Ideas for a new shop.

[L8 APEX]

I am open to suggestions for a new home for the PR facility. The current arrangement of renting space at Meadlin's is wearing me out. The other guys refuse to keep a clean shop and steal my tools by the minute. I would like to have a clean, race shop type atmosphere like I had at MSR. Maybe you know of a better shop I can rent space from. Or maybe this is the time to buy into a club shop for everyones benefit. I also thought about building a shop on my land in Ellis County but that may exclude too many customers like MSR's location did.
Pics of MSR
http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/Shop.jpg
http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/15nascar.jpg
http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/15HD1.jpg

[tiffo60]

hey terry if you want to build one I am in the structural steel fabrication business, and we do large frame structures, we have all cnc machines such as beamline, plasma plate machine yada yada, and i can get you a real good deal on the steel for it

p.s. its family owned

[99WhiteBeast]

MSR was the shiz just a little far out for most folks. Also not a lot of walk-in business I would guess.

How about the USA Motorsports building- good frontage on Pioneer and the shop is already setup. Nice central local for the entire metromess

[BC Lightning]

Call Shawn Freese out at Fastech in Balch Springs (right down the road from Smiley's) he keeps a very clean shop and has an in ground dyno. Just a thought.

[LS1 Eater]

Call Shawn Freese out at Fastech in Balch Springs (right down the road from Smiley's) he keeps a very clean shop and has an in ground dyno. Just a thought.

I would not deal with Shawn Freese at all. He might keep a clean shope but that is about it. I didnt come here to bash but just to give you warning. If I were to get a shope I would find some where around the DFW air port. It is located in the center for most every one.

[Moonshine]

Dville is probably not the epicenter of your customer base, but isn't the muffler shop building available for lease?

[Silver_2000]

This is not a slight on you BUT Meadlins is NASTY

There has to be a shop that just closed that available -
As was suggested being closer to the center or Dallas and Ft Worth would likley result in more business

Does anyone know any shop owners that are looking for a partner ?

Doug

[Silver_2000]

Just found this listing

I think that I know the owner - if its the same place its Lees 4 wheel drive on 35 at beltline - been there for years - small shop but its easy on easy off right at 35 - low rent

http://www.autocentersforsale.com/listings/listing1737.html

Here is a shop with 6 lifts and alignment rack for 150k in Plano
http://www.forsalebusinesses.com/profile.cfm?portfolioid=3213


Doug

[PoorSvtman]

usa motorsports in arlington is closed. IF you get that i know alot of customers will come. more than what you probly have now. Hell ill even work with you and help out with installs and sells:tu:

[gagspa]

usa motorsports in arlington is closed. IF you get that i know alot of customers will come. more than what you probly have now. Hell ill even work with you and help out with installs and sells:tu:
I like this idea too. Nice and convenient for me :D Of course with no money I won't be giving you much business :(

[PoorSvtman]

I like this idea too. Nice and convenient for me :D Of course with no money I won't be giving you much business :(

I like that to... gives me a job and ill work for cheap lol.

[WA 2 FST]

Here is a shop with 6 lifts and alignment rack for 150k in Plano
http://www.forsalebusinesses.com/profile.cfm?portfolioid=3213


Doug

Heck, if they'll drop it to $100k, maybe I'll buy it. ;)

[TP Derrick D]

MSR was the shiz just a little far out for most folks. Also not a lot of walk-in business I would guess.

How about the USA Motorsports building- good frontage on Pioneer and the shop is already setup. Nice central local for the entire metromess


Hey Steve-O, what's this? USA is gone? I haven't been there in about 6-8 months so this is news to me. I hope not I got $47 and change credit due me there. I was planning to cash in when my engine get finished. That building is high rent district. Charley did tell me the numbers but that was 7-8 years ago when he first moved in there. However,Terry, I hear Wolfe is moving into a new shop meaning his shop may be available. That is a prime location also right down the street from USA ,and a lot of ricer shops ,among others.

[TP Derrick D]

I am open to suggestions for a new home for the PR facility. The current arrangement of renting space at Meadlin's is wearing me out. The other guys refuse to keep a clean shop and steal my tools by the minute. I would like to have a clean, race shop type atmosphere like I had at MSR. Maybe you know of a better shop I can rent space from. Or maybe this is the time to buy into a club shop for everyones benefit. I also thought about building a shop on my land in Ellis County but that may exclude too many customers like MSR's location did.
Pics of MSR
http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/Shop.jpg
http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/15nascar.jpg
http://www.svtgalleries.net/gallery/data/500/15HD1.jpg
Terry,
My crew chief is kinda partnered in with a guy that use to work @ Arlington motorsports when he worked there and use to work on my car. There shop is in west FW past Hulen mall area down I-20. The shop started out GM F-bodies, then my crew chief went and brought in the Ford brand. If you interested I'll check into it. PM me I'll hook you up. the shop even got in floor dyno for all the dyno racers.

[PoorSvtman]

yes usa is gone, i had a few friends that worked there and a friend that just got alot of work done by them.

[Mark #2]

This is not a slight on you BUT Meadlins is NASTY

There has to be a shop that just closed that available -
As was suggested being closer to the center or Dallas and Ft Worth would likley result in more business

Does anyone know any shop owners that are looking for a partner ?

Doug

I do, Terry, let me know if you would like to discuss the previous offer anymore.
Mark

[REXRENEGADE]

Set up shop somewhere in HEB!
:D

[gbgary]

Dville is probably not the epicenter of your customer base, but isn't the muffler shop building available for lease?

duncanville is perfect!! he needs to stay in duncanville. ;) i'll bet there's something available over in the explorer/big stone gap area. maybe even somewhere off of 67.

tere, i heard the guy across the street from us is going out-of-business at the foreign car repair shop. don't know what his place looks like inside though.

[L8 APEX]

Yeah all the automotive guys are dying out of D'ville. A Mexican tranny shop bought AllPro down the road. I live down south and don't like the idea of driving up north. Fuel is becoming a real issue at this point. My fuel bill is averaging 150 a week which is higher than the truck payment itself. I have to turn a job or two just to pay for gas for the week.

[my2002lightning]

My $.02... take a step back and think about this. Imagine you own your shop at your own location - you call the shots, etc.

Maybe a small business loan from http://www.sba.gov/financing/index.html or another low-interest lender.

I can enlist a good-friend of mine to pitch a business plan to potential lenders - he's damn good. He retired from the Telecom space in its peak at 46 as a Nat. Sales Mgr. and he's "livin' large".:bows

Phil told me this evening that as long as you have some collateral and a good FICO, your good-to-go for a small-business loan.

He free-lances now and picks and chooses his projects.

Ronald

[dboat]

Yeah all the automotive guys are dying out of D'ville. A Mexican tranny shop bought AllPro down the road. I live down south and don't like the idea of driving up north. Fuel is becoming a real issue at this point. My fuel bill is averaging 150 a week which is higher than the truck payment itself. I have to turn a job or two just to pay for gas for the week.

True Terry, but in business, its location location location... What I will say is that you are like the specialty surgeon practice. Because of your rep and good work, there are folks like myself and others that will go out of their way to come to you to get work done. However, if you had a better location, then your access to clients that would have work done or more work done should go up. I was never a fan of the site where you are now but I came there due to you, otherwise I would have never visited.
If you get your own shop and run it well, you should do very well. The emphasis is on run it well.. its a hard thing to do, especially if you expand beyond you being the only employee.. If there is anything I can do to help, I will. You are a very special talented guy.

Dana

[Silver_2000]

Yeah all the automotive guys are dying out of D'ville. A Mexican tranny shop bought AllPro down the road. I live down south and don't like the idea of driving up north. Fuel is becoming a real issue at this point. My fuel bill is averaging 150 a week which is higher than the truck payment itself. I have to turn a job or two just to pay for gas for the week.

You have to wonder why all the auto shops are dying in Dville ....
Fuel is going to be expensive no matter what you do.
To avoid fuel being an issue you need a work from home job , Since thats not possible in this line of work as Dana said its in a large part about location. The links I posted were easy to find businesses in DFW - There HAVE to be others that are available.

I have always moved to be close to work ....

[L8 APEX]

Yeah I would ideally build a shop at the house and work by appt. That would cut my overhead at least in HALF. I could live comfortably on a lot less work. As you said I would need to expand and have employees to make a new shop succeed.
That listing for the shop is Plano is for the business only there is a lease and landlord on the property. Kind of like when Speedworks sold for 50K, it was just the tools and equipment.

[SILVER2000SVT]

Working by appointment from a shop on your own property lowers your cost like you said, in addition it removes quite a few substantial liabilities and you would be better prepared when business slows down from time to time. No additional rent, utility bills, taxes, etc. The downside to this is that it would tend to limit your success and the growth of your business.

It really depends on what you want. Doing the solo thing and having a shop at your own place is good just to keep things simple, as a minimium you just need to keep enough business to pay the bills, you get to set your own hours. All in all it should be significantly less stressful that having to maintain a store, employees, probably a landlord, etc. But by doing this you will always have a limit of what you as one person are capable of doing. As you get faster and more efficient you will make a little more money, but you can only be so efficient by yourself.

To take the next step you will have to get employees to work for you. I think that having a retail type location (building) goes along with that. Once you go that direction, your hands on work will be a very small part of your total work of managing the location, employees and the work that they do and all the things that go into running it. Even if you want to do the hands on work, you won't have the time.

[wesman]

There's a place for lease on Harris, used to be called Tonys car care. I'm not sure what the rent etc is, but I know it has a small space in front for customer waiting, office, a back office and space to store several cars. It has at least one lift in it as well, perhaps two.

It's ben empty for at least 7-8 months now.

--wes

[gbgary]

You have to wonder why all the auto shops are dying in Dville


i guy i spoke of is just burned-out and wants to retire.

[TP Derrick D]

There's a place for lease on Harris, used to be called Tonys car care. I'm not sure what the rent etc is, but I know it has a small space in front for customer waiting, office, a back office and space to store several cars. It has at least one lift in it as well, perhaps two.

It's ben empty for at least 7-8 months now.

--wes


Is this in that area about a block or 2 east of Cooper? If so it seems to be a good area, I haven't heard anything bad.