What..

[dmanmccann]

I have been meaning to ask pretty much everyone here on the forum with the most awsome rides...what are ya'lls jobs?? I mean how do you afford everything that you buy?? Are most of yall single or something or live with your parents..I just know it takes major money to buy all the cool add ons and performance parts and esp the RCD susp lifts...I just dont understand yall must make a lot of money....

 

[MAKG]

It's all over the map. Name a job, and you'll find someone on the board who does it. Everything from grocery store stock clerks to truck drivers to to professional mechanics and machinists, to scientists and engineers. And a gazillion others.

I'm a tightwad. I pay for mods by making sure I really want them first. And making them sparingly. Ignoring marketing works well (K&N won't really make 5 HP on your truck from a drop-in filter -- that's what "results may vary" is there for). Be skeptical, and analyze the crap out of the system.

 

[Ranger5.0]

Well, Im a Heavy equipment technician, live on my own. Been working for many years and like makg said, I make sure i wanna do a "mod" befor i comit any money to it.I have acess to shops and tools that most ppl dont have, so i can fab some of the junk i have. Others hear actualy have osme skill and can fab up some pritty cool stuff.

 

[BigRedRangerII]

Computational Physicist, not much for the hands on really, but I love trying my best! I love this place.

 

[skippy]

i am a hvac servive tech and finance my truck restoration with side jobs and gifts from loved ones at birthdays and holidays.my fulltime job pays for running the household.i am currently picking my next project,researching and waiting for the next cycle of side jobs,typically beginning after the holidays.

 

[Ranger44]

Dietary, switched jobs after working at factories for 2years, I'm going to be going to school while working starting Jan. 14. Going for Auto Mechanics. I was tired of factory hopping, and the unemployment line when they decided to lay you off. I don't live with my parents, and haven't since my last year of High School.

 

[Bent Bolt]

Ford tech , married and 2 teenage girls. I get paid well and I tend to finance my projects by doing a bit of side work, mainly overhauling auto trannys.

 

[Psychopete]

I am a software developer for a very small company. I really don't make a whole lot of money, but there's not a huge demand for that here. I usually buy stuff used, or off of someone who bought it new and cancelled their project. Basically make something out of what you have. A lot of stuff you can buy can be made at home. When I start on a project, I go into "broke" mode and spend as little as possible.

There's a lot of people around here who love to trade stuff, that's a good way to get rid of something you don't need for something that you do. Even if it doesn't seem like a good deal, I traded a slightly incomplete 1982 Flying V Gibson for a 1968-73? incomplete Rogers R-380 Drum set. People told me I got screwed, others told me I screwed him, bottom line is that he is a guitar player, and I am a drummer. I had no use for the V, he had no use for the Rogers. Either way, I rebuilt the set, combined with an identical one that I found, and ultimately came out with what I wanted in the long run. I have more into my drum set than I do any of my vehicles, though my Ranger is going to be catching up this spring.

I live in a house owned by my brother, I am just paying his mortage payment for the time being. Long story how I ended up there, but it's very close to work and in the middle of the city, anything is less than a mile away...

Save your money, wait for deals. So many deals have gone by, and I didn't have the money.

Pete

 

[Donnie strickland]

Save your money, wait for deals. So many deals have gone by, and I didn't have the money.

Pete

Amen, brother.

I'm a production supervisor.

 

[4LO 4.O]

Me-Industrial Insulator. Wife-Bank manager. We own our home.
Me and my wife have been very blessed, we are both fortunate enough to work at jobs we love and have been rewarded for many hard years as loyal employees.
As far as mods, just like the guy's before my said- Side jobs and savings. Although the credit card has helped here and there

 

[BlackBII]

I am a Software Engineer, My girlfriend or I should say my Fiance' does modeling. I pay for all my 'stuff' with bonuses and side work, My friend and I build custom gun cabinets and do mechanic work. Credit cards do help a lot. Just don't go too far in debt, and always make the payments.

I am renting a home but am looking to purchase one this spring, hopefully.

 

[krugford]

I'm a Mechanical Engineer. I pay for stuff by figuring out what I really want and then saving for it. I usually will buy the tools required to make things rather than buy them. For the price of some lift kits out there, you can pick up a welder and the steel you need to make one. I also do mechanic work for friends in exchange for shop supplies, some tools, etc.

 

[Mutant Pony]

To some people, the project is more important than food or clothing. I have too many children to have a really awesome project.

 

[woodyedmiston]

What do I want to do when I grow up?

After 25 years in law enforcement, I semi-retired and went to work for an agency that finds adoptive homes for foster children. My Ranger is financed partly by the mileage check I get for driving all over Texas for the agency and mainly by selling things on ebay or writing short magazine articles. The best way to get the stuff you want for your truck is buy it from guys like AllanD or Blueovaldude who are constantly working on their trucks, wandering in wrecking yards or upgrading Rangers. See the Want to Buy and For Sale sections of TRS.

 

[JoshT]

Aircraft Mechanic, make ~20 an hour working for the Air Force with full benefits. I pay for my toys with my paycheck and overtime (1.5 x regular pay) when I get drafted. I do live with my parents, but I'm only 22 and been out of college for only about a year. I bought and paid for my 99 in about 2.5 years working co-op (6 months school, 6 months work) and have great credit from it. It allowed me to finance my Motorcycle, and a storage shed without a co-signer. Shed will be paid off in about 2 months, and will start paying close to triple on the bike to get it paid off quickly and avoid a lot of interest. The living situation is soon to be remedied (hopefully), I'm planning to buy about 5 acres sometime in 2008. When I buy that I'll be living with the folks for about another year while I'm paying on the property, then I'll start building or possibly get a trailer since it'll just be me.

As for tools and stuff to do the work on the vehicles, that's what family and friends are for. Dad is a 30+ year mechanic working on everything from lawnmowers to diesel trucks, and another relative is allowing me to use her 8 bay garage to work on the engine and suspension stuff.

It also helps to remember that not everything has to be done at once. Do engine, then later do suspension, then maybe body, then suspension again sometime down the road, and possibly interior someday it just doesn't all have to be done at once. Like now I'm doing engine and suspension, In a few months I'll probably get my seat recovered, a little later probably change out gears in the rear. Someday I'm going to detail the engine compartment, and eventually get the body and interior done. Most important for me is to get it running right, hence going for engine, and wanna do the suspension to compliment the engine (and cause it's never had sway bars), I don't care if someone thinks the truck looks like shit cause it's the tail lights they'll be looking at, and I'll be having a big grin on my face from being able to row the gears again..