You are a gearhead. Why not get paid big bucks for it?

You love the roar of the horsepower and smell of the rubber hitting the road. You would rather restore a rusted-out piece of you-know-what to it’s former glory than buy a car new.

You would tear apart a big-block V8 and see what makes it tick – than watch football for 8 hours on any given Sunday. You, my friend, should be doing what you love, and getting paid good top dollar for it.

The schools listed below may be just the ticket you need to take the next step and become a professional mechanic. Get real-world mechanic training in state-of-the-art shops from automotive instructors who know what they’re doing.

Universal Technical Institute

Universal Technical Institute (UTI) offers the training you need for an exciting career as an Automotive, Diesel or Collision Repair & Refinishing technician in a little more than a year. With nine locations nationwide, manufacturer specific training for Audi, BMW, Ford FACT, International, Mercedes, Nissan, Porsche, Volkswagen and Volvo, and the incredible high performance training at Hot Rod U, you need to take a look at what UTI has to offer.

WyoTech

WyoTech is dedicated to superior quality, college-level, career-oriented education in the automotive, diesel, motorcycle, aviation, marine watercraft and collision/refinishing industries. Most WyoTech diploma programs can be completed in less than a year and a half, and there are seven WyoTech campuses located across the country. WyoTech prepares students for the post-graduation working world by teaching on a workday, not a school day schedule. Most students attend classes approximately eight hours a day, five days a week. This is real world technician training for Automotive, Motorcycle, Collision & Refinishing, Aviation, Diesel and Marine technology.

NASCAR Technical Institute

Shift your training into high gear and let over a half a century of racing heritage work for you! NASCAR and UTI have teamed up to open the first-ever NASCAR Technical Institute (NTI) – a training facility committed to high performance, not only on the track, but also in the classroom. Here you’ll receive a wide range of automotive technology courses to train you for a rewarding career as an entry-level automotive technician with the added boost of NASCAR-specific courses and a Ford FACT elective that revs up your training and delivers a fast-paced, well-rounded course of study.

YTI Career Institute

Motorcycle popularity has become mainstream – proven by the increase in riders. With this growth comes the demand for skilled technicians for motorcycle repair and maintenance. At YTI Career Institute’s new Motorcycle Technology Center, you get real-world training in a 15,000 square foot facility which includes motorcycle diagnostic & test equipment – including a DynoJet ® 250i dynamometer – 16 fully equipped service bays, wireless Internet access throughout the campus and student laptop computers.

Marine Mechanics Institute

The Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) provides real-world marine technician training programs to start your career in the marine industry. With support and/or endorsements from major marine manufacturers such as American Honda, American Suzuki, Mercury Marine, Volvo-Penta, SeaDoo, Polaris, Bombardier, Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA, and Yamaha Motor Corp. you can train to be a marine technician and launch your career in as little as 60 weeks.

Baran Institute of Technology

Since our founding in 1979, Baran Institute of Technology has emphasized exciting hands-on training in our automotive technical programs and electrical technical programs. You get to work and learn on real projects — for practical knowledge you can use in the real world. Programs include auto body, automotive, CDL, diesel and motorcycle training.

Nashville Auto Diesel College

Love cars and trucks? Get the technical training you need for a rewarding mechanic career at NADC. For over 80 years, Nashville Auto-Diesel College (NADC) has been providing students like you with the hands-on training they need to succeed. Career focused diploma and associates degree programs are available in diesel, collision and refinishing repair, and high performance technologies.

Motorcycle Mechanics Institute

The Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) Motorcycle Technology programs provide the knowledge and skills you need to become a successful entry-level motorcycle technician. Motorcycle Mechanics Institute (MMI) has two great locations: Phoenix, Arizona or Orlando, Florida, each offering a wealth of exciting places to explore and enjoy with people who share your passion for motorcycles.

Lincoln Technical Institute

Are you looking for hands-on training at a well-respected technical school? Since its founding as a post-war job skill training source in 1946, Lincoln Technical Institute has been helping people just like you achieve their goals in the skilled trades. With national accreditation, state licensing, career education and career placement expertise, Lincoln Tech knows what it takes to help give you the competitive edge you need to not only compete but be successful in today’s fast-paced marketplace.

Regardless of whether you’re still in high-school trying to figure out ‘what you want to be’ or a bit older and looking for a career change to get you out of your current dead-end job, a career in automotive mechanics may be the answer you are looking for. The top mechanic colleges listed above are the best in the business. Take a look at what they have to offer and decide for yourself. Good luck!

An automotive cover is among the essential things that you need to have. This is one important thing that is needed to give utmost care to your vehicle. With proper care, a car can look good and be of service longer. An automotive car cover is made to protect the vehicle exterior from the hazards that may damage its paint and smooth surface.

Have you figured out what kind of automotive cover do you need for your car? Those who are still a bit confused in picking the right automotive car cover; this article may help you choose the right one.

Before you can actually pick out the right covering for your vehicle, it is important for you to define how you are going to use the auto cover. It is essential that you need to know the duration of usage as well as the place where it shall be used.

Hence, you need to figure out first if you want to have automotive cover for indoor or outdoor storage. These parameters shall then be the basis for the kind of material this custom car cover should be made of.

The kind of car cover that you need to use for your car is dependent on the place where you shall keep your car. For instance, if you live somewhere in the sunbelt where intense ultraviolet rays often create problems, then you need a car cover that is UV resistant. If you are also living near the beach front, then you need an automotive car cover that is water repellent.

So, if you use a car cover to protect your car from dust, you do not need to buy one which is UV or water resistant, since they are more expensive. Being equipped with this information I bet you now have in mind what kind of fabric is right for your needs.

The next thing you need to do is to find the right place to purchase your car cover. Make sure you get one of good quality. You can only have this assurance, if you purchase car covers from companies or manufacturers with reputation for quality products and superb customer service.

When you look for the right cover for your vehicle you should not restrict your choice on the price. Instead, you have to ensure that getting only the best that will surely give your money’s worth. These are only a few of the many essential things you need to remember to have the right automotive cover.

It’s a beautiful summer day and you’re driving along the road to the beach in your trusty car that’s been getting you around for about 10 years. What could go wrong? You arrive at the beach, enjoy your day and hop back in the car. Turning the key, you listen for the reassuring sound of the engine, but there’s nothing except for a puttering and silence. You open the hood to examine what the problem may be and realize that what’s underneath the hood is a lot more complicated than you thought. The next step is to call an experienced Automotive Service Technician, of course.

Skilled workers in the Automotive Service Technician field have an impressive working knowledge of all of a vehicle’s systems as well as the ability to quickly and accurately diagnose the source of the problem. The systems with which these technicians are familiar include: engines, fuels, transmissions and drivelines, brakes, electrical/electronics, steering and suspension. With the evolution of cars, the job of a car service professional has also evolved to include working with electronic systems and complex computers that run today’s models.

Therefore, they must acquire high-tech skills to inspect, maintain and repair automobiles and trucks that run on gasoline, ethanol and alternative fuels such as electricity. Some common tasks performed by Automotive Service Technicians include oil changes, tire rotations, diagnosing more complex problems, testing and lubricating engines, replacing worn parts before they cause damage to the vehicle and more. These technicians also know that belts, hoses, plugs, brakes, fuel systems, and other potentially troublesome items must be watched closely.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2008 most service technicians worked a standard 40 hours a week. But 24 per cent worked longer hours. The same organization reports that automotive service technicians and mechanics held about 763,700 in 2008. The majority of workers are employed in maintenance shops and with automobile dealers. In addition, automotive parts, accessories and tire stores, gas stations, automotive equipment rental and leasing companies also employ service techs.

Centennial College’s Automotive Service Technician Apprenticeship gets students on the road to a successful and long-lasting career. To complete the program, students spend five training periods of 1,800 hours with an employer, three eight-week college sessions or one-day-a-week for three years or two evenings a week for three years. During their time at Centennial, they encounter in-school training that is geared to on-the-job experience. Automotive Service Technician apprentices also interact with professors who have extensive experience in the industry and learn in a state-of-the-art transportation leaning centre.

To be eligible for the Automotive Service Tech program you must be currently employed as an apprentice. You cannot apply directly to the college or ontariocolleges.ca for admission to this apprenticeship program. For general information about apprenticeship registration, please contact the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. Also required is an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent. Once accepted, you may qualify for income support while in school through Employment Insurance Canada benefits or training allowance.