First of all, hey everyone. It's been a LOOOOOONG time since I've posted in here. I had to get rid of the SS (1988 Bronco) long ago so I haven't been spending as much time lurking as I used to. This has to be my first post in...4 to 5 years maybe?

So I'm thinking about heading to UTI (Exton, PA) and wanted to get some very general opinions from people. Everyone here has always answered my questions honestly and this was one of the first places I thought to ask, even after such a long time.

I'm 30 years old and work in a corporate gig I'm pretty unhappy with (who isn't?). It's also in what was once a very lucrative field within real estate that's now bone dry/DOA/tumbleweeds. I honestly don't know what to do with myself and my 10 years of experience in an industry that no longer needs me, my services or those of my competitors.

That brings me to UTI. What are your thoughts and opinions of the school and the Exton location in particular? How about automotive training in general? It sounds as though there's a great divide between people who loved it and people who thought they wasted their time and money.

I'm a little handier than a weekend warrior, but I'm not pulling engines, swapping suspensions, farbicating or anything like that. I have an intense passion for all things automotive and generally gravitate towards old school iron and all forms of racing. I've always said that in a perfect world with mucho-$$ in the bank, I'd hit a technical school and build my own car myself, from balancing the engine to double stitching the seams on the seats (she's a 1970 Monte Carlo I've had since I was 14).

What are you experiences with the school? Has anyone here ever made such a large leap from one job to another in--what seems to me--a "late" time in your life? If you went to one, what did you do afterwards?

FWIW...I'm looking into the core automotive cirriculum as well as FACT, the Ford certification.

Any and all responses are hugely appreciated. I'm truly bouncing this off of everyone I know (now some strangers too!).

Thanks gang!

(p.s.-looking forward to getting back to flating around in here and catching up, even if Mr. T didn't personally blast me for not posting enough [is that still around?]).

 

OK! my friend i envy you! i had done all my research and everything UTI ive even got in touch with the Andy Hill the rep from the First and MAIN UTI campus. got all registered and had to cancel cause i cant afford it

BUT if you can croack up the 30k it is definitly worth going. it looks good on ANY resume and they even help with job search after you graduate ( it is a 1 year course + more if you plan to do the Ford area.) and if your into the the old iron and racing UTI also can transfer you into the school of Bonduraunt which is a school all about racing. they do your drag races and circuit tracks ect. i really wish i could have gone. but not having a job i had to cancel ALL of my college plans which really upsets me. F@$#in economy.

all in all it is definitly worth going to, doesnt take long to graduate. and there courses are 2 week intervals for example the first 3 weeks you learn about tires and brakes 1 week in a classroom taking notes and such then 2 weeks in the shop, you can even work on your own car and they even have there own auto parts shop in the school (dont know about the exton one) then after those 3 weeks you move to trannies and so on and so forth. if your more into performance such as myself i would look at eventually look at after UTI go to Bonduraunt.

ABOUT bondorant, this school looks really good to the guys from NHRA, it is the easiest and best way to possibly get into that here is a link,
Bondurant Racing School of High Performance Driving

 

Take it from me, im currently a student At U.T.I. in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. and im enjoying every minuet of it. when i went into U.T.I. i already knew a good deal about cars and trucks, but in the first few courses i took, it increassed my knowledge by 200%. yes its expensive, and yes its time consuming. BUT it is well worth it. As far as the FACT program goes, i dont think theres a better program out there, im not enrolled in it, but i plan on doing so as soon as i can. There is only one thing about UTI i dont like, and thats the select few students who dont care about being there, or are only there because they have nothing better to do. If you dedicate yourself to it, and keep a positive attitude, youll get exactly what you pay for.

 

Oh...we're still in the same boat. I'm a commission guy, so this kind of expense is a major leap for me which is also one of the reasons I'm so apprehensive. While I'm still not making $$, going this route would require me to leave a job/industry I've been in for 10+ years.

Also, the Automotive Core program + FACT is running about $36k, with an increase on the way.

And Bondurant looks like it's strictly driving instruction, no? Not that I wouldn't be excited about it. I've managed to cut my teeth on a racetrack here at New Jersey Motorsports Park with some of the 24 Hours of Lemons guys, but I'm pretty far from educated on race driving as of yet. That's another thread for another day though.

And thank you WFE...I'm getting a lot of that from people as well.

 

Well, you asked for opinions, and here's mine. Like you, I have a passion for all things automotive. I enjoy doing repairs, and would like to learn bodywork, welding, and fab skills as well. I really enjoy working on cars and trucks.

That being said, I would never do it as a career. Taking something that you enjoy as a hobby and turning it into a career rarely works out how you expect it to. When a once-enjoyable hobby turns into a job, that's what it is - a job. You will cease to enjoy it to the level you once did.

Secondly, automotive work is extremely hard on your body. Your back and knees especially. Your hands will become permanently stained black over time from the grease and dirt you touch all day. I don't know of a mechanic with years of experience who doesn't have some part of his body that's just plain worn out.

Third, the money you make won't be anywhere near what you made in real estate, *especially* compared to 5 years ago. Not even close. A dealership mechanic is probably the most lucrative, but those are tough to get. There are always plenty of experienced mechanics looking for work. Those without a lot of experience get the low-paying jobs.

If you really decide it's for you, then go for it. I wouldn't ever tell anyone to not pursue what their heart really desires. But don't jump into it just because you love working on cars. Do it because you love working on cars for a living. Big difference right there.

Good luck whatever you decide.

 

Think long and hard about private trade schools. Many are ripoffs. They can get you under a pile of debt with student loans which cannot be discharged in bankruptcy. My kid found a program at an accredited public junior college where Toyota sponsors them in hopes that they will at a dealership upon graduation.

 

Thank you Andy, I appreciate your candor and best wishes.

I've thought about that as much as I could--as much as you can envision 10-15 years into the future anyhow.

While the money has been wonderful here and especially up to 10 years ago, it's the only time I enjoy my current job. I suspect many people are the same way, especially in fields where compensation relies heavily on commissions. While the money is on my mind, I realize I'm not walking into a 6-figure salary in 5 years, if ever at all. Money is not my end game here. Part of me thinks I'd be happy making half of what I do now in order to work with something I enjoy.

It's definately not an answer I'll ever find on paper, but this is why I'm asking out loud and working out the possibilites of my choices and their consequences.

Does anyone here have their own shop? A specialty shop especially? (performance, engine building, transmissions, etc.)

What's your opinion, as that is also a route I've considered as a possibility after training and a couple of years experience. What can you add to what Andy has said?

Thank you all again...keep opinions coming too everyone, please.

 

UTI does train you in some version of performance later in there years, i kno the one here in AZ spend a good month in a performance shop building of a small block chevy motor with WHATEVER you want just needs to pass the emissions test, then they throw it in a T-Bucket with a trans and you take to the dyno and track.

BUT what andy was saying that you would get annoyed by the job eventually, yes and no if its what you really wanna do youll have tons of fun doing it especially if you have good fun co-workers, but then your basic under the hood mechanic makes some cash which is why im confused with what andy said. the automotive feild makes quite the sum of money. it all depends on the road you wanna do. i was specifically going for performance cause that is the stuff i like to do, i like doing like the custom mods (body kits, fab work, dynos, chips turbos etc) that is were the money is at. and if you wanna do that specifically i would go to Wyotech, they have a performance specific class i just cant do the move cause they opnly have 2-3 schools.

as for the bondurant, yes it is a performance driving school, they take you to the tracks and the drag strip and drive and from what i hear they also do engine work to, like being the pit crew for like a Top Fuel or funny car they do that as well from what i hear. but if thats another way you wanna go in racing or NHRA bondurant would be the best route cause they have connection into the big league.

 

Diesel tech here. SAVE YOUR MONEY AND GO TO A TECHNICAL COLLEGE.

I can't tell you how many of my coworkers have $30k+ student debt after going to one of those big-name colleges and got the same exact job I have.

 

OP was last here in 2013, seemed to have things worked out.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...l#post12764523

 

Since this thread was dug up from the ashes, I thought it was a good place to put in my two cents. Someone, somewhere is looking at this.