Expenses of being a dedicated Subaru mechanic

[ThosL]

How expensive is it to be a dedicated Subaru mechanic?  What is the collective cost of tools, books, and other vital aspects of servicing other people's cars?  How does being a Subaru mechanic differ from serving other similar foreign cars?  Is it easier or harder?

[Rooster2]

I think a good place to start, is to get a job as a tech working for a Subaru dealership. That way, they will educate you on how to work on Subarus, and tools needed.

 

IMO, it ie easier working on a Subaru motor vs. other cars. Parts needing replacing are just so much more accessible on a Subaru.

[idosubaru]

depends what you mean by "being a dedicated Subaru mechanic". 

 

dedicated = specialized which can be a geat thing if done right. 

 

if you mean as an employee - if you found the right shop to work for it wouldn't cost anything if you used all their stuff.  rare, but not impossible.

others only require meager tool supplies and then you'll add more as needed and you see all your co-workers tool PRON

 

if you're trying to be cheap you can piecemeal all the metric stuff you need from pawn shops or yardsales or craigslist for not much.  then get a few ancillary stuff like 22mm socket and 32mm socket and cv band boots, etc. 

easily done for $200 or less.  $50 if you want to be real cheap and are time rich dollar poor.

 

successful people don't ask "how expensive will it be"....to go to college, start a business, get experience that leads me where I want to go....that's part of the equation and planning - but not the driving factor. 

 

decide if you really want to do something, if you're cut out for it, if it's marketable - and then devise a plan commensurate with that end goal.  ask - WHAT will it take to do THAT.   money will be only a small part of that plan.

[Rooster2]

depends what you mean by "being a dedicated Subaru mechanic". 

 

dedicated = specialized which can be a geat thing if done right. 

 

if you mean as an employee - if you found the right shop to work for it wouldn't cost anything if you used all their stuff.  rare, but not impossible.

others only require meager tool supplies and then you'll add more as needed and you see all your co-workers tool PRON

 

if you're trying to be cheap you can piecemeal all the metric stuff you need from pawn shops or yardsales or craigslist for not much.  then get a few ancillary stuff like 22mm socket and 32mm socket and cv band boots, etc. 

easily done for $200 or less.  $50 if you want to be real cheap and are time rich dollar poor.

 

successful people don't ask "how expensive will it be"....to go to college, start a business, get experience that leads me where I want to go....that's part of the equation and planning - but not the driving factor. 

 

decide if you really want to do something, if you're cut out for it, if it's marketable - and then devise a plan commensurate with that end goal.  ask - WHAT will it take to do THAT.   money will be only a small part of that plan.

Well said Grossgary with extremely sage advise.

[ThosL]

Thanks for the responses.  I was asking more in terms of how much does the dedicated Subaru mechanic invested in their own tools, etc.?  

[Dj7291993]

Depends on your tools. There aren't really any specual tools needed to work on them, basic metric stuff, short of the larger stuff mentioned. I'd say less than other aisian cars though. You'll need a couple of special tools to do head gaskets on some (14mm 12pt socket and breaker bar, a torx plus and a allen, though I can't remember the size), and the drain plug on the newer front diffs is a huge torx (wanna say t40, but don't quote me 9n that). As for cost, it's hard to say. If you go all Snap-On, it's going to be a lot more than craftsman or pawn shop. Do you want just bare basics? You ciuld get away with a 3/8" socket and ratchet set, some screw drivers, a set of pliers, a few wrenches, and a hammer for most of it. I would guess you already have that stuff though. If you want to make you like easier, you'd want 1/4 and 1/2 too, impacts, air ratchets, hammers, punches, breaker bars, extensions, wobbles and universals, pry bars, breaker bars, lights, magnets, trays, drill, pullers, torch for stuff that's really stuck, extractors for when things break, scanner that can do vehicle specifif on Subaru, scope, meter, test light, ect. The only stuff I'd say is unique for subaru outside of your normal stuff it a handful of sockets. A price is going to be hard to give though

[ccrinc]

What he ^^^ said, plus...

 

How expensive is it to be a dedicated Subaru mechanic?  What is the collective cost of tools, books, and other vital aspects of servicing other people's cars?  How does being a Subaru mechanic differ from serving other similar foreign cars?  Is it easier or harder?

Books, tools, lift, floor jacks, tranny jack, scanners, tool boxes, air compressors, solvent tanks and other parts washers, shelving, etc, etc, etc. Well over $100,000.  More like $200,000.  Add licensing, insurance, utilities, rent (unless you own a building, then add taxes).  The costs mount up unbelievably fast. 

 

One SnapOn tool box is at least $4,000 and that's not the big ones.  One 17mm SnapOn wrench for oil changes was $56 the last time I checked. 

 

Emily

[turbosubarubrat]

My experience is you never stop buying or making tools.