it as yhey will have no car untill its back, you can go online, buy one cheaper anc swap it over your self with no down time

 

[Spark plug]

If you still like fixing things, take a look at HGV / plant it's more varied, things tend to get fixed more than replaced as replacement parts are more expensive.

Also you will get a chance to learn about hydraulics and pneumatics, and probably some welding and fabrication.

 

[pondy]

Spark plug that is somthing else that crossed my mind, keeping the mechanical side I know but adding somthing new. I do alot of transit work were I am, tarmac and Thetford waste compactors run a fleet of transits and they are a workshop in the back, engine drivern arc welders, oxy propane setups and a host of other tools needed to repair plant on site.​