Decide on something you want to try building, then look up tutorials and videos on Google and Youtube. Start small and work with what you have or can easily acquire.

Advice

Build something!

Got a great idea for a business? Do research, audit a business class, interview local business owners, or talk to your mentors and find out what it takes to start your own business. 

Skills

Learn how to start your own business. 

Enroll in an automotive class at your school, in your community, or online and give it a try! Explore different fields: design, mechanics, engineering, technology, and more. 

Education

Take an automotive class.

Automotive Master Mechanics

Repair automobiles, trucks, buses, and other vehicles. Master mechanics repair virtually any part on the vehicle or specialize in the transmission system.

Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Realistic

Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.

Investigative

Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.

Enterprising

Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.

Conventional

Second Interest High-Point

Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

Social

Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Artistic

First Interest High-Point

Third Interest High-Point

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Automotive Technicians and Repairers

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

Examine vehicles to determine extent of damage or malfunctions.

Test drive vehicles and test components and systems, using equipment such as infrared engine analyzers, compression gauges, and computerized diagnostic devices.

Repair, reline, replace, and adjust brakes.

Review work orders and discuss work with supervisors.

Follow checklists to ensure all important parts are examined, including belts, hoses, steering systems, spark plugs, brake and fuel systems, wheel bearings, and other potentially troublesome areas.

Plan work procedures, using charts, technical manuals, and experience.

Test and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications.

Confer with customers to obtain descriptions of vehicle problems and to discuss work to be performed and future repair requirements.

Perform routine and scheduled maintenance services, such as oil changes, lubrications, and tune-ups.

Disassemble units and inspect parts for wear, using micrometers, calipers, and gauges.

Overhaul or replace carburetors, blowers, generators, distributors, starters, and pumps.

Repair and service air conditioning, heating, engine cooling, and electrical systems.

Repair or replace parts such as pistons, rods, gears, valves, and bearings.

Tear down, repair, and rebuild faulty assemblies, such as power systems, steering systems, and linkages.

Rewire ignition systems, lights, and instrument panels.

Install and repair accessories, such as radios, heaters, mirrors, and windshield wipers.

Repair manual and automatic transmissions.

Rebuild parts, such as crankshafts and cylinder blocks.

2-channel lab scopes

3 pound sledge hammers

5 pound sledge hammers

5-gas emissions analyzers

Adjustable wrenches

Air compressors

Air conditioner chargers

Air drills

Air sanders

Alignment wrenches

Allen wrenches

Alternating current/direct current AC/DC inductive current clamps

Anti-lock braking system ABS/air bag scan tools

Antifreeze recovery equipment

Anvils

Auto scanners

Automotive on-board diagnostics scanners

Awls

Ball joint separators

Ball peen hammers

Bandsaws

Battery chargers

Battery hydrometers

Battery load testers

Battery/alternator testers

Bearing pullers

Bench lathes

Bolt cutters

Borescopes

Box end wrenches

Brake line flaring tools

Brake rotor hones

Brake shoe tools

Brake tools

Brass hammers

Breaker bars

Buffers

Cable cutters

Calipers

Capacity testers

Carbon scrapers

Catalytic combustion analyzers

Center punches

Chain wrenches

Channel lock pliers

Circuit testers

Circular saws

Clamp-on multimeters

Claw hammers

Coil testers

Cold chisels

Combination pliers

Combination wrenches

Combustible gas detectors

Compression testers

Computerized engine analyzers

Computerized scanners

Continuity testers

Crescent wrenches

Cutting torches

Cylinder leakage testers

Deburring tools

Desktop computers

Diagnostic code readers

Diagonal cutting pliers

Dial gauges

Dial indicators

Dolly blocks

Drill bit sets

Drill presses

Dwell meters

Dynamometers

Electric drills

Engine cylinder hones

Exhaust analyzers

External snap ring pliers

Feeler gauges

Flare nut wrenches

Flat files

Forklifts

Freon recovery equipment

Front end alignment equipment

Fuel pressure testers

Gas welding equipment

Gasket scrapers

Gear puller tools

Gear wrenches

Graphing scanners

Grease guns

Grinding equipment

Hacksaws

Hammers

Hand clamps

Handheld computer diagnostic equipment

Heat guns

Hex keys

High velocity low pressure HVLP spray guns

Hoists

Hydraulic presses

Ignition module testers

Owner & Mechanic

Everywhere you turn, people try to tell you who to be, and what to do, but what about deciding for yourself? Roadtrip Nation is a movement that empowers people to define their own roads in life. Every summer, we bring together three people from different backgrounds. Together they explore the country, interviewing inspiring individuals from [INAUDIBLE]. They hit the road in search of wisdom and guidance, to find what it actually takes to build a life around doing what she loves. This is what they found, this is Roadtrip Nation. [MUSIC] >> Yeah, so we had a pretty serious problem over the last couple of weeks and it was one which we couldn't find a solution to straightaway. But we ran out of milk for the tea. Well, the milk had turned into cheese in the fridge and when you poured it into your tea, it was pretty lumpy, we kind of tried to stay strong, but it was clear we couldn't go on too long. So, we had to find a remedy for that. So, we've gone for powdered creamer and french vanilla creamer, which is very controversial powder is horrible and french vanilla is the worst thing I've ever tasted. >> [LAUGH] Oh come on. >> [LAUGH] Yeah so for the American's who enjoy vanilla flavored hot drinks, you're wrong. >> [LAUGH] >> [LAUGH] [MUSIC] Man that´s not tea. >> [LAUGH] [MUSIC] >> So we´re halfway in the trip, we just reached our halfway point. >> You hit that peak it´s like so slow going up the peak and maybe, life lessons, so slow, going up the peak and then you hit the peak, and you plummet back down, on like a roller coaster. >> So you're anticipating a plummet? >> Yeah! [LAUGH] [MUSIC] >> So, DC I guess all I knew was the White House was there and even then, I wasn't totally sure actually. And those monuments were actually bigger than I thought. The Washington Monument was a lot bigger than I expected, Abe Lincoln was a lot bigger than I expected. The only thing that wasn't, was the White House, which is a bit disappointing in size. I could barely see it between the trees. We had a [INAUDIBLE] with Brittany Heller who is a trial attorney at the US Department of Justice and she had a couple really good analogies that she said with us, like this idea of two types of people in life. >> Someone told me this analogy once, that there are two ways that you can think about your career. One is a paint by numbers approach, you go about it systematically. All right, I need to paint the ones red, and the twos yellow, and the threes blue. And you know what the picture's gonna be, and you're just kind of going at it, that's kind of the path of least resistance. >> [INAUDIBLE] So they've got the picture in front of them, they know what colors they need, they know the tools they need, and they know what the picture's gonna be at the end. >> I kind of like the other way, the connect the dots approach, where you start off with one idea or a conviction, something that really grabs you and then you take the next logical step. >> The connect the dots person is faced with just a field of dots, doesn't know what the picture is gonna be. And any kind of by chance eventually a picture will emerge. >> You're not sure what the picture is gonna look like when you're in the beginning phases. But as you proceed at the end, you gain speed, then suddenly it's like the circus seal with the ball. [LAUGH] >> Do you believe that there's an endpoint where you can actually look back at the picture and be like, dope? The [LAUGH] pictures there and it was beautiful or is it always gonna be developing? >> I feel like when you're working for justice it's a process not a product. So, in that case the picture is continually developing. Now right now I'm very happy where I am, it's kind of like the nose of the little seal [LAUGH]. >> [LAUGH]. >> If at the end of your day, you can sit down, feel at peace with the decisions that you've made that day, what you've done and where your life is going. I think that's a nice indicator that you're in a good place. [MUSIC] >> That was good [INAUDIBLE] that's something I can kind of sympathize with cuz you're shaping yourself. Every experience is shaping you, every experience is getting you closer to where you wanna be even if you don't know it at the time. [MUSIC] >> Some of these places, in my head, I feel like I'm never gonna be back here again. Which is a weird way of thinking, cuz even though, like, a lot of these places I never thought that I'd be to in the first place. Like, I just slept at this place, I just met somebody really amazing at this place, now I have to leave. And then adapt to this new place, and meet somebody else really amazing. [MUSIC] This is observation log number one, this can be like a montage too, dude. We could do observational logs along the way, I need so many montages. One thing that I have observed and noticed on our adventures this summer is that every time we pull into an RV park they all look the same. They're all pretty much painted alike. So, I'm wondering why every single RV in America is painted the same way. Except for one, and green is not my favorite but I think it looks a lot better than these. [MUSIC] There's just something that some people don't even think of when they think of like going on a roadtrip and like, having limited water for whatever reason didn't occur to me. And so you have a water tank that once it's gone, you have to refill it. So, that means you have to gotta a dumping station and dump the nasty water and refill it with good water and I'd really rather not talk about how that's been going. [SOUND] >> Well, you guys ready? >> Yep, let's do this. [MUSIC] I like how this is a group activity. [MUSIC] [LAUGH] He just ran off. >> That was a new one. [MUSIC] >> Pretty fun. [LAUGH]. [MUSIC] >> [INAUDIBLE] >> What happened back there? >> I'm not talking about it. >> [LAUGH] Who told you? >> We can montage it. >> [LAUGH] >> Hey! It's on my pants! [MUSIC] This is disgusting! You smell it dudes. >> [INAUDIBLE] It went everywhere. I learned my lesson. >> [LAUGH] >> Think that´s great [MUSIC] [LAUGH]. >> When you travel time progresses in a different way because it's almost like you're living faster. You're getting more experience, Versus then somebody who's just being stagnant in their little tiny community. This collection of different experiences in such a short amount of time almost made it feel like it's been way longer that's it actually is. [MUSIC] >> I heard of Philly Cheese Steaks and I didn't really know what they were. Like I kinda imaged it was a steak pita and I was like okay whatever. [LAUGH] We are trying Philly cheese steak sandwich. [MUSIC] >> Well, you can probably just call it a cheese steak, because we're in Philly, and it's a sandwich. >> Philly cheese steak! >> [LAUGH] Your accent's coming along beautifully, I gotta tell you. >> I worked on it. [MUSIC] >> It kinda melts in your mouth. [MUSIC] >> Right. Cheese and steak which are about my three favorite things pretty much, all combined. Can't really go wrong with it. It's my new favorite American food. [MUSIC] We are about to go to Philadelphia Motorsports to do our interview this morning. [MUSIC] And we're about to go and check out the F1000 car as well. Which may or may not be faster than the RV with it. So, we're gonna interview Sal Ganado which is a guy who feels he's >> But this is the race car. [MUSIC] We could start it, if you'd like. [SOUND] Smell that, that's what excites me. The smell of race fuel. It has a sweetness to it. [MUSIC] I'm a hands on guy. I can never be a good boss because I can't stand to sit at a desk and manage. I'd hire someone to manage and I'd rather work on the cars. I mean, ever since I was five, I was working with my hands with my father. He's a cabinet maker. I mean I did every job under the sun when I was in high school. I worked at restaurants, I was a bartender. Volunteered as a mechanic, just cleaning parts when they were changing engines. >> Why did you volunteer in the first place? >> Well, no one's gonna hire anyone with no experience. I had no automotive experience whatsoever. >> But you knew that's what you wanted to do. >> No I didn't. I mean I always liked cars. I always tried tinkering with cars. I guess I should back up a little bit because I grew up in the Poconos, which is right by Pocono International Raceway and Mario Andretti was a half hour away from us. Well being Italian and he's Italian Mario Andretti would be on, on a Sunday and- >> Yeah. >> I mean, that's probably was the first thing that sparked my interest towards racing. And then time went by, next thing you know, got a job at a auto repair shop. And they said, why don't you take that engine out, I'm like I don't know how. He's like, just start unbolting it, we'll take care of it. Will help you along and the next thing you know 25 years later. >> So you're making money as mechanic working for other people. Basically. How did you come to work for yourself? >> I called a friend and he had a converted chassis for a corvette and I said why are you doing that? That's like a generation old. I mean the C5 Corvette is what's out there now. It's like no one builds it. I'll build it and that's that car. I cut, trunk it, made everything fit. And it handles great. These cars let me creative everyday. They said it can't be done. I mean don't tell me that, cuz to prove someone wrong that it can be done it's drives me. It really does. So we started producing them and they all made magazines. >> And did you have any hesitation making that switch? >> It was scary. I borrowed every ounce of money I could to build the prototype. I don't have the big financial backing like some of these other people that made the money, then got in the racecars. I was just a working man that wanted to be in the racecar. Why? I don't know, just because I enjoy doing it. I love working on cads, I love nuts and bolts. >> How far do you look ahead? Do you have goals set for yourself now? If so, what are they? >> I'm not setting a goal as far as, I wanna be a millionaire by the time I'm 50. No, I just wanna be happy. >> You work all through the weekend? >> I'm not working this weekend, but I am going to help a friend out with his car. So I guess I am working. >> [LAUGH] >> And even, we played a lottery here, and everyone says how they're gonna quit their job. If I got a call right now that said you won the lottery. I guarantee I'd still go up and help my friend and I'd still be here Monday morning. >> Yeah >> Is a clock there doesn't even work. [LAUGH] Don't even put batteries in it. Cuz I don't look at it. >> Yeah. >> I don't watch the clock. >> And to you that's happiness >> Not the not watching the clock. It's liking what I do so much that I don't care how long I'm here. That's how I know I'm happy. [MUSIC] >> It's so practical there's no showmanship. I wanted to do this. I volunteered, and I worked around it until I did exactly what I want. [MUSIC] >> Yeah. [MUSIC] >> What I'm noticing in the interviews is, staying closer to your passions is staying closer to happiness, staying closer to happiness >> Brings you closer to your passions. Staying trye to your gut and keep refining where things resonate with you. But that can look a thousand different ways. And [LAUGH] it´s also not thinking to hard about it, honestly. So I´m trying not to think to hard. [MUSIC] >> So, we are headed to go meet Stacie and Christine. >> Hi, how are you? Welcome. >> Hi! Olivia. >> Hi, Christine. It's nice to meet you. >> Hi Christine. >> Hi. So this is our school. >> The reason why we're talking to both of these ladies and the reason why this school is so special. Is because it was known to be one of the more dangerous schools in the area. [MUSIC] They went from that to completely transforming the school's work ethic and all that stuff and made it like a good school by essentially doing the complete opposite of what most people would do. And so to make the school more safe, what they did was they took out the metal detectors, they took out the security cameras and all those kind of things. And even with all the protest from the local police department, they still went through with it and proved them wrong. [MUSIC] >> But, there's still a lot of schools in Oakland who do have that kind of stuff, and they are being criminalized and dehumanized. So I mean, like I said, if I can learn some from this woman that would be great, bring something back. [MUSIC] >> Memphis Street Academy was one of the lowest performing middle schools in the school district of Philadelphia, and it had the highest number of violent incidents, weapons, drugs, sexual offenses, assault on teachers or students. >> It wasn't working having armed security guards. It wasn't working having the bars on the windows. It wasn't working having a prison-like atmosphere. >> The goal was to change all that and to make this a place that was bright and healthy. >> My philosophy is that the adults make the experience with students in the school, whether its is the custodian, whether it is the principle. The adults are responsible for maintaining the culture and establishing the culture and the expectations. >> It was really just the culture shift of we care about you. That's what this whole year was about. >> I felt that my job was for you to know, as strict as I was, that I still cared about you, and I cared about your achievement. And I cared about you as a human being. >> I don't care which side of the bridge they come from. I don't care which side of the neighborhood they come from. I don't care what they look like, what kind of education their parents had. We care about you. And you started to see really happy kids. It was heartwarming to watch kids who were so tough in the beginning just hug you and just say thank you. And I mean real tears not that fake, thanks, gotta go. I mean, students clinging to you. For me, it was like, we did it. We did it. We did a great job. >> Start us off with your own background. >> So I grew up here in Philadelphia, pretty much this area, walking distance from this school. You grew up being tough. You needed to be tough. You needed to defend all the time. It was not uncommon to get jumped for a pair of sneakers. It wasn't until I went to college that I ever even realized that we didn't even have money or that I was in lower socioeconomic status. I never would have known that, because everybody was just like me. >> Did you ever face moments like that in your own high school? >> So, I faced moments that were different. Being, in most of my classes, the only black student in my class, I was invisible. I was totally invisible. Even I grew up much different than the children here, it's still very much the same. If you are disenfranchised and poor, then you're invisible. You don't matter. You don't count. You know you just make sure your paperwork is turned in and that's it. And the reason that I needed to be a teacher was because I knew that that's what I needed to do to make sure that more kids had a chance to have a good education and to love school. >> You've worked with such a diverse, I mean you've seen hundreds of children through your career from so many diverse backgrounds. What is your definition of what happiness is on a general level? >> Well, I'm gonna use a school setting because that's been my life, pretty much. As I see little girls walking, if I see ponytails moving and bouncing up and down, that means there's a pep in a step. That means they're happy, and I call it the pony tail test. To me, that feels the child feels free, happy. So the pony tail test is my measurement of happiness. >> Would you say that you'd pass the pony tail test? >> [LAUGH] I have. I have passed the pony tail test. If you find passion follow it, wait for it, run after it, and in the end it will work out, because you're never gonna think of it as work. I never say, I'm going to work today. I say, I'm going to school today. >> Whatever you decide, the three of you decide, to do in your lives, it has to be something that it becomes your life work. Because in the long run that's what it's all about anyway. [MUSIC] >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you. >> What cool women. >> They're looking at the social element, and it's changing things, and it's working. >> One thing that really stood out for me, when she said there was nothing wrong with the kids, we didn't have to fix the kids. And we have to fix ourselves. And that's huge, cuz I feel like a lot of people don't understand that. I'm glad that they did. Because now they're doing something great. Like right now, I feel like so full already. Like, I feel like I have way more than I expected to come out with already. And just the idea that we have so much to go. It's kinda crazy to think about. So many interviews that I'm excited about, so many people that I know I'm just gonna learn so much from that I can't even, I can't fathom what I'm gonna come away with. Like I said earlier, when I'm done, I'm seriously gonna be levitating. [MUSIC] >> We're out driving to New York. >> Seeing the skyline and everything you can just feel that New York, at first glance, seems- >> We're interviewing Staceyann Chin, who is a spoken word artist and activist. >> It was empowering to roar and from the first time I got up on the stage, people responded. I knew that I had found my voice. >> We've got the Atlantic Ocean right there, and I kind of figure I should swim in it. >> Roadtrip Nation extends beyond the program you just watched. Online you will find an extensive archive with even more stories from the road. Here's a quick snapshot of an interview from a past roadtrip. >> My whole life, I wanted to be on a sitcom. I just thought being on TV was just like, it. When I got Arrested Development, I remember experiencing a little bit like, it was so fantastic, it was so fun, but it didn't satisfy the way I thought it was going to satisfy. And what it taught me, is I think there's always that thing in life that everybody's like, if I have that, then I'm gonna be done. And in actuality, I think contentment is a discipline. And where you guys are at now, I think it's really important to practice contentment. Because if you don't practice that now, then where you get where you think you want to be, you're still not going to be content. >> That's so good. >> Because when you get to that point, you're still going to be going, oh, there's this. >> Does that cause us to sacrifice some ambition? >> Sure. That's a great question. I mean the extreme wrong of that is to get lazy and complacent. The very easy default is to always bash ourselves and to always bash where we're at and to always look at greener grass. That's why I think contentment is a discipline. It's not something that one day you wake up and like, I'm content. Fairies are all around me. >> [LAUGH] >> But, no, I think the more you practice the simple things of contentment today, when you get it you're gonna enjoy it. >> No matter what you do, >> Or where you come from, >> You've got wisdom to pass down. >> Help young people find their way by sharing the lesson's you've learned. Take 15 minutes to tell us what you love to do. >> The door's open. >> We're all ears. >> Become a leader at ShareYourRoad.com. [MUSIC] 

In Washington D.C., the road-trippers interview human rights attorney Brittan Heller who speaks about "connecting the dots" of one's inklings instead of forcing life into a direction. Later, in Philadelphia, the team speaks to race car mechanic Sal Donato before interviewing Christine Borelli and Stacey Cruise, two educators who worked to revitalize a crime-ridden school.

Connecting the Dots

[engine revs loudly] (Sal)  Smell that? That's what excites me. Smell o' race fuel. It has a-a sweetness to it. I went to school. I was going to go to school for electronics um, liked electronics, didn't like school. So I started working, you know, side jobs. I should've went to a trade school rather than a college because they would have focused more on the lab and, You know, I'm a hands-on guy. Um, I could never be a good boss because I can't sit at a desk and manage. I'd hire someone to manage and I rather work on the cars. But that's what I like to do. I like to work with my hands. I mean, ever since I was five, I was working with my hands with my father. You know, he's a cabinet-maker. I mean, I did every job under the sun when I was in high school. I worked at restaurants, I was a bartender. Volunteered as a mechanic, just cleaning parts when they were changing engines. And then, you know, time went by, you know, helping with this, that, and next thing you know got a job at an auto repair shop. And they said, "Why don't you take that engine out," and I'm like, "I don't know how," and he, "Just start unbolting it. We'll take care of it." You know, "We'll help you along," and the next thing you know 20 years later, I have my own. Why did you volunteer in the first place? (Sal) Well, no one's gonna hire anyone with no-no experience. I had no automotive experience whatsoever. (Olivia) But you knew that's was what you wanted to do. No, I didn't, I didn't. I mean, I always liked cars, I always tried tinkering with cars. I guess I should back up a little bit because I grew up in the Poconos, which is right by Pocono International Raceway. Um, and Mario Andretti was a half-hour away from us. Well, being Italian and he's Italian, Mario Andretti would be on on a Sunday, and I mean, that's, probably was the first thing that‚ sparked my interest towards racing. Did you feel like there were certain expectations or something being first generation? My dad wanted better for us. No, he wanted better for us. I mean my dad literally came here with nothing. Um, worked eighty hours, two jobs. Whatever it took. My parents, you know, worry about me because I'm probably the only one in my family following a dream. You know, he wanted me to be educated and, you know, have a six figure salary and all that stuff but, it just wasn't for me. I wouldn't be happy. But I volunteered as a mechanic and you know, just went through the ranks and I'd be there till tweleve-o-clock at night just helping them get ready to go. You know, I just, I love‚ I love workin' on cars. I love nuts and bolts. So you're making money as a mechanic working for other people, basically. (Sal)  Mhm. How did you come to work for yourself? You know, I had a good reputation of being a good mechanic. I called a friend, and he had a-a converted chassis for a Corvette, and I said, "Why are you doing that? "That's like a generation old. I mean the C5 Corvette is what's out there now." He's like, "No one builds it." "I'll build it." And that's that car. I cut, shrunk it, made everything fit. And it handles great. These cars let me be creative every day. They said it can't be done. I mean, don't tell me that, 'cause to prove someone wrong that it can be done, it-it's, it drives me. It really does. So, we started producing them, and they all made magazines. And the shop always started on, it was my reputation, my knowledge and eventually would always be mine. So instead of it being mine ten years from now he said, "Well why don't we just split it down the middle and it's yours." And five years come next month. Did you have any uh, hesitation making that switch? It was scary. I didn't have a quarter of a million dollars sitting in the bank. I borrowed every ounce of money I could to build a prototype. I don't have the big financial backing like some of these other people that made the money then got into racecars. I was just a working man that wanted to be in the racecars. How far do you look ahead? Like, do you have like goals set for yourself now? I'm not setting a goal, as far as you know, "I wanna be a millionaire by the time I'm 50." Nah. I just wanna be happy. How would you define happiness then? Happiness? I don't work any day of my life. That's happiness. You know, I got an order this guy wanted two cars in South America and he needed them in two months. I did it. And he won, he actually won races over there with my car and that was a good feeling, you know. That made that two months of working twenty hour days just self-gratifying. You work all through the weekend? Um, I'm not working this weekend. But I am going to help a friend out with his car. So I guess I am working. [roadtrippers laughing] (Sal) And even, we played a lottery here. And everyone says how they're gonna quit their job. If-if I got a call right now that said, "You won the lottery," I guarantee you I'd still go up and help my friend, and I'd still be here Monday morning. There's a clock there. Doesn't even work. Don't even put batteries in it. 'Cause I don't look at it. I don't watch the clock. And to you, that's happiness? Not-not the not watching the clock. It's liking what I do so much that I don't care how long I'm here. That's, that's how I know I'm happy. 

Interview

I mean I did every job under the sun when I was in high school. I worked at restaurants, I was a bartender, volunteered as a mechanic, just cleaning parts when they were changing engines. And then time went by, help them with this, that, next thing you know, got a job at a auto repair shop. And they said, why don't you take that engine out, and I'm like, I don't know how. He's like, just start unbolting it, we'll take care of it. We'll help you along and the next thing you know, 20 years later, I have my own. >> When did you volunteer in the first place? >> Well, no one's gonna hire anyone with no experience. I had no automotive experience whatsoever. 

Experience

Hard Work

Planning

Every Job Under The Sun

[LAUGH] >> How far do you look ahead, like do have like goals set for yourself now? >> I'm not setting a goal as far as I want to be a millionaire by the time I'm 50. No. I just want to be happy. >> How would you define happiness then? >> Happiness? I don't work any day of my life. That's happiness. I got an order that a guy wanted two cars in South America and he needed them in two months. I did it and he actually won races over there with my car and that was a good feeling. That made that two months of working 20 hour days just self gratifying. >> You work all through the weekend? >> I'm not working this weekend. >> No. >> But I am going to help a friend out with his car. So I guess I am working. >> [LAUGH] >> And even. We play the lottery here. And everyone says how they're going to quit their job. If I got a call right now that said you won the lottery, I guarantee you I'd still go up and help my friend and I'd still be here Monday morning. There's a clock there. Doesn't even work. Don't even put batteries in it. >> [LAUGH] >> Because I don't look at it. >> Yeah. >> I don't watch the clock. >> And to you that's happiness? >> Not the not watching the clock, it's liking what I do so much that I don't care how long I'm here. That's how I know I'm happy. 

Fulfillment

Success

Definition of Happiness

The shop always started on, it was my reputation, my knowledge, and eventually, would always be mine. So instead of it being mine ten years from now, he said, well, why don't we just split it down the middle and it's yours, and five years come next month. >> Did you have any hesitation making that switch? >> It was scary. I didn't have a quarter million dollars sitting in the bank. I borrowed every ounce of money I could to build the prototype. I don't have the big financial backing like some of these other people that made the money, then got into race cars. I was just a working man that wanted to be in the race car. 

Determination

Money & Financial Security

Transitions

Just A Working Man

I'm a hands-on guy. I could never be a good boss because I can't sit at a desk and manage. I'd hire someone to manage and I'd rather work on the cars, but that's what I like to do. I like to work with my hands. I mean, ever since I was five, I was working with my hands with my father. He's a cabinet maker. I mean I did every job under the sun when I was in high school. I worked at restaurants, I was a bartender, volunteered as a mechanic just cleaning parts when they were changing engines. And then time went by, helped them with this, with that, next thing you know I got a job at a auto repair shop. And they said, why don't you take that engine out? And I'm like, I don't know how. He's like, just start unbolting it, and we'll take care of it, we'll help you along. And the next thing you know, 20 years later, I have my own. 

Sal Donato Highlight

Do you feel like there were certain expectations or something being first generation? >> My dad wanted better for us. No, he wanted better for us. I mean, my dad literally came here with nothing. Worked 80 hours, two jobs, whatever it took. My parents, you know, worry about me, because I'm probably the only one in my family following a dream. You know, he wanted me to be educated, and you know, have a six-figure salary, and all that stuff. But it just wasn't for me. I wouldn't be happy. 

Family

Pressure

Following A Dream

And I'm loving, like, all the points you're sharing about volunteering and finding passion and all that stuff. How would you summarize that advice? >> When you do it, you'll know you like it. Because when that alarm clock goes off, you're already awake. I don't need an alarm clock. Like I said, I'm ready to go, no matter how tired I am. I'm ready to go. I work till 4 in the morning, come back here at 6. Get two hours of sleep basically to shower, and I'll be back. And, when you find yourself not looking at a clock and not going home and complaining about what you do, that's what you wanna do. 

Passion

Alarm Clock

This is the prototype car. >> Okay. >> Development well, I guess I couldn't call it the prototype, cuz the prototype got wrecked, but the development car. >> Right. >> We make all our changes. >> Testing. >> On this, try different things and race this one as the house car. I actually like building more than I like driving. I don't even drive my car. I've never driven it. Never driven it. >> It's beautiful. >> Thank you. 

DB-F1000

Is there ever a time that you felt not having formal education got in the way? >> In my field, formal education is more theory based. I bet you if you talk to 90% of shop owners, other than dealerships, you'd learn more doing and applying, than learning theory. When I started out there was one computer and it just ran some fuel. Then they went to one bigger computer that ran fuel, spark. And now it's to the point that, I mean, some cars have four, six computers. Can I fix them? Yes I can, but it's because I came up through those ranks, and as they were coming out, I figure it out. 

Figure It Out

But it's a good point. I'm not gonna find what I enjoy doing while I'm working in a restaurant- >> Doing something you don't enjoy. >> Yeah. I'm not gonna get exposed to that. >> And I did it. Listen, I did it. I worked at restaurants. I was a bartender. I even started my own DJ business. >> Oh, really? >> And I was doing very well. But I wasn't having fun. >> Okay. >> I'm just turning records that other people produced and I'm playing them so other people had fun. And yeah, I met a lot of interesting people. But, I wasn't having the fun. I was staying up till four in the morning. But here I am working and having fun myself. And to find that, like I said, you won't work another day in your life. 

Self-Reflection

Have Fun

If someone came here and said to me, I'd like to apply for a job to build race cars. Okay, well I'll put your stack of papers with this stack of other people that want to build race cars for a living. But if a 20 year old, or 18 year old came to me and said, I really really love racing, and I wanna build race cars. I don't have much knowledge. But I'll come and help you and clean up. Hand you tools. Watch me. I'd hire him on the spot and even give them money. Because they didn't come here looking for a paycheck. They came here to follow a dream. And then I starts flashing back to me. I didn't do it for money, I did it because I enjoyed it, I loved it. I would hire him and pay him, just because he showed me more passion than someone else did. 

Don't Come Looking For A Paycheck

What was your motivation at the time? >> Speed. I like the speed, but like I said I don't even drive. I just like, I mean knock on wood, what I like most about what I do is, it shows my mechanical abilities. I mean this is a two year old car, there's some nicks and scratches and it's held up and they're all the original pieces. Nothing broke because of fatigue, because of a mistake. I like working with my hands, I mean, my wife and I decided to remodel the kitchen so I built my own cabinets. Why? I don't know. Just because I enjoyed doing it. I garden. Why? I just, I like getting my hands dirty. 

Sal Donato

Owner & Mechanic

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Sal Donato

Milestones

Career

Career Roadmap

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My work combines:

Engineering

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Building Things