What do you do in real life?
I'm a "parts advisor" for an Audi dealership in the Philly suburbs. I've been working for this dealer for over 20 years and with VW/Audi in general for over 30 years. Before that I worked for a British car dealership (Jaguar/Land Rover/Sterling). For the most part, I like the job despite the moments of chaos.
Pricing Actuary and parent.
Modifying diecast cars to send off to mail-in races filled in a lot of spare time during covid lockdown here in the UK, but these days I devote one weekend every 2 months or so to modifying a batch of 4 or 5 cars for upcoming races.
After moving from Oahu, Hawaii, barely a high school freshman, (I blame my mom). We ended up in Ohio with other family members. My 1st real job was for a hot tar roofing company, (HATED IT!). Became a crew member for a local band, worked my way up to assist light manager and stage set up.
Joined the US Army at age 17, sent home on a medical discharge after an 11 day stint in the hospital they discovered I only had 1 fully developed kidney which was causing a lot of issues especially pain after some physical exhertion.
I found myself doing home remoldling that evolved into landscaping and property maintenace. I pretty much stuck with landscaping 32+ years with odd warehouse jobs to fill in many winters. I ran my own business for a few years while racing go-karts whenever I got the chance, (on my back yard 500' oval dirt track). Dabbled in writing, never published. Did a few years as an OTR driver. Had to quit when my boss told me to sleep in the truck during a blizzard. Went back to landscaping for a local company until 2020 when I was diagnoised with degenerative bone disease which has been eating away at my spine, exposing nerves. Now trying to survive on a very minimal SSD/SSI income.
Was hoping the diecast channel would build up to be a infusion to my income situation but that's not doing it. I lack the formal training, skills and finaces others like 3D, EP and some others have. Lucas makes very vivid movie like race videos. Awesomely epic stuff.
But I do have fun racing and making the videos for the channel. It's hard work, especially because I can only stand for so long before the pain hits, so it's record, take a break, record, take a break, rinse and repeat, LOL! and it's time consuming. But I do enjoy formulating the events, providing races for all to hopefully enjoy and I love reading the reactions and comments to my broadcasts.
So to sum it up, I was a manual laborer til 2020. Now hosting a diecast racing channel, wishing I was home in Hawaii, but still enjoying my days with Maximum Effort.
- I hear ya aboutthepain in your back, I had surgery in 2017 for an injury, never fully recovered. I also drove OTR for a short while, slept in a blizzard in Buffalo Wyoming. No choice! Now I also try to survive on SS and try to produce decent racing videos. The back does interfere, but I plod on, I love this hobby/sport! — G_ForceRacing
- One of the reasons I quit being OTR was the snow. My last OTR gig, I had a stable route running 80 from Sacramento to Chicago - and for half the fricken year, it was in the snow, seemed like. As I got older, chaining up hurt more and more, and I found less and less value in being 'Employeed but homeless'. — StarCorps
Hey all!!
Love reading about all the trade jobs!
I'm currently an electrician/shop foreman for the last electric freight rairoad in North America. The Iowa Traction Railroad to be exact. All our units are 100+ years old, but still move lots of tonage and make a good profit. Every week is a new adventure in keeping these ole girls running!
Happy Trails and Rails all!!!
Mechanical Engineer by education, Structural Designer for Boeing as my job
Not saying for how many years because i'm way younger than all you old timers, lol
I've been working at car dealerships for the last 8 years in just about every job imaginable; body shop office, express lube tech, even spent a few weeks in sales. But mostly as a service writer or at the parts counter. I get unlimited free weights for my builds whenever we sell tires and the techs take off the old sticky weights.
I actually used to work in the media. They said in journalism school the pay wasn't great except in the big markets, but I really wish they would've gone into more detail about it, how even being a lube and tire monkey paid more (and this was a long time before covid). I would've switched majors.
- those weights are my chea pass go to! I usually just walk into my local tire center and they give me a handful! — Stoopid_Fish_Racing
I went to a trade school and started an apprenticeship in drafting, long ago when they used pencils and pens. It wasn't for me.
I enlisted in the USAF and was a crew chief on F-15s for most of my career. My wife and I had three kids born in three different countries, the Netherlands, USA (NM) and England. Most of it was fun but towards the end I was gone too much. It's hard to raise kids when you're not home.
I worked as a material planner/buyer and production controller and for a ship building company.
I finished my working days as a facility mechanic. Great job but my body just didn't like it anymore. It's the reaching over my head while standing on a ladder that did me in.
I retired recently and work for a great boss and her dog when I'm not chasing her grandkids around. I have my major chores done and look forward to really getting into this when it gets warmer. (My garage isn't heated and I'm delicate.)
- Good luck brother... 22 years Active/Guard... Comm Electronics Radar — Stoopid_Fish_Racing
- I was a shipfitter for 10 years, Loved the work. It it didn’t like me, tore up my right wrist, had to change to trucking. I do miss building ships though I am now retired, — G_ForceRacing
Current-
Work full time @ Big box Orange Store (HD) 4 Years and Part time @ Dollar General 1-1/2 years...
Previous-
During my 8 years in military I picked up a part time gig at local Hobby Shop did everything possible at Hobby..... Enjoyed the retail said of life.
I left military and continued retail as a Manager for a drug store chain in Hawaii for 9 years total... Moved back to the mainland (Las Vegas to take care of mom )... After the sell off of company I went into the Big Rig service with Speedco Truck Lube as a Manager ran with that for 16 years in 3 Locations.. After buy out there I left....
Father, Husband as some heave mentioned best time ever .... Just started in this Hobby and falling into the I need to get some cars going after watching races. Currently Modding an Mazda RX 7 with body kit from JD Project and buying cars to prep for racing soon...
Still looking around the KCMO area for folks/tracks to meet up with...
- welcome! I lived in the ozarks 120 miles south of STL. loved it there. but tx is my home ow — dr_dodge
- I'm in the Ozarks as well. I'm about 2hr south of kcmo, and about 20 min from Lucas Oil Speedway. — JBlotner42
how life changes
I was the first post...lol, how things change with new owners
I will soon be retired, ssi is all,
but maybe I'll focus on a dream of a physical diecast racing location
have thought about a texas ice house concept (fam friendly beer joint)
I have a 42' x 42' quonset bldg, 19' at the peak, with a whole 2nd story inside out of pallet racks
box it in, and build rentable tracks, and buy beer,wine, and HW's/die cast for sale
all scales to 1/8. I have the chassis of a 40' gooseneck, and 6, 38 ft 14" I beams (200'+) that just scream paint me orange, and run 1/24 scale nascars on,
don't know, but after 40+ years of working my but off, I am Done with it. and for the record,
getting old is way over-rated...lol
love this community! I'll have more time to do more here!
dr
- Getting old isn't for the weak. Hitting 50 this year and at least another 15 before I can retire. Unless I hit the lottery. — DemonPreacher
- This sounds like the ultimate place for us all to escape to!! "Build it and they will come...." Good luck to you mate, I hope it all goes smoothly :) — EnZedRacing
Im 23 and im a college dude from bandung indonesia, Me and my friends build a community hot wheels just for fun, even though im broke so i manage to get some money from being a worker in a coffee shop near by my apartment haha, Only making 245.000 IDR or about 16 dollars per 2 weeks. But i can still live happily on my own because my parents live far away from Malang Indonesia.
Thats just from me, Cheers
OP Diecast KING (Rizky Widharto)
- Welcome aboard! — StarCorps
- thanks bro — OP_Diecast_King
- welcome — dr_dodge
- Good to have you. Welcome. — Dutch_Clutch_Racing
I'm an IT guy. I used to do a lot of physical cable installs. Also worked for HP in their consumer laptop support department for a few years. Now I work for one of the largest auto parts retailers in the US, O'Reilly Auto and I love it!
I started on diecast racing when I found mark's channel Gravity Throttle Racing randomly on YouTube. The wife actually enjoyed it quite a bit and she decided that we should build a track and here we are. She will be helping with the Diorama part of the track.