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A Day on the Job: Inside the head of a mechanic

Meet an educated guy who fiddles with vehicles for a living. What's his dream car, dream job?

By JOHN REINAN

© St. Petersburg Times, published September 4, 2002

CLIFF DANA, 41

AUTOMOTIVE TECHNICIAN

PRECISION ENGINE INC., ST. PETERSBURG

How long have you been a mechanic?

I started when I was 17. It was a hobby, and then it became a job. I realized I had a knack for it.

Have you always been mechanically inclined?

I guess so. My dad owned a Shell station in Brooklyn, and I took apart a Volkswagen when I was 10. Just tore it down and stacked up all the parts. Around the same time, I got interested in radios. I've probably built 15 or 20 kit radios. I'm a ham radio operator, and I still build my own antennas.

What kind of training do you have?

I went to Ford school for five years while I was working for Ford. The rest has been on the job. I actually have a four-year degree in journalism, but there's no money in it.

How would a young person get started in this job today?

The thing is, kids don't want to do this anymore. They don't want to do grubby work -- they want the glamor jobs. There's no new blood in the business. I have a strong suspicion that in 20 years, mechanics are going to be worth their weight in gold.

Are the cars more complicated now, with all the computers and such?

It's different, that's for sure. Your average car is a very complex item. You have to be a chemist, you have to be an electrician, you have to be a plumber. I mainly do fuel injection, electrical and computerized engine controls.

Do you have to buy your own tools?

Yep. I've probably got about $30,000 worth of tools.

What brand do you use?

Snap-on and Matco are the best, but you can't just walk into a store and buy them. You have to go through a dealer.

What's your favorite thing about this job?

I'm helping people. I think that's pretty much it. Look, when people come in here, they're ticked. Their car is broken down. They've got to spend money they didn't plan on spending. But when I get it fixed, the thank yous I get are well worth it.

What's your least favorite thing?

It's hot and it's sweaty. The hazardous chemicals we face, that's another thing. And there's also a lack of respect. You can't be an idiot to do this job. And you can make good money -- you can make as much as a low-level corporate attorney. But people still look at you as a grease monkey. It's not a glamorous job.

What kind of money do you make?

It varies, but usually between $35,000 and $50,000 a year.

Do you ever get your hands really clean?

No, the hands never come clean. Even after a week of vacation, I've got grit and grime in places I didn't know I had.

What's the best soap for grease?

Zep or Gojo Power Gold. When I was a kid, I used to rub myself raw with Lava.

If you could have your dream job, what would it be?

I wanted to be a writer, I really did. I wanted to write and take pictures for National Geographic. I wanted to go to countries older than this one. I wanted to go to Tibet and take pictures of monks. I still write -- I write all the fliers for the shop and all our thank you letters and things like that.

What about your dream car?

Well, it's a truck. I want a 2001 Ford F-250 with a turbo diesel and four-wheel drive.

What do you drive now?

I drive a 1981 Ford van. My wife drives a 1973 Olds 98 Regency. I actually prefer the old cars -- there's less to go wrong.