I have recently started a full business that is in the process of being fully registered doing all sorts of car work but specializing in our Fieros. Not much will have changed other then I will be doing this full time and now have a dedicated shop for my work. The name DARN is not what most people think it is actually my first initial plus the first initial of each of my daughters and is in order of age so thought I would use this for my business name. I have a licensed mechanic friend who is going to be sort of a partner in this to help me if I need it either with physical work, paper work or if needed mechanic leans in case I have any problems again. My main work will still be wiring harness and full swaps and as of recently I am now making full kits with mounts and brackets, all parts will be fully warranted and I am now fully set up to take paypal as payments. The way it will now work is I will request a small deposit on orders then full payment due when product is finished and ready to ship. I will immediately supply customer with tracking info so they know the items have been shipped and follow up to make sure they are received. My phone number will be made available and I will take all calls during reasonable hours please mind time zones and remember this is my home phone number as well and that I have a family here to take care of. I can be contacted here through posts, PMs or my email address for the business is dansswaps@live.com I will give out free advice as always and supply diagrams and info to whom ever requests it. My home and shop are always open to fellow Fiero enthusiast so drop by any time. I am also at this point setting things up to do mounts and harnesses for other GM engines into pretty much any car. Hoping all my years of working on cars doing aircraft wiring and auto wiring will make this business a success. Thanks Dan
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Over 30 years wiring experience between cars and trade as an avionics tech. Over 25 years experience building and modifying cars. Over 10 years of full Fiero engine swaps and harnesses building and still going.
Fieroflyer, Hey man just wanted to say to you good luck. I honestly think that there is definitely a place here for people who take care of business and build a quality product/swap and take care of their customers. If you can actually do that you should have lots of work. Having said all of that I will say also that you should reconsider a couple things, personally I would TRY to avoid taking any sort of deposits for parts and don't sell these guys a damn thing until it is actually finished and ready to ship in your hands. Secondly I would consider getting yourself a "shop" phone. Even if it is a cheap walmart cell phone that you ONLY use for the shop business. You really need to try to separate the WORK from the HOME stuff and ensure that momma and kids stay happy while you do this. It is admirable that you want to be "available" most of the time but the reality is that no pro shop is ALWAYS available and gets away with any real work if you are doing all the work. You might also consider making a certain time of the day available for answering the phone because if you are always on the phone it makes getting any work done a real chore. Just some suggestions from someone who has been working for himself for some time. It is not easy and the smallest things can make your life a living hell. Having said all of that tho I also say I salute you for taking on this challenge and I wish you the best of luck. I realize that you have already been doing this basically for some time now but this sounds to me like you are "officially" putting out your sign, forgive me if I am wrong. Good luck and peace
Pete
------------------ "May the grins begin when you turn the key and hear the engine roar over your shoulder" ......Gall57 (slightly modified LOL)
Yes the business phone is next on my list for sure as for time of day I have never really minded calls during reasonable hours which for me is from around 8 am till 8 pm my time. Having a messed up spine and right shoulder I tend to work odd hours some times basically when I have the strength and work only a few hours, take a break and then get back at it again. The shop is close enough to my home so my kids have full access to me and they also like to help out where they can if nothing more then keeping me company. Of course my thirteen year old Daughter likes to help with stripping down harnesses and being a very intelligent child that has been identified in the school system as gifted I see her helping more and more all the time. The deposit is only for custom harnesses that would only be good for the one car for generic harnesses I am already four ahead and still building. I just finished making up my jig to hold my 88 cradle nice and high to work on for making mounts and such and will be getting an 84 to 87 cradle to work with as well very shortly. Mounts wise I have three sets of 4T65E mounts with matching engine mounts already done and two sets of F23 mounts with matching engine mounts done. With my better set up for making parts I am now making the engine mounts from scratch with plate steel instead of just modifying the GTP brackets that I have done in the past, although the GTP mounts were nice and strong I like the idea of better looking stronger mounts. I only use 1/4 and 5/16 plate steel now which may be a bit over kill but they will hold for sure. Dan
I definitely recommend a google voice account for your business phone. Google voice will give you a new phone number (in addition to your current numbers, not a replacement). You can then direct google voice to forward all calls to any number you choose. This way customers have access to you, without fully knowing your personal phone number.
Another neat aspect of google voice is the ability to set hours. You can set Google Voice to forward all calls between 8:00AM and 5:00PM to your cell phone and any calls outside of those hours straight to your voicemail. This helps in keeping a good worklife / personal life balance.
Finally, Google voice also gives you the power to block pesky calls that originate from the same number. For instance, if one crazy loon is bothering you 20 times a day for no reason of yours and you need to get work done instead continuously answering the phone, you can block (or send to voicemail) specific numbers.
There are a host of other useful features, but those are the few I've found most useful so far and I can see them being especially useful for a start-up company. Oh, and I am in no way affiliated with Google voice, google, or any other companies mentioned herein. Good luck with your business, and one of these days I'll need a harness; if I don't do it myself, you'll be the first I call.
Tom
[edit] I forgot to mention the best part... a google voice account and phone number is absolutely FREE! [/edit]
------------------ 1988 Fiero GT Custom Corvette / MR2 electro-hydraulic power steering 17" rims covering up 11.25" rotors with Cadillac Calipers & drop spindles
[This message has been edited by TG oreiF 8891 (edited 01-21-2013).]
I definitely recommend a google voice account for your business phone. Google voice will give you a new phone number (in addition to your current numbers, not a replacement). You can then direct google voice to forward all calls to any number you choose. This way customers have access to you, without fully knowing your personal phone number.
Another neat aspect of google voice is the ability to set hours. You can set Google Voice to forward all calls between 8:00AM and 5:00PM to your cell phone and any calls outside of those hours straight to your voicemail. This helps in keeping a good worklife / personal life balance.
Finally, Google voice also gives you the power to block pesky calls that originate from the same number. For instance, if one crazy loon is bothering you 20 times a day for no reason of yours and you need to get work done instead continuously answering the phone, you can block (or send to voicemail) specific numbers.
There are a host of other useful features, but those are the few I've found most useful so far and I can see them being especially useful for a start-up company. Oh, and I am in no way affiliated with Google voice, google, or any other companies mentioned herein. Good luck with your business, and one of these days I'll need a harness; if I don't do it myself, you'll be the first I call.
Tom
[edit] I forgot to mention the best part... a google voice account and phone number is absolutely FREE! [/edit]
Glad i scrolled down because I was about to post this. lol.
x2 here Dan, just run free phone handling software like this to help cut costs and improve your privacy. Nothing is worse than having annoying support phone calls at all hours of the day...
Originally posted by FIEROFLYER: The name DARN is not what most people think it is actually my first initial plus the first initial of each of my daughters and is in order of age so thought I would use this for my business name.
Originally posted by FIEROFLYER: The name DARN is not what most people think it is actually my first initial plus the first initial of each of my daughters and is in order of age so thought I would use this for my business name.
EDIT
Actually Darn Cars is actually a good and clever name for a mechanic shop. When people say "darn car", it is usually time to work on them and you are on their mind, . I can see the advertising possibilities.
Working right now on mounts that use the stock Fiero rubbers or Rodneys poly along with low mount alternator brackets, axles for 4T65E swaps, I also modify the Fiero V6 thermostat housing for use on the 3800 when supplied with one to work with, also working on getting other engines to work off so I will be able to make kits, harnesses or just parts for other engines. Trying to figure out a second dog bone kit for manual tranny swaps but it would require some welding on the customers end. Right now I am in the middle of making up a complete bumper to bumper harness for a Diablo kit that has a 3800SC/F40 swap being done as soon as the weather is nice enough to bring the car to me and after that I have my first non Fiero swap in a while coming with my doing an LS7 6 speed manual swap into a nice shape 71 Camaro that should be a lot of fun plus some thing new to work on for me. I was considering making F40 kits as well but there is just way too much involved when you add in axles, jack shafts, mounts, shifter brackets and all the little things. Same as complete exhaust systems as tolerances are so tight in our cars for this to be able to guarantee a proper fit. Dan
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Over 30 years wiring experience between cars and trade as an avionics tech. Over 25 years experience building and modifying cars. Over 10 years of full Fiero engine swaps and harnesses building and still going.
Hi Dan Can you help with with the correct shift linkage brackets for a 4T60 swap. Can't get the ranges right without spending a whole day on it. if you have a diagram with correct shapes or can you make them up for me. Thanks
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. I can see the advertising possibilities.
