Many people will see your tools and dream of owning them and being a mechanic. Even though you look back on that era with regret. Very few people are lucky enough to figure out their life's path out of high school. Most people make choices based on the information they have the time. When it doesn't work out they go do something else. Your time spent being a mechanic taught you valuable life lessons about education, business, and how to value yourself. Those experiences helped you become the successful person you are today.
Google AI has you pegged - "Rudy from The Untold Story of Rudy Alpha Investments is a sasquatch character from Florida who developed a passion for collecting and playing with magic and other collectible cards in the 1990s. As he got older, he also became interested in working on cars and wanted to be a character like Vin Diesel from The Fast and the Furious."
Florida Millionaire shows nay sayers his huge amount of beginners tools and expresses to you the power of fate, drive, determination and what hard work can lead too. To follow what you love.
Literally always the first socket or boxed end to go missing. I ended up with two 12 point sockets. Pretty sure someone out there has two 6 point as a result.
Thanks for sharing Rudy. You sounded audibly distressed, remembering the messed up time cards and the stress. All of us no-maj’s are glad you found your passion!
I really enjoyed this! I'm just surprised that you didn't, you know, monetize this at any point! I'm sure this would be extremely valuable to folks in this trade even today! Cheers rudy if you ever end up in Helsinki I'm gonna take you out to have some mashed potatoes and grilled salmon. Cheers bud.
I was an auto technician from 2010 till 2013. I know exactly what you went through. I went to wyotech automotive school in 2009 then worked at mini for a year then moved to Kia till 2013. I realized it wasn’t for me and moved on to owning a restaurant with my wife tilI we closed in 2017 now I work for a amazing company called (a-dec) it’s a dental equipment company that I love working for and they have amazing benefits. I found out I love working on cars as a hobby but not as a career. We all go through learning experiences. Thank you for sharing!
Tool trucks had some mechanics by the gonads. I hit up Craigslist for used tools. Those unsure days were frustrating. Some lube techs would be sent home if they didn’t have repair orders. The technicians would let me do the new vehicle inspections sometimes and I could make 1.5 book hours for about 45 minutes of work. Love that you are putting yourself out there with background stories. Love the content as usual.
Thanks for the story time and tools! Well, I'd say good quality stays good quality. A shelf that still works that smooth after 20 years speaks for its quality.
As bike mechanic i can aprove. My toolbox is color coded. It’s snap on box. Blue for ball hex allen t handle. Same for torx but green. Pink for flat head and Philips. Custom yellow nut drivers. Orange for temper proof torx. Love the instinct handles they have these days. Can always tell what tool i have in hand though the color. Always love to see tool collections and magic collections. Still collecting complete sets after 30 years. Man i’m getting Old. 😂
Contour SVT!! i have those engine plaques on the valve covers of my 93 cobra. I also worked for ford as a mechanic 99-02 before also discovering how much it sucked lol.
Selling tools feels wrong. I'm with you. Those boxes have held up great, I've got the more basic craftsman boxes, and the drawers are not in good shape after 20 years.
currently making 40/h now and even 5 years ago the life style difference was massive. 5 years ago 40 an hour your doing well. now 40/h isnt even middle class.
I keep waiting for Rudy to open a drawer full of graded black lotus type cards worth 3 or 4 million dollars and saying "I forgot I had these in here... 'See even back then, I was buying vintage MTG'"
I know that grey box "cheap" tool set just from looking the outside. My father bought one on vacation to Spain in 90s cause in that time neat tool sets wasn't all that common product in eastern Europe and that that yellow-black screwer was relatively hefty rugged made that still eventually broke down its screw/unscrew system and then so he bought the same looking box in mid 00 this time at market in our city and that one was sadly even cheaper manufactured and lighter simply put more crap version of that from 90s. Seeing that same grey box bought in yet another 10 years apart, in Florida nonetheless I start to think this product is some sort of archetypal "forever tool set" and that even caveman dads and uncles were buying and having them in their cave tool sheds.
I have been in heavy equipment and engineer equipment mechanics for the last 15 years, as such I have never worked under a flat rate system. I never liked the idea of some mysterious higher authority setting a specific time that every single job should be accomplished in. I don't blame you at all for getting the hell out of it Rudy
So Rudy was a waiter, then a mechanic, then a some sort of finance stock guy, then a Magic cards crack dealer? Wang tang bootythang? Ever seen that movie Buckaroo Bonzai or Bootythang? Both movies were about a guy with butt load of careers.
That's a nice collection! Hopefully you don't let the entire collection collect dust! Great skills to have. Honestly though, I respect it. Could have used that O2 sensor socket a few times and those ratchet wrenches are still some of my personal favorite. I'm not a mechanic, but do most of my own work on my cars.
That's really cool. I'm sure your kids will think so too one day. I like being able to do things and expanding my tool collection let's me do that. I'm purely for hobby only though I'm not fast or good or have the drive to do more than my immediate problems.
It's funny, I was a computer guy my entire life. I absolutely hated working on cars. Now as I've gotten older, working on cars and equipment has become a hobby, a break away from the computers. There are days I wish I had half of those tools, but I'm certainly glad I didn't go into the debt that young mechanics like yourself had to do so to get those tools. You certainly shouldn't sell them as you may find when you get older that you enjoy that kind of work when it isn't about earning a living and is for something you are passionate about. I honestly enjoyed this video, but probably for very different reasons than most who will watch this.
I hated when I use to build and repair computer. Why because family would always come over after work and beg me to fix, repair or trouble shoot. They get mad when I say at home I charge 200$ an hour cash. This was back in the 90s. Today I probably charge anyone 1k an hour if I am at home. At least when I worked at the IRS I never told anyone I worked their as it part of the requirement and that as bad as many folks talk about the IRS just was always afraid of folks not wanting to be friends. After wards all but two folks actually cared most did not. Yeah don't advertise tech work, medical field, mechanic work or irs work or folks will want you to work for free after work.
As much as I love seeing all these old tools and a PEEK at a spicy ford engine. Honestly would really like to have a pink hat white board type of discussion on how financially dealerships screw over very hard working technicians by the stupid flat rate system
You did what you though was right at the time. Looking back now its probably confusing to actually explain it to anyone. I get, I took the plunge as a Mechanic. I fortunately dominated when i started and made it. Now still doing it and dominating some how over the years BUT im just waiting for some one to Doom Blade my Platinum Angel to end the show. Would i feel bad that its over... No because the people i have touched and helped along the way is amazing and to be someones hero for what ever reason is also amazing. And Rudy your doing the same thing with Magic. Nice Ford SVT Contour btw.
Thank you sir I will buy all of this off of you someday as I have no money because I have been every type of mechanic agricultural industrial and automotive
Damn, Rudy! You could have sold all this for some primo cardboard back in the day. Now you'd be lucky to afford a handful of MH3 Commander decks with the proceeds!😂
Dude! Is that a contour svt?!?!! My friend has like 7 SVTs 😂 the contours are FUN! Lots of wiring issues in the earlier models but once you replace the harness it’s mint! Quick, sounds amazing, handles great, fun 6 speed and he’s a guru! Knows every little detail about them and the svt focus as well! He has lots of parts and could help get that one back on the road if you’re interested! We hate seeing special cars sit and rot! You just got a lot cooler in my book 😂
Aspiring Rudy's everywhere buy out wrenches causing massive price spikes. Many submitted them to PSA hoping for the elusive Gem Mint 10 only to find out it's pop 10million
