Pimping rides the perfect choice for car lover

Jesse Berkett says one of his favourite projects was completely restoring a 1939 Chevy's interior. Photo / Supplied

Motor trimmers are probably better known as vehicle upholsterers; the guys with the ability to transform your tired car interior back to its former glory - or repair damage done to your precious vehicle. Motor trimmers work for the automotive and related industries, including horse floats, buses and marine craft.

The certificate, which takes around three years to complete, includes the making and repair of vehicle seats, fitting of carpet, linings and trimmings inside vehicles, replacement and repair of convertible car roofs, screen printing, trimming of linings and construction of a variety of covers.

Prospective apprentices need to find an employer willing to oversee their training and take them on as full-time apprentices.

THE APPRENTICE

Jesse Berkett, 21
* Marine Canvas Tauranga
* Apprentice motor trimmer
* Started on minimum wage; currently around $500 per week (qualified auto trimmers earn $18-$25 per hour).

I wanted something to do with cars or motorbikes. I've got four motorbikes and a dodge pioneer hot rod.

I initially got a three-month contract with TGA Quality Upholstery and after six months was offered an apprenticeship. I did most of my apprenticeship with TGA Quality Upholstery, which specialises in vintage cars and hot rods.

I moved to Marine Canvas about four months ago to learn more about the marine industry. We work on boat canopies, clears (clear side of the canopy) and covers. We also do boat upholstery, seats, carpets and other interior upholstery. Peter belongs to a hot rod club so we do hot rod interiors as well.

I was quite good at graphics and other technical subjects, but I was hopeless at English. I'm best at practical things. You do have to do some study with apprenticeships because you work through unit standards booklets and keep a record of jobs that fitted the unit standard requirements. There are also assessments and tests.

I was a bit slack to start with and got behind with my written work and they gave me a bit of a rev up. Now I spend around two hours a week on the booklets or leave them a week or two and then do lots at once. I'm up to my last booklet, test and practical.

I hate paperwork but it hasn't been as bad as I thought.

I also did two days at tech learning about upholstering around the car electronics and airbags and things.

Sewing is a major part of motor trimming. I was lucky I'd done a bit of sewing at school so I sort of knew how to use a sewing machine. Even so it took me about a month to get the hang of it. You need a good eye for detail. It is quite an art getting the proportions right so everything sits smoothly.

I've had some great jobs. One of the best was completely restoring a 1939 Chevy's interior. You have to think about the job and figure out the best approach. I like that; I get a lot of work satisfaction, particularly with the hot rods. The customer may have a rough idea of what they want but you have to figure out how to make it work.

For me, the hardest part of motor trimming is car hood linings. Sometimes people bring in old ones to use as a pattern but often we have to make our own patterns and that is more difficult. But I've got the hang of it now.

I pay about $30 per week in an auto payment to MITO for the training.

THE EMPLOYER

Peter Tyrell
* Marine Canvas Tauranga owner

I've been in this industry for 26 years. It is a good trade because there is a huge variety of work, from car and boat interiors and boat canopies to lounge suites, office furniture and customised hot rods.

I want employees that are keen and have a love of boats and/or cars. They have to pay attention to detail, be practical and keen on art or graphics.

Doing the formal training is good because it confirms to future employers that you've got a solid range of skills and that you've done your time. It also shows you're prepared to stick at something.

You must be reliable and conscientious. I employed one guy who walked in half an hour late the second day without apologising and I thought, 'Hell, what is he going to be like after two years? Not good enough.'

Sewing is important. When I started I had to spend 18 months hauling out seats before I was allowed to start sewing. Some apprentices take a couple of years to learn how to sew properly and when you're working on material worth $100 per metre, you can't be messing about.

You learn about pattern-making and how to transfer your patterns on to good material without wastage. Carpentry skills are also handy because you sometimes have to make door cards (panels).

When Jesse approached me, I gave him a job to do to show me his skills and I was impressed with the high quality of his work and that he wanted to learn more about marine.

There is always a skill shortage of trimmers, especially in the marine industry which has really taken off since the America's Cup. I moved into marine when the Japanese import car market took over and people started putting covers over damaged upholstery or getting replacements from the wreckers. It stopped being fun and interesting, so I changed to boats.

TRAINING PLACE

Qualification: National Certificate in Motor Industry (Motor Trimming) Level 4
Where: NZ Motor Industry Training Organisation (MITO)
Contact: 0800 88 21 21 or (04) 494 0005; info@mito.org.nz; www.mito.org.nz
Entry requirements: Prefer minimum three years' secondary education. Useful subjects include English, maths and technology subjects including fabrics and graphics.
Training costs: Approx $858.75 pa (including GST).

angela@careerideas.co.nz