Apprenticing at a VW shop?

[Cubey]

I had to sell my autostick beetle before I even started working on it really. I had to take a $200+ loss too. But my financial plans changed drastically and I needed rid of it. That's how it goes sometimes. I sold it to a private party.. so don't fret.. it didn't go to the scrap yard! But the auto trans might have.. people tend to not want them. *sigh*

But I still love classic aircooled VWs of course!

My plan in the next year or so is to possibly relate to the Portland or Seattle area. Or perhaps Sacramento if I end up finding the pacific northwest to be too wet. But I think I might prefer wet to 100+ heat of Arkansas (where I am now). Sacramento gets pretty hot too in summer so that would be a last resort.

My thought is.. I wonder if I could apprentice myself at a VW shop. I do have reasonable mechanical skills. I have a 93 escort I rebuild the engine on all by myself last year. I obviously have the mechanical skill and interest to work on VWs. I'd like to learn welding too eventually for 'surgery' on VWs. A tech college course might be good for that since it does take more than just playing around to be able to weld properly and safely.

I wonder how many VW shops would let someone come in off the street as an apprentice to the field of working on or around classic VWs? The idea would be to gain experience in exchange for helping out and perhaps even score a job with them later on. Or even eventually start my own aircooled VW business.

I actually came across a retired VW enthusiast locally but he's gotten out of it. But he still has his old (fairly big sized building) welding shop chock full of VW aircooled parts. I had planned to buy an engine from him to rebuild but things went south with my plans so it never came to pass. I need to get back in contact with him and see if he still wants to post parts on ebay to sell since he seemed interested in doing so but wasn't ready at that time. It's too bad he's not into working on them anymore or else he'd be an excellent source of education.

[68autobug]

Hi
bad news on selling Your beetle. I hope You find somewhere to work with Vws. as an apprenticeship would be great place to start.
A course on welding would be a good move too.  My Son done a welding course and He can now weld everything.
I've never done a course, so I can weld steel today and be hopeless the next day.. lol

Best of Luck with Your climate too.
Many people end up wherever their work takes them.
so, I'm in a very Hot in summer and cold in winter location...  but My beetle heater works great..
not so good in the summer..lol

cheers

Lee in Australia

[Cubey]

Yes.. that's why I didn't seek out a Beetle in good condition. No AC. In summer here it has a heat index of about 110 in the peak of summer. The car I'm driving now, the AC doesn't work so once summer hits I either won't be driving it or I will have all the windows down, the dash vents going (blower works) and the dash mounted fan on high. In winter it gets down below freezing at night around here.

Portland is a very rainy climate year round but generally has much cooler average temperatures:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland,_Oregon#Climate