Sounds to me like a great place to open an independent mechanic shop.

 

Some of these independent prices sound high, but to own a shop the prices of tools and equipment is absolutely ridiculous. It's easy for a tech to spend 20 grand on hand tools alone. The price of a decent scan tool right now from Snap on is 10k. A new alignment machine is 70k. A Hunter balancer is 15k. A hunter tire machine is 12k. To install a new lift will cost you 4-6k, easy. There's insurance, rent/lease, payroll, advertising, specials, come backs...Christ, try heating a shop.

An AC machine is 5k and now there's a new refrigerant coming out...you will need a new machine for that. Any of these "flush" machines are 3-5k a piece. And the fluids?! You have to either stock genuine fluids, or you have to stock enhancer and additives...either is expensive.

Software for the shop will cost you anywhere from $1,200-$3,00 a year, depending on what you get...maybe more.

You're going to need torches, a welder, fire extinguishers, fire jackets, welding helmets, welding gloves...and everything needs to pass OSHA standards. You'll need fire cabinets, fire blankets, eye wash station, msds sheets. Oh and you'll have to have a contract with safety kleen, because all your waste must be removed, plus you'll need a parts washer tank, brake cleaning tank. After all that you'll also have to spend a small fortune on penetration oils, brake clean, anti seize, carb clean, shop rags, piggy mats or speedy dry. You'll go through drop lights and hoses like they are going out of style. Who's cleaning your uniforms? Because you can't bring those things home, unless you plan on ruining your washing machine.

You'll have to stock all sorts of nuts, bolts, washers, cotter pins, screws, fuses, bulbs, anti seize, thread sealers, gasket makers, lock tight, and much much more. And those sales people are a blast to deal with! They'll come in right as you're eating your 15 minute lunch and sell you all sorts of stuff you have to buy. Oh and don't forget hand soap...lots of hand soap. And paper towels!! Lots! Oh and I almost forgot about the floor mats for customer's cars! And car wash soap, glass cleaner. Oh and you'll have to stock about four miles worth of vacuum hoses...brake line. You'll need accessory belts and oil filters, in stock. Always. And oil, lots of oil. Anti freeze too...brake fluid, power steering fluid, rear end fluid, cleaners, additives, batteries, battery terminal cleaner, battery terminals, wire, lots of wire, can't get enough wire! And connectors! Oh yes! Connectors! Millions upon millions of different electrical connectors that will never EVER fit anything you are working on.

And you'll have to pay for all this stuff...and hope...pray...you make enough to do that.

I could go on for days.