If you could start your own business...

[kustomkyle]

What would it be? Whether it be a wild dream or a more realistic approach, let's hear your ideas. In this day and age everyone has aspirations to do something for themselves. I'd like to develop parts for G-bodies, but there seems to be quite a few that are already doing that.

When your current job gets you down you've got to think outside the box.

 

[AlamoCity210]

I'd probably do what my aunt did. Start a company that helps employ veterans. She and my uncle started about 10 years ago I think. And now they're millionaires. But they both have masters degree and are ex military. Two things I don't have plus many others I'm sure.

 

[tc1959]

I have worked in GM dealerships for so many years. I have so many friends that have also, I would bet they are fed up with that whole thing as I am.
I would love to find a old 30's-40's-50's era Garage and start my own Muscle car restoration shop. There is a old Studebaker dealership in downtown Phoenix I would love to get my hands on.
I have 8 to 10 guys on my list I would hire in a heartbeat. I would bet they would jump at the chance. Now all I have to do is get my wife to buy the right lottery ticket. :lol:

 

[AlamoCity210]

That building looks like a great spot. That would be my dream as well but my skills are not there yet.

 

[84dragcutlass]

I would open up a restoration shop specializing in late 70s and 80s cars for full frame off restorations and restomods

 

[kustomkyle]

I have worked in GM dealerships for so many years. I have so many friends that have also, I would bet they are fed up with that whole thing as I am.
I would love to find a old 30's-40's-50's era Garage and start my own Muscle car restoration shop. There is a old Studebaker dealership in downtown Phoenix I would love to get my hands on.
I have 8 to 10 guys on my list I would hire in a heartbeat. I would bet they would jump at the chance. Now all I have to do is get my wife to buy the right lottery ticket. :lol:

That would be my kind of dream too. I started out working on cars in a body shop, but as the shop grew bigger and the need for more experienced/flat rate guys to match production aspirations, I ended up in the parts department. I have thought about getting into the dealership parts, but it doesn't sound like it would be any better from what you are saying. I will say GM, in general from what I have seen has their parts program done well as opposed to other manufacturers. But it all depends on the dealership/vendor/salesman you deal with too.

You're right about the lottery for start-up costs though! Definitely would be best to do it in the southwest where you don't have to deal with extreme rust. I love classic cars, I don't know everything, but on the other hand would say I'm not the type of person who would look at an AMC Marlin and think to myself "wonder what year that Charger is?". Basically I'm just kind of fed up with the whole high production aspect of things, I'm expected to "just get it" and not think from previous experiences if it is wrong/won't fit or whatever else.

 

[G_Body_Enthusiast]

right now i'm just starting to try and refurbish/recycle parts for g-bodies and depending how well this goes i'd like to look into getting molds and make carbon fiber or fiberglass parts like header panels, hoods (maybe but the market for these seems to be full of companies though) and other body parts like fenders perhaps. if lamborghini can make an entire car from carbon fiber then surely i can do the same for g-bodies...yeah? i had this wild idea of making carbon fiber bodies. probably not very realistic though.

 

[kustomkyle]

right now i'm just starting to try and refurbish/recycle parts for g-bodies and depending how well this goes i'd like to look into getting molds and make carbon fiber or fiberglass parts like header panels, hoods (maybe but the market for these seems to be full of companies though) and other body parts like fenders perhaps. if lamborghini can make an entire car from carbon fiber then surely i can do the same for g-bodies...yeah? i had this wild idea of making carbon fiber bodies. probably not very realistic though.

Anything is possible, not sure if carbon fiber would be a hot item with G-bodies though, but if no one else is doing it maybe it may become the next big thing? I remember when a customer where I work now brought in a late 90's Camaro to have a new aftermarket carbon-fiber hood painted. The fiber pattern was taped off and used for "SS" style stripes, pretty unique.

 

[G_Body_Enthusiast]

Anything is possible, not sure if carbon fiber would be a hot item with G-bodies though, but if no one else is doing it maybe it may become the next big thing? I remember when a customer where I work now brought in a late 90's Camaro to have a new aftermarket carbon-fiber hood painted. The fiber pattern was taped off and used for "SS" style stripes, pretty unique.

the carbon fiber and fiberglass stuff will come after i have a good business base to support such an endeavor. mostly i want to focus on reusing and refurbishing parts, there is no sense in throwing so many parts away when they can be used in another car. that's people seem to be doing these days, crushing the car and selling it for scrap metal prices. i think cars can be completely stripped and all usable parts sold to those who need them. i think it would allow people to get more money for their car and allow the "recycler" to make more money in the long run. you don't need to keep a car on a lot, you store the parts in a climate controlled warehouse so interior parts that are good don't get destroyed by the elements sitting in some junkyard for example. how many good parts have you seen on a car only to find out it was crushed days later? inexcusable as far as i'm concerned. not sure if i'll have any kind of success with this but i'm going to give it a try. i don't expect it to make me a millionaire but if i can make a living at it that's good enough for me.

 

[pencero]

Selling an addictive product is always a good strategy so I would probably start a coffee house / liquor store @ least w/ coffee you don't have the state/ cops breathing down your kneck & no ID checking required so much easier to get started up. Plus with the advances in filtering cold coffee a lot of people are finding out you can make iced coffee nearly 75% less acidic than hot coffee and it tastes a lot better too. I think it would be really cool if someone revived the rotting Fisher Body factory in Detroit and got some people up there back to work - the type of people who care about american produced goods and wouldn't try to unionize for $20/hr and be standing outside with picket signs a week later that is. Imagine if we could replicate the entire cutlass / gn/ gp/ mc bodies instead of just individual panels like some companies are doing w the old mustangs / cobras it would be very cool to say the least