I always had a high mechanical aptitude, even as a child. I was fascinated by cars and how they worked. I had a voracious appetite for reading, and used my allowance on magazine subscriptions to Popular Mechanics, Motor Trend, Car & Driver, and the like. I knew all the specifications of all the hottest cars of the time- Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bugatti, etc. My family was not wealthy, but my father liked nice cars. Champagne taste on a beer budget, as the saying goes. This frequently meant that purchases were made without giving consideration to the cost of maintenance or repairs! Needless to say, I was often recruited to help (whether I wanted to or not!) and grew up with a firm “Do-It-Yourself” mentality. I actually enjoyed working on cars with my dad, even though it was largely just fetching tools or the impossible task of holding a correctly-aimed flashlight. As an added bonus, I learned some colorful language that is still relevant to this day!
Fast-forward a number of years and my DIY mentality never diminished. I pursued a career in Finance but still got a tremendous amount of satisfaction out of working on my own cars in the evening or on weekends. I found it cathartic- working on cars was logical. It was restoring order. Taking that which is broken and making it work again. I was burned-out in my finance career and when the Great Recession hit it created the push I needed to pursue something more personally gratifying. I decided to pursue my original passion for all things automotive. I got a job as a Service Advisor but found that what I really wanted was to be in the shop- hands-on, doing the real work.
I think it is this DIY mentality so deeply-ingrained that makes me such an enthusiast, and, by extension, a supporter of DIY enthusiasts! I take a lot of pride and satisfaction in sharing my knowledge with fellow enthusiasts. I strive to empower them so that they may get the most out of their ownership experiences. And, if/when the time comes that there’s a job they’re uncomfortable tackling on their own or one that they simply don’t have time for, well, we’re here for them then too. Cheers!
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