Anyone use amsoil? or ever used it with good results?

Considering becoming an official dealer. Doing some research before I commit. And start a business.
You know, thats a big deal and whatnot.

Being I am considered and Independant contractor, why not add to it?

Van becomes an actual "work" van
Can sponsor a car build.

Offer mobile repair services.

I mean, how much worse can it get?

 

• Cost of liability insurance
• self employment tax unless you mean you are going to form an LLC
• Registration w DOT if You are going to ship it in any which way or form.
• Extra cost for shipping materials to meet DOT regulations
• Working in unsafe situations due to the idiocy of vehicle owners
• Collections costs for a h s that don't pay you and never will.
• Up front layout for all repair parts cost.
• Advertising costs.
• Life insurance policy payable to me

In all seriousness, I wouldn't do this as a 1099. If you are moving hard product, I think you would want the business structure that an LLC gives you, including the limited liability part of LLC. You also don't want to be paying self-employment tax on every damn thing you sell or part you order to repair someone's vehicle (assuming customer reimburses you properly).

There's a lot that goes into setting up something like this. Actual liability insurance to cover the property of others, claims of damage in shipping, being sued for refusing to take on a job because you are racist, phobic, communist, never getting paid, being unable to compete price wise with the product with other dealers because you simply cannot afford to move enough product to purchase it at a large enough wholesale discount to offer it that inexpensively....

Those are red flags off the top of my head. Some are worse than others.

If you're working as a mobile mechanic, remember that the primary reason in most cases you are on site it's because the owner cannot afford a tow to a shop. If they cannot afford a tow, how are they affording you?

I said primary reason. Not all people are bad, and not all people down on their luck are dishonest, nasty, or cheats. Just saying the portion of the repair clients you would be focusing on is statistically the least likely to be able to pay you. And if they do, it may take additional time for them to work a job again with the car you fixed in order to make enough money to pay you for fixing it.

That does not make them a bad person it makes them a good person. But it also makes your income stream thoroughly unpredictable, and you need to pay monthly bills, not just for life, but to the amsoil people, the insurance people, etc.

And you need to check your work contract wherever you are wrenching to ensure there is no non-compete clause that prevents you legally from working in the same line of work for someone else, including yourself, at the same time you are employed by them. Sometimes you can disclose up front before you sign the existence of said business which is then exempted.

I am not trying to complicate all of this to be a jerk. I'm trying to look out for you, man. Too many pitfalls.

 

Listen to derf. He KNOWS what he's talking about. I had my own business for 13 years as an independent contractor for Airborne Express and it was a total HEADACHE. I had to carry a million dollars worth of liability insurance on both of my delivery vehicles and that wasn't cheap. Commercial tags aren't cheap either. Plus, there's the quarterly ESTIMATED taxes you have to pay. If you over estimate and send too much, they penalize you and if you under estimate and don't send enough, you're penalized too. It's pretty much a royal pain in the neck to be self employed. If you get sick or hurt, you'd better have a disability policy because if you ain't working, you ain't making any money. And if you even hire someone to "fill in" for you, you'll have to add them to your insurance policy or just pay them cash under the table and HOPE they don't get hurt or wreck your van. Not trying to bust your bubble, Bill. I'm just trying to fill in some of the stuff that you need to consider. As for Amsoil, I never used it but a buddy of mine I grew up with sold it for about 20 years and swore by it and made a damned good amount of money. All it cost him was his marriage, house and kids. He got to keep the dog.

 

I do not miss my repair business in the least! Working for a Union Utility as a mechanic is the best job I have ever had!

 

I've not used Amsoil before; but my Audi friends all swear by it.

As Rubehayseed said; pain in the butt to run your own small business. My Dad did that as a pipefitter/metal fabricator/welder for most of his working career and it took a lot of effort to do that.

 

Maybe I'll put some in my A3 for the upcoming maintenance. If It ruins anything, I'll just blame both of you.. Yes I'm crabby.

DropDead, please drive a subframe up here. Mine now has two gaping holes on either side of the control arm to subframe bolt on the driver side. These used to be bulges until I started driving it the car regularly. Yes I can sell it this way and get shot or maybe somebody can weld a plate in it's place. Maybe I'll drive down, buy it, put it in in your kitchen, get drunk with your girlfriend, then sell her the car.

Can you consign someone who is driving up here or near here to transport it for you / us? Personal or commercial under the table? Problem is I have too much of a conscience. It's a sin to take a vehicle on which every freaking thing works except the AC compressor and sell it for parts. It's a daily driver that burns no oil with a rusted out subframe.

 

Did not know how bad it had gotten when I spoke with you, Rube

 

I put Royal Purple XPR in the Crown Vic as an experiment a few years before the car went down. There was definitely a difference in the way it ran after that oil change. It ran a lot smoother and it seemed to have a scoonch more torque. What I didn't realize back then was that the RP XPR oil has a lot of detergent in it that I think cleaned the engine out; so much so that it dissolved the sludge out of the gaps and caused some more oil leakage. But all that hype about that oil increasing hp was kinda true; at least in my case. If I ever get the Crown Vic running again; it will probably live on RP XPR after the break-in period.

Nowadays I put Royal Purple in my vehicles once a year to clean the engine out a bit. Then run my regular synthetic for the remainder of the year.

 

Its a 1099 gig.
I kinda jumped ahead of myself with offering repair services.

Basically if I don't have it on hand I can drop ship right to them. Amsoil takes care of all that. I'm really just a middle man.

It would ve a full time gig. Kinda like a tool truck. Id have to watch for all shows, events, meets, track nights, etc.

Derf: youve always been cranky. Its okay.
feel free to bring the car down here. I work at a resto shop now.
or you can donate it to me so I can save gas on the grand caravan and collect parts to officially lift it and turn it into a bigger work pig (brush guard, winch, tow hooks, snorkel after this last storm we got)

I like flippy head lights and standards. Think of all the rust free parts it would see.

 

Amsoil is a good product. Beware of pyramid schemes. Only the originators get rich, everyone else wastes energy and dreams.