You do realize I have a few years on me, so sit back...
Typical afterschool jobs: paperboy, stocking at a neighborhood store, stocking at a hobby shop where I started building model cars and entering competitions where I won numerous best of shows and 1st in class.
Started working on the family car with my father at 12, was doing all the maintainance, mechanical and body repairs myself by 14.
Started working at a gas station for an ace mechanic (and neighbor, got to know him by helping him install a Caddy engine in a 53 Stude in his driveway) at 15, worked there PT during school and FT summers for 6 years into college.
Was given first car, a wrecked and worn out 55 Chevy to fix for college.
Got involved in drag racing at 16, mostly building cars for others in my parent's garage. Became "Frank Brothers racing" when my two younger brothers got involved as well.
Went to college on full scholarship as chem major.
Got drafted between 2nd and 3rd years, Uncle needed warm bodies for VN more than chemists.
Went to AT as Chem Lab Specialist, finished 2nd in class and was made an instructor teaching chemical and biological warefare defense at the Chem Lab and School, Ft McClellan AL. Continued training there and got Radiological Safety Officer rating. Also married 1st wife.
Discharged and substitute teaching in AL while wife (Home ec. teacher) finished school year. Bought 36 Chevy to play with.
Returned home to Buffalo NY at end of school year.
Got a job as Process Control/Improvement Chemist at Nuclear Fuel Services, West Valley NY. They reclaimed spent fuel rods from nuclear reactors, and exposed a lot of people to high levels of radiation, myself included.
Not wanting to glow in the dark, I quit to manage the lab at a company that did environmental impact studies, was fired when they discovered I was keeping record of the actual and made up favorable false results they were presenting to their clients (including the government) and billing millions for.
Disillusioned and tired of chemistry I decided to use my GI bill to return to college as Art major intending to become a sculptor/teacher.
Discovered that jewelry making was miniature sculpture and I loved doing it. Continued on to earn BS in Art Ed, and MS in Jewelry design, minor in wood design.
Made and sold jewelry out of my basement studio for a couple years to Galleries and for commisions.
Decided to leave the land of ice and snow to seek my fortune in warmer climes. Moved to Research Triangle area of NC in 1979. Met my current wife and lifemate.
Opened my custom design jewelry store in 1980 to present in Raleigh NC.
Hobbies and interests I occasionally dabble in are fine art/scupture, cabinet making, building and flying radio controlled airplanes (as well as racing boats and cars), scuba diving, hang gliding, car racing (we currently compete in autocross on a national level, my wife is a 2 time National Champion, going for her third later this month. I am her pitcrew and an also ran national driver ), We bought "Gracie" our 56 Panel to use as our tow/support vehicle for our AX car. I still occasionally get involved in drag racing, especially when visiting my brothers who are still heavily involved. We all still run under "Frank Brothers racing enterprises" banner.
Along the way I also worked "making" ice cubes and crushed ice in an ice house, as an electrician's helper, became self taught in electronics and computers, plumbing and home remodeling along with a handful of other skills. I read about anything non fiction I can get my hands on in most any subject, and heavily reasearch anything that strikes my fancy at the time.

 

Drove pizzas around
Flipped burgers at McD's
Helped my buddy tear apart a 69 Mach One/351C
Built bikes at Toys'r'us
Went to college
Learned to fly in the Navy
Inherited the family 1956 F-250
Flew F/A-18 Hornets full time
Flew FA-2 Harriers on exchange tour with the Brits
Gained 20+ pounds drinking beer on their ship
Flew briefly for Delta as a 727 FE prior to being laid off
Currently helping design cockpit display interface of F-35 Lightning II
Currently fly Hornets part time
Thinking about flying for FedEx
Learning about cars/trucks part time, much of it from this board.
Raising two girls, 6 and 2.5

Here I am back in the McD's days...

 

i too have been around for a while so i have a long list of jobs. but i will spare you most of them. i started out working at a sawmill in oregon, then i joined th airforce in '51. 4 years later i worked for western electric installing telco equipment. then transferred to the telephone co. then i decided to make my fortune being an o/o over the road trucker oops! well i didn't give that up for 21 years so now i am retired and play with my 57.

 

I helped my Dad operate a salvage yard in the late 50s by answering the phone and pulling parts. I think that's were my affliction to old cars originated. I joined the Navy in 1961 and got out just before the Viet Nam conflict started. I opened a Texaco service station with my brother-in-law in the mid 60s in Florida but it failed when I-95 opened and took the traffic off US-1. I started working for a large insurance company in 1965 as a change specialist from 1965-1970, then a health underwriter from 1970-72, then a life/health change underwriter from 1972-75, and then a programming support analyst from 1975-94. I retired in 1994 as a computer systems analyst after 29 years of service and have not worked a job since. I joined the National Street Rod Association in 1973 and have been a member ever since. I have owned a street rod off and on since 1961.

Vern

 

Let's see:
1. Newspaper delivery boy on Cushman Eagle.
2a. College student.
2b. Nursing home orderly while I went to college the first time.
3. USAF enlisted, Avionics Sensor Systems Specialist (electronics tech working on IR, Side looking radar and laser target designators on RF-4Cs and AC-130A & E gunships)
4. College student, graduated with BS in Mechanical Engineering.
5. Engineer with public utility designing changes to coal and nuclear power plants.
6. Self-employed consulting engineer designing mechanical and plumbing systems for commercial and industrial projects.

In all that time, I've also been working on hot rod and motorcycle projects for fun. The "AZAV8" handle comes from the backburner project of a 29 Model A roadster pickup, V8 flathead hot rod project. The front burner project is the 48 F1 pickup. I need a pickup as a parts chaser for the hot rod. Besides its hot in AZ and I like an air conditioned closed cab to ride around in. If the car/truck was built after about 1958 I consider its styling "ugly". The 98 Explorer goes away once the F1 is on the road.

Phil

 

Now here I always thought "AZAV8" was short for "Arizona Aviate"...some kind of flying reference.

 

Served apprenticeship as a toolmaker
worked in R & D (automotive bearings)
Got into CNC machining as a operator then setter / programmer
Became production engineer making ejection seats
last ten years worked for several CNC machine tool suppliers installing machines, supporting / training customers etc.

 

I started my mechanical career early, sitting on the fender of my Uncle's race car handing him wrenches when I was still in diapers. Moved on to wrenching on bicycles, lawnmowers, cars, trucks, heavy equipment, and soon to move on over to RV repair.

I have had a love for old iron ever since I was a kid. I just knew that some day I would have an old truck to play with.
Jeff

 

I grew up working with my Dad, he was a part time farmer and full time HVAC Contractor. I work as a carpenter for a few years and then decided to go to college and use my hammer and other tools on the weekends.

So I became a Petroleum Engineer, thats right one of those engineering guys. I drilled oil wells in The Gulf of Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Wyoming, Colorado, Alberta Canda, The North Sea and Nigeria Africa (yuk!). I got a little tired of working overseas so I transfered into the Chemical business in 1992. Since then I have done a lot of project management, built a lot of stuff and ended up back overseas in China.

I Managed a Plant that makes plastic in China for 3.5 years and as of 2004, I manage a plant in Ohio that makes the same plastic. Sure is good to be back in the good ol USA.

Best job I ever had..........rebuilding a Ford Effie with my son!

 

Degree in electronics - never used...instrument and controls mechanic in the steel and petro-chemical industry...same field in construction...same gig as a field engineer for an engineering company then for an electric utility and lately (last 16 years) a safety and health guy for the same eletric utility. About 12 years till I think I can "retire" so truck is a weekend spare time thing. Many years in the SCCA messing with MGs (it's a sickness and besides I LIKE oil in my driveway) then found old trucks through a friend with an Apache. Sold the MGs and bought PHAT 51. Same big hammers so useful on the MGs work just swell on the 51 too!

OilLeaks

 

shipyard welder for many years, civil engineer designer doing 3D design and digital terrain modeling for the past twenty five years.

 

Mc Donald's burger flipper, Worked for Price Pfister Brass (faucet manufacturer) in charge of the chrome plating on faucets. (Boring) Got my BA Degree in Organizational Leadership and a Master's Degree in Business. Been in law enforcement for 21 years. 5 years in Juvenile Investigations.

 

My dad is a mechanical engineer, and gave me a Briggs & Stratton lawnmower engine to play with for my 5th birthday. Took it apart probably 200 times (early flathead love affair!)

My dad took over his father's photoengraving and slide chart business, so I worked there every spare minute since I was 12. Ran printing presses, die cutters, etc. Slide charts are those things like slide rules, except they usually select a product -- some of you engineers may know the Trane Ductulator, that was my dad's creation. Also the B&G System Syzer. I spent my summers making those.

Got my mechanical engineering degree at Univ of Illinois and have been doing that since, first in Chicago, then in Albuquerque. Worked for the power company for 15 yrs, then got downsized (a blessing) and went into the semiconductor fab business. Now I do cleanrooms and industrial HVAC (laboroatories, etc).

 

Ross - I know EXACTLY what those things are. I love those gizmos. I have a whole collection of them - rivets and fastener sizes and dims, hex bolt/nut dimensions, etc. I keep them with my drafting templates and french curves. I get a kick out of showing them to new or intern engineers. They just stare at them, wide-eyed. Way cool!

 

Bb/ford???