What education do you need to become a tuner?
 

Hi. It's always been my dream to own my own car shop and make custom parts for cars, especialy ones that aren't tuned alot(aka sleepers). I might not pass high school due to bad circumstances. Do you think my dream is doable with a GED and no college education. If not, what degrees would I need to pursue my dream?

I highly recommend going to a community college and take welding, machining and any automotive class possible. Don't be fooled by uti and wyotech commercials, don't go there. I have to warn you the aftermarket is not a secure job, I know its cool and your dream but there is not a demand for tuners especially with no experience or reputation. If working on cars is really what you want to do, get any job in the industry and work your way up as you gain experience. I hope this helps.

Thank's for yor awnser. So basicaly your'e saying I should work for a large automaker instead? What kinds of jobs would I be looking at? Why are Wyotech or UTI bad?

Its really about what you want to do. Do you have the passion to work on cars everyday or are you more the type that would rather own the shop. You must answer that for yourself my friend.

I'm not saying uti/wyotech are bad schools, I'm just saying you can get the exact same knowledge from a community college for a fraction of the price. You don't work on supras and t-buckets everyday like the adds will lead you to believe. Its about a little more than a month of performance training. That's it.

tuning takes a lot of practice, trial and error, and the willingness to blow up engines. if you're serious about tuning, you WILL blow up engines. midship runabout offered some pretty good advice.

Experience is everything.

Who you know is everything else.

See if you know someone that has a shop you can hang around and do some free work. It's like being an intern.

I think you need to define what you want to do at your shop a little more. I'm in kind of the same position. But looking deeper it may be tough.

For myself, I am a machinist. My potential business partner is a superb welder/fabricator. I do extensive research on my own, and I interrogate the mechanical engineers at work about any ideas I have whenever I get a chance. I also take every chance I can to upgrade my skills at our local technical institute.

I've made a bunch of parts already for my own car, and buddies cars. But it's the business aspect that is what scares me. I love this stuff, but how to make money doing it is tough.

In the custom/modified car business, education is less important than results. If the work is done properly the customers won't care what your education is. But often to know what the good results are, you need education, either from an institute of some kind or from an experienced teacher.

& lil bit of college degree in mechanic doesn't hurt in that list :)

You see, dimman and I are the 2 different kinds of mechanics. He wants to do the performance/ maching/ custom aspect while I would rather do the diagnostic work. (Performance would be more my hobby) You really just got to figure out what YOU enjoy doing.

Actually I'm not enthusiastic about the mechanic stuff. I much prefer making parts, than removing/installing parts. It is a necessary evil to get the performance results. :)

College can be categorized under "experience" since the general principle of a degree is to give the student the experience and knowledge needed for a job. At least, that's the original intention of the education system...

Most people just get the paper and don't learn anything.

Books are your friends...

I highly recommend these two books:

http://www.amazon.com/Engine-Managem.../dp/1932494421

http://www.google.com/products/catal...ed=0CE4Q8wIwAA#

I've got the second book there. Excellent. He also has one on NA tuning, 'Four-Stroke Performance Tuning'. This one gets into more detail on cams, intake and exhaust tuning.

My advice would be to stick in school. Taking an automotive course or some form of mechanical course is a good start. You have to be rather mechanically inclined and have a passion for cars. A good tuner will have a lot of experience (as stated above) and a lot of knowledge of how certain things work, and theories applicable to improving the car as well as the compromises involved. I simply can't begin to explain how technical engine modifying and tuning in it's own self is...

Check out some of the hot rod and muscle car magazines (hod rod, car craft, etc...) those guys are extremely knowledgeable when it comes to engine and drivetrain tuning in their technical and how to articles. Some of that knowledge can be applied to any engine not just a V8.

Here's a small article on engine balancing courtesy of car craft: http://www.carcraft.com/howto/ccrp_0...ing/index.html

Typically tuning is a hobby though. You know, those things that people do to pass time, waste money, and clutter up the garage. It's hard to turn any hobby into a paying career. If it helps, choose a career that will help you gain tuning knowledge and keep tuning on the side as a hobby, that's what I've decided and planned.