I've always been mechanically inclined. I was the 8 year old kid who tore apart his dads' electric drill just to see how it worked - and was the only kid who was able to put it back together and have it still function (for a while, anyway)

Close enough.

Even though I had a rough idea of how the internal combustion engine worked, I never really got interested in them until I was able to be at the helm. And, I really got interested after I bought my first car; A 1986 Yugo GV.


1100ccs of raw power! (pinterest)

I spent a whopping $175 for that car and, of course, it quickly became a mechanical dream, or nightmare - depending on whether you enjoyed working on cars, or not.

In the beginning I went through the regular routine;

-Car breaks down.

-"DAAAAD! FIX IT!"

-Profit.

But, eventually, I took hold of the wrenches, myself and started figuring things out. Mostly by trial and error. Mostly error.

Shortly after I began to get my head around the hows and whys I was approached by one of the "olda boys" from the area.

He had rented a pole barn from a retired gentlemen down the road and was trying to start a small auto repair business out of it.

Was it legal? I don't know. I was 16. He was 23. He must've had all the proper paperwork, I imagine.

I showed up for my first day, eager and fascinated by this new venture.

We had; a huge, open space. One, beat to crap, tool box with a few china-made tools and two drip pans. One for coolant. The other for oil.

"No jacks. No lifts. No working lights. Not a single luxury. Like Robinson Caruso. As primitive as can be." (now that song's going to be in your head all day. You're welcome.)

I'm going to come out and say it right now;

We did not get very far in this venture. There was no empire building, brand building and I am not heading a reputable franchise out of that building today.

My first assignment was to remove the wiring harness from under the hood of a Mazda RX7 that had experienced a small electrical fire.

A big job right out of the gate but, hey, "into the fire" and all that.

Looking back. I'm pretty sure I could've just rewired that small part of the harness. But, like I said, I was 16. You do what you're told.

Working with Greg was pretty neat. For all of 3 days.

I worked on the Mazda while he replaced the steering column in his own '85 Monte Carlo.

Customers actually came in and I would help them out ...while Greg worked on his Monte Carlo.

I would sweep up toward the end of the day ...while Greg worked on his Monte Carlo.

That's Greg.

On the fourth day I showed up to the pole barn nice and early and noticed Gregs' Monte was gone.

I shrugged my shoulders and opened up the shop like normal.

I took in new customers. Chatted with people. Took moneys owed. All your regular shop duties.

I did this for 3 weeks.

And, I have to say, those three weeks really brought me out of my shell. I could actually talk to people at an audible level. Related to people that were in dire need. And could make change in my head.

And then, on the Monday of the fourth week, Greg showed up - along with an entourage of fellow 'olda boys' and pick-up trucks.

It turns out Greg had been in jail for the last three weeks for DUI, possession of narcotics and reckless driving (he totaled his Monte).

It would seem that, on that third night so many weeks ago, Greg, while completely inebriated, decided that he was ready to drive his Monte Carlo, whether the Monte was ready to go, or not.

So, with a steering wheel that wasn't bolted down, missing one tail light lens and only one seat, he was going to impress his girlfriend (read; "ex" girlfriend - that lived 50 miles away).

His group of friends unceremoniously loaded up everything that belonged to Greg and the shop closed up.

Luckily, for me, it was right after this that I became eligible to enroll into the Technical School in my area and received proper training in the craft of automotive repair.

Was my nearly month-long experience a waste of time?

I don't really think so. I did learn a lot.

The only cars I'd had experience with before then was my Yugo and any car that my parents happened to own - while the barn opened me up to a diverse series of manufacturers and problems.

It was a good jump start to a career I eventually held for 10 years before leaving for something a little less physically demanding.

I'm glad I got into the field, anyway, for the simple fact that I can repair (or understand) my own vehicles and I have never been stranded for more than a few seconds.

Also, I have become a legend to many people for my quick thinking and outside the box "repairs" that have saved people from 20 mile walks.