My time as a Ford Master Tech is at an end

[Top_Ghia]

I’ve been a mechanic for 16 years now and I’ve spent the last 7 years at 2 Ford dealerships. In that time I became a Master Tech. It’s a qualification that really means little to your career but actually makes a big difference to how much the dealership gets paid by Ford. Being a master tech basically just means you’ve done all of Ford online and classroom training.
I’ve really enjoyed my time fixing Fords. But I will say my passion for Ford certainly died when Broadmeadows closed.
I always tried to learn as much as I could about the latest models and technologies that were coming out. But this didn’t always help as it’s hard to predict what will play up and what won’t.
Today as one of my last jobs I had the privilege of pulling the supercharger off an FPV to fix a small coolant leak. I took my time and made sure it was done right.
Working on nice FPV cars was always a highlight. I always tried to go the extra mile with these cars as I felt the owners really had paid for that extra attention to detail. Being around for the GT-F was pretty cool. It actually felt like a special car. Driving them was a real buzz.
Why am I leaving? Money is why. The pay is rubbish and I’m tired off. I can earn far more working at a private workshop. Dealerships view mechanics as bottom dwellers. But I actually view myself as a professional and need to make the most of my career.
In just the last 2 years the dealership I’m at has also changed a lot. I’m the last guy on the floor with any real experience. It’s now full of kids and young guys who don’t give a toss. Most struggle to change a globe without breaking something and I don’t think any of them actually know what the workshop manual is.
Management seems quite happy to let all the good guys walk and just employ another kid on $15/hr. Good luck with that.
So thank you to the many loyal Ford fans out there. It’s been real.