Becoming a Viper Technician?

[VenomousRT]

I'm at a crossroads of sorts in my life right now. Straight out of high school(age 17), I started my own web design company which, for a while, was very successful until it just got very overwhelming and I couldn't keep up with my client base. I finally had enough and I sold the rights to the name of the company to a firm based in Hamburg, Germany. In the end I "broke even" but I can't exactly say that as this venture funded my Dodge Dakota R/T. So well say those 2 years of my life were worth about $30k. Since then I have worked a 9 to 5 as a warehouse manager at $13.50an hour plus benefits. Now heres the crossroads part. I am now 20 and I am merely satisfied with my job and would leave in a second if it weren't for the benefits (health,med,dental, etc...)I have the opportunity to A.) Start up a new web design firm in partnership with 2 other people. and B.) Go to school and become a Viper Tech.

Now I don't want to sound hokey by saying I'm going to go to school and become a Viper Tech like its gonna be handed to me in a fairytale world. I do have an abundance of mechanical knowledge and I've done all of the wrench work on my truck. I know I have to work for it and I am willing to do so because thats the way I have been all of my life. I've been able to do almost anything I put my mind to and work my ass off to get there. So now I ask you guys.......Whats it really take to become a Viper Tech and what am I looking at wage wise.

The school I am looking at offers a viper specific course and I want to make sure I don't waste a year if there isnt much demand for Viper Technicians.
There are other courses I can take. (top fuel management, high performance engine building, etc.....)

Chase

 

[YouWish]

Viper Tech. That way when you get one you will save a ton on labor. Besides you would be a pro at working on the greatest car on earth!

 

[1TONY1]

ah, Go to/finish college ???

 

[striker79]

Not knowing to much about what it would take to become a viper tech i can not give you a path or anything on how to get there.But i can tell you that most likly you will have to be a master tech to even look at a viper let alone touch one in the field and that could take up to five or more years to even get to master.I for one have training on a z8 for example but have never touched one as i do not have the time it takes to be classified as one yet.Also i would suspect you would be working on other dodge products the bulk of the time because there are more neons than vipers roaming the streets.

 

[FranciscoR.]

Trust me man, school is a MUCH BETTER IDEA!!! It ***** at times, but in the end, ( I Grad, in December ) it's all worth it.

 

[Jay Herbert]

A four-year degree of some sort would be the best thing to do. If you like computers.... computer science or maybe and electrical engineering degree. I can not stress enough how important a four year degree is in todays marketplace.... even more so in the future.

If your lifes dream is to work on cars, maybe a mechanical engineering degree is another option. That's what I ended up with. If you are not into theory, well, there is a four year mechanical engineering technology degree that is much more hands on.... but, you can go to a school like the University of WI which offers engineering degrees which are still very hands on (I learned how to run engine dyno's, and other fun such things). At big schools like WI, there are many extra curicular groups on campus like SAE (society of automotive engineers) that compete nationally with automotive projects.

If you do not go for a degree now, it will likely be very tough to do in the future.

Keep in mind..... most mechanics work on grocery getters (ratio of grocery getters to fun vehicle is like 10,000 to 1)...... and most shops are not air conditioned If you do decide to go the technician route, getting a dealer to sponsor you in a factory certification program is a good way to earn while you learn and to have a job waiting when you are done.

 

[WESTCOAST JASON]

Agreed - If you get a job at a Dodge Dealer you will need to do your time as a beginner before they put you through Viper school. In most cases, you would have to become a top shelf 'line mechanic' at a dealership to then be eligible to be put through the Viper classes. There may (and most likely are) other techs at the dealers already gunning for that position. I guess that is fine as long as you are prepared to be a career non-Viper Dodge tech just in case you are not the chosen one for that dealer.....


Just my .02

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

It might surprise some here what really skilled auto techs make these days. There is active recruitment going on for intelligent individuals to be trained by major companies. The day of the grease monkey is gone, to be replaced by the individual who can understand and diagnose the dozens of computers and relays in modern cars. I'm in the staffing business, I know for a fact that for those that are willing to undertake the rigorous schooling offered and demanded by some of the manufacturers that the rewards can be upwards of 100k per year. Do some google searching, concentrate on high end German and Japanese cars companies, for starters. The training is no longer than that required for ME or EE degree, you're getting paid for it and living in the same kinds of circumstances as a college kid, I was schocked when I uncovered this niche of employment a few years ago.

 

[BIGBADCJ]

go to one of those automotive tech classes at votech that should put you on the path. i went there for a year pretty cool stuff.

 

[Fang]

A Viper Tech, are you out of your mind

 

[NJVTECH]

A Viper Tech, are you out of your mind

I find it interesting at times ;p
But seriously, Stay in school, get a degree. I am the 3rd generation of wrench turners in my family, and the last. My son is an Honor Student who I am pushing
and prepping for college (high school next year). I havent shown him anything yet about wrenching, I will starting next year so he can fix his own stuff and in the belief that a man who can use his hands can always find work and support a famliy. But it has to be genetic as I see him taking stuff apart and fixing things for his sisters and working on his bike and such. I watch with a little smile and big sense of pride.